There was a time when the “Prince of Thieves” was a phrase only associated with a movie from the early 90s. But now, at least in New York City, someone new has claimed the title. In an example of how dysfunctional the law enforcement system has become under the current administration, one man named Isaac Rodriguez has shattered all existing records for criminal activity. The 22-year-old suspected gang member has spent the past year going on a shoplifting spree that has stunned even veteran members of the NYPD. He’s managed to rack up 57 arrests in 2021 alone, mostly for stealing from stores, but on at least one occasion, assaulting someone with a deadly weapon. You might wonder how someone with such a prolific criminal record could keep winding up back out on the streets after being put in handcuffs so many times. Trust me, the cops in the city are asking the same question, but the blame for that falls on a combination of “reforms” enacted by the City Council, the Mayor, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo. (NY Post)

Were he the supervillain in a heist movie, Isaac Rodriguez, 22, would be called Sir Isaac Lootin.’

But the real-life, allegedly violent bandit has no moniker — just a rap sheet 74 offenses long, dating back to 2015, according to police sources.

The King of Queens Thieves has been arrested 57 times this year alone, including in a vicious stabbing, police sources told The Post.

Rodriguez is finally in jail, but he rode the city’s revolving door of justice to allegedly rip off Walgreens 37 times this year.

Walgreens was obviously Rodriguez’s favorite target. While he hit a few of the drug store chain’s locations, one of them in Jackson Heights was clearly a convenient stop for him because he robbed it 23 times this year. He steals a wide variety of products, seeming to favor protein drinks, bath lotions, and baby products. He then turns around and sells them on the streets for cash.

He’s not even subtle about his thefts. He doesn’t try to sneak things out of the store under his shirt or anything of the sort. Store managers who spoke to the Post said that he simply walks in, fills up a bag and walks out without paying. Store policies at Walgreens forbid the managers from having anyone try to stop a thief in the act, a fact that the criminals are clearly aware of.

“This guy comes here every day stealing, every single day. He comes and he steals,” fumed the store manager. “We call 911 and make a report, and that’s it. Our company policy is if anyone comes, because of a safety issue, we cannot stop him. We cannot do anything.”

“They steal and they sell,” the manager groused.

Another thing that Rodriguez was also obviously aware of is that the state and city “bail reform laws” that took effect this year make all thefts of less than $1,000 worth of goods ineligible for bail. He gets arrested, he’s given a summons to appear, he walks out the door, tears up the summons, and goes on to hit the next store. He had it down to a science.

Rodriguez is finally behind bars thanks to the knife attack, but even that took months to put into effect. And I’m sure that some criminal justice reform advocate will be able to dream up a reason why he shouldn’t be locked up for long so the Walgreens managers can probably look forward to more visits from him in the future.

This may be a worst-case scenario, but it’s also the inevitable outcome of these “reform” efforts to empty the jails and decriminalize less serious offenses. When you remove the disincentive for breaking the law, there will always be people out there who are ready to abuse the system. And yes, “smaller” offenses tend to lead to larger ones. That’s why the Broken Windows policy that New York used to follow worked so much better than what we have now.

Isaac Rodriguez looked at the law and our criminal justice system as a joke. That’s because it’s been turned into a joke by liberal activists who have convinced elected officials to “empty the jails” and end cash bail. Rodriguez knew he could steal with impunity and if he was caught he would be back on the street in a couple of hours and face no consequences. If it weren’t for the fact that he pushed his luck too far and decided to stab one of his mugging victims who fought back, he’d be back out there right now robbing everything that isn’t nailed down. And when he gets out of jail, that’s exactly what he’ll be doing.

Flee New York City if you have the means to do so. It’s not safe, and it won’t be safe until the voters have finally had enough and stop sending these liberal, anti-cop activists back to office over and over again.