Stories like this always grab my attention. Thieves exist everywhere but lately it seems thieves in some of our major cities have become convinced they can get away with anything. And, unfortunately, they often seem to be right. The NY Post reported yesterday that upscale Manhattan, retailers are being plagued by these brazen thieves.

“There’s a true belief out there among criminals that they’re going to get away with it,” Jim Giddon, whose Rothmans men’s clothing store in Gramercy was once robbed twice in about a week by the same gang, told The Post…

Grand larcenies have shot up about 27.6% citywide so far this year over the same period in 2021, with the largest increase — 63.4 percent — in the Midtown South Precinct, which includes Times Square, Grand Central Terminal and Madison Square Garden. That means 2,287 incidents this year versus 1,387 in 2021 for the Manhattan precinct.

One particularly brazen thief got into an argument with a young woman working alone at a framing shop. He explained to her that he could take whatever he wanted.

Framing consultant Rachel Lipscomb, 25, was working by herself at the gallery around 6 p.m. when a thief swiped a framed photograph worth an estimated $2,500…

“The guy who ran in last just grabbed one [piece of art] and left,’’ the worker said. “So I chased him. He was just really pissed. We tug-of-warred with it until he acted like he was going to hit me with it.”

The thief told Lipscomb matter-of-factly he could steal whatever he wanted.

Lipscomb recalled saying, “Dude, you can’t take that. Hey, you can’t steal that.”

“Yes, I can,” the thief replied.

Lipscomb, the gallery worker, eventually let go and the thief walked off. At least she wasn’t harmed.

Another group of thieves operating in New York City has been murdering people by putting fatal doses of drugs into their drinks before robbing them.

Multiple people have been fatally poisoned with narcotics in what investigators say were schemes by criminal crews to incapacitate and rob people at New York City bars and nightclubs.

The killings — at least five, according to police — stretch back months and appear to be the work of different crews, operating independently from each other but using similar tactics, police and prosecutors said Thursday.

Men surreptitiously slip revelers dangerous levels of drugs to knock them out, then take their wallets and phones, sometimes using their digital banking info to drain their accounts.

Some of the victims of these attacks have survived so it’s possible the thieves don’t intend to murder people, they just don’t care whether they live or die. Here’s a local news report on one arrest that has been made in connection with these crimes. According to this report, Kenwood Allen has been arrested 17 times for theft related crimes. Nevertheless, his brother told ABC News “My brother has always taken care of his family, his mother and his sisters. He’s not in no gang. He’s not in some crew going around drugging and robbing people. That’s just not true, that’s ridiculous.” I guess we’ll see what the prosecutors can prove in court.

Update: Of course one of the reasons things are getting worse in NYC is DA Alvin Bragg. The NY Post reported last week about a “sweetheart deal” one thief got from Bragg’s office.

A Manhattan gangbanger with a knack for high-end heists could have his latest charges dropped thanks to a sweetheart deal from District Attorney Alvin Bragg — because prosecutors have too much on their plates to try the case, The Post has learned.

Charles Lindsay — a reputed member of the “Rich Fam” gang, which has a history of pulling off pricey robberies — was last hauled into court Dec. 10 for allegedly stealing nearly $25,000 in pricey handbags and other items from Madison Avenue boutiques, according to sources and court records.

Lindsay, 22, is also a suspect in the rape of a 15-year-old girl in May in Brooklyn, as well as a February grand larceny and a robbery in March, sources said.

But in court last week, prosecutors agreed to drop the four grand larceny charges against Lindsay if just attends five sessions with Manhattan Justice Opportunities, an alternative sentencing program designed for low-level offenders.

So this guy gets off with some kind of BS counseling. No wonder thieves in NYC are convinced they can get away with anything.