Melissa O’Connor has added crime fighter to her duties as a business leader. O’Connor has been targeting retail theft by advocating for several state laws that increase security measures, provide violence prevention trainings and offer tax credits for retail business to offset the cost of the added security. The laws were among the most sweeping at the state level to combat retail theft. Their passage came as part of a coordinated advocacy campaign by retail-related groups, which led to Gov. Kathy Hochul making the issue a 2024 priority.
