GOODER AND HARDER, PHILADELPHIA: Shocking moment brazen masked kids loot Footlocker, Lululemon and Apple stores as Philadelphia descends into anarchy — with footage showing cops brawling with thieves and punching one in the face.

Flashback: First homicides, now shoplifting plague Philadelphia thanks to radical DA.

First, it was homicides. Then, it was carjackings. And now, it is shoplifting. Philadelphia is an absolute mess. The city’s government has been a complete disaster in protecting its law-abiding citizens and business owners from those who repeatedly cause harm. And, once again, much of the blame belongs to the city’s radical, left-wing, Gorge Soros-funded, ineffective District Attorney Larry Krasner.

* * * * * * * *

Consider the discrepancy between the arrests and charges for retail theft compared to the number of incidents. Between 2017 and 2021, the number of reported retail theft incidents in Philadelphia increased by 21%. However, during that same period, the Inquirer reported arrests and charges for retail theft dropped by nearly 70%. It’s a devastating shift for Philadelphia retail owners and stems from the district attorney not doing his job.

Some of the victims of this crime wave spoke to the Inquirer about their frustrations. It’s heartbreaking to realize that city officials caused their plight, and there is nothing they can do about it.

At a CVS in Philadelphia’s Center City section, one of the employees lamented the steady stream of criminals. She called the theft “constant and frustrating.”

“All we can do is watch. The policy is you can’t touch them,” the employee told the Inquirer. “They come in with bags, fill the bags. They leave. The same people come in, day in and day out.”

“People are coming in and stealing things like there’s no tomorrow,” said an owner of a 7-Eleven in South Philadelphia. “The district attorney says unless it is over $500, it’s not shoplifting. My God.”

As Tom Cotton wrote in 2021: Recall, Remove & Replace Every Last Soros Prosecutor.