District Attorney Michael McMahon Visits Chamber for Small Business Safety Roundtable
On June 4, Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon joined the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce for a public safety roundtable focused on crime trends, legislative reform, and quality-of-life issues affecting Staten Island residents and business owners.
The event, attended by community leaders and local business owners, offered a candid assessment of where Staten Island stands in the broader public safety landscape—and what’s being done to keep it one of the safest boroughs in New York City.
McMahon began with an encouraging report: Staten Island continues to be the safest borough in New York City and among the safest communities of its size nationwide. Notably, grand larceny auto—which surged in previous years—has dropped by more than 35%.
Retail theft emerged as a major topic of concern. Assistant District Attorney Carly Bernsen, who works in the newly created Retail Theft Unit, noted that Staten Island has already seen more than 1,000 retail theft cases this year. Many incidents involve repeat offenders who, under previous laws, could steal with near-impunity. Thanks to recent legislative changes, prosecutors can now aggregate multiple thefts across different stores into felony-level charges. Assaulting a retail worker has also been upgraded to a felony offense, providing additional protection for employees in high-risk environments.
The conversation turned to legislative advocacy, where McMahon has played a statewide leadership role. As President of the New York State District Attorneys Association, he successfully pushed for reforms to the 2019 discovery laws, which previously allowed criminal cases to be dismissed for even the smallest procedural errors. These changes, McMahon said, are already helping prosecutors statewide hold repeat offenders accountable—especially in areas like retail theft.
Public safety, the DA stressed, isn’t limited to headline-grabbing crime categories. Issues like scam prevention, illegal dumping, unlicensed cannabis sales, and the ongoing opioid epidemic were also addressed. McMahon urged business owners and individuals to report scams as quickly as possible so that the DA’s office can act before the money disappears.
The roundtable ended with a Q&A session, and closed by reminding the room that public safety is a shared responsibility, and that Staten Island’s success depends on continued collaboration between government, law enforcement, and our business community. Thank you to District Attorney McMahon for joining us!