Whole Foods in downtown San Francisco announced Monday it can close its doors to “ensure the protection” of its employees, San Francisco Standard reported. The nearly 65,000-square-foot venue had only been open for a 12 months.
IN Novemberthe shop implemented a latest bathroom policy that required guests to indicate: receipt to security guards before gaining access. The motion was taken after syringes and pipes were present in the lavatory, one among the employees said. Another employee said some people were “filling their suitcases” before going to the lavatory.
“Our neighborhood has been waiting for this supermarket for a very long time, but we’re also aware of the issues they’ve experienced with drug-related retail theft, neighboring drug markets, and plenty of related issues of safety,” San Francisco Board of Supervisors Matt Dorsey wrote in Twitter entry.
I’m incredibly dissatisfied but sadly not surprised by the temporary closure of Mid-Market’s Whole Foods. (1/7) https://t.co/lthpC90xTL
— Matt Dorsey (@mattdorsey) April 10, 2023
While violent crime in San Francisco is low, robbery and theft crimes number within the 1000’s annually, in line with the Metropolitan Police data. When compared to St. Louis, Missouri, which was named America’s most dangerous city by MoneyGeek, San Francisco lags far behind in its violent crime rate. However, in relation to property crimes, the 2 cities are separated by just over one data point.
Related: Cash app founder Bob Lee found stabbed to death in San Francisco
The prevalence of theft and vandalism affected businesses across the town. Small business owner Denise Huynh, who owns the Vietnamese restaurant Tay Ho in Oakland, described the present environment as a “war zone.” San Francisco Chronicle. In March alone, Huynh’s restaurant was the victim of three burglaries.
“I’m afraid to listen to my phone ring within the early morning because that is the thing I’m most afraid of. It’s one among those nightmares that keeps repeating itself,” she said in an interview with the outlet.
Matt Meyer and Daniel Paez, owners of Low Bar, a cocktail bar on Webster Street, said their shop was broken into five times within the five weeks between December and January. They said they’d spent tens of 1000’s of dollars on security upgrades for his or her bar, a financial strain on top of the inevitable costs of running the business.
“We want this neighborhood to thrive,” Paez added. “We’re just attempting to protect ourselves so we are able to still be here.”
Related: ‘Raging Mad’: Residents are furious over viral video of business owner brutally spraying water on homeless woman
[mailpoet_form id="1"]
