This is a huge quality-of-life win for D.C. residents. CVS stores in the Washington, D.C. are no longer locking up items in the anti-theft cases thanks to President Trump's crime crackdown, which has led to a drastic decrease in shoplifting and other crimes. According to the Metropolitan Police, homicides are down 30 percent, assault with a dangerous weapon down 42 percent, and robbery is down seven percent.
Motor vehicle thefts are down 45 percent, too, while theft from auto is down 20 percent and other theft is down 10 percent.
JUST IN: CVS locations in Washington, D.C. are reportedly no longer locking anti-theft merchandise cases, as the city experiences a drastic decline in crime.
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) September 27, 2026
On August 10, the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. said there was a 67 percent increase in prosecutions in the D.C. superior court, a result of President Trump's law enforcement surge in the city.
Back in April, CVS was forced to lock up things like candy and toilet paper because of chronic shoplifting in the northwest part of the city. From DC News Now:
A CVS store at 17th and P streets Northwest has started locking candy and other items behind barriers.
CVS says the move is necessary to combat theft.
Shoppers now must press a button to summon an employee to access items like M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces, Kit Kats and more.
“I actually don’t buy much candy, but it just seems like it’s getting worse,” said shopper Derek Turner.
...
The practice is not limited to this location. Another CVS nearby on 14th Street Northwest also locks items, including toilet paper.
“I used to buy that there, but now it’s too much trouble. It’s not worth it,” Turner said.
CVS issued a statement saying, “Different products experience different theft rates, depending on store location and other factors, and our product protection decisions are data driven.”
Even lefty writer Matt Yglesias says it's a good thing.
DC crime has fallen enough that the CVS by my house has stopped locking the locks on the cases they installed during Peak Shoplifting and it’s such a quality of life upgrade.
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) September 21, 2026
Of course, last August Yglesias was saying that D.C. needed "real policing" and not "propaganda."
https://t.co/JD30QrOm8N pic.twitter.com/Kqwlznl60L
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) September 27, 2026
He must've forgotten about that. Real policing reduces crime, including crime like shoplifting and retail theft. Those lower-level crimes always lead to more, and increasingly violent, crimes.
It's almost as if the wave of retail theft had everything to do with a policy choice to reduce enforcement against such criminal activity and the reversal of that choice has helped alleviate the problem... https://t.co/rjtn0p2ouI
— AG (@AGHamilton29) September 27, 2026
All it took was a President with the spine to enforce our laws.
Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.
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