A New York police officer who makes $173,000 a year has been allegedly caught shoplifting at a Banana Republic store.

Sgt. Tamas Balatoni was accused of switching price tags inside the SoHo store in Manhattan on Thursday night amid the Christmas shopping rush.

The 49-year-old officer was not arrested.

Sgt. Tamas Balatoni, 49, was accused of switching price tags inside the Banana Republic store in SoHo, New York (above) on Thursday night amid the Christmas shopping rush

He was instead stripped of his badge and reassigned to desk duties, police sources told the New York Post.

Balatoni, who lives on Staten Island, earns a base salary of $108,593. With overtime, his total earnings in the 2017 fiscal year was $173,525.

The alleged shoplifting incident will be looked at by the NYPD's internal disciplinary review process. They will also investigate why he wasn't arrested.

Balatoni has been on the force for 20 years and was most recently a driver for the NYPD's assistant chief, Edward Delatorre (pictured above), in Staten Island

Balatoni has been on the force for 20 years and was most recently a driver for the NYPD's assistant chief, Edward Delatorre, in Staten Island.

Sources said Balatoni is being urged to quietly retire to avoid disciplinary action.

'If he doesn't retire, he's probably going to get fired,' a source said.

'He's an embarrassment to the Police Department and to the profession itself.'