Thefts are up along Soho’s “Rodeo Drive,” and many victimized store owners are waiting until the end of the business day to call cops to keep their boutiques from becoming shuttered crime scenes, sources told The Post.
Grand larcenies are up nearly 34 percent, from 74 to 99, in the First Precinct so far this year, compared with the same period in 2015.
Police gripe that some stores are not taking proper security measures, such as hiring guards and installing cameras, to combat the problem on trendy streets such as Greene, Mercer and Spring.
Officers recently became so frustrated over repeated thefts at some shops that they tried to pressure management by closing the stores down in the middle of the day, one source said.
“That really pissed the stores off because customers couldn’t come in. Now, what some stores do is wait till the end of the day to call police,’’ a police source said.
Sources said the store owners are full of excuses.
“They say they want the customers to feel comfortable. They say, ‘It’s up to corporate, it’s not up to us,’ ” a police source said.