US: Crime-Ridden San Francisco Wants To Punish Grocery Stores For Fleeing Said Crime
Unpunished crime is so out of control in San Francisco that the city now wants to punish grocery stores that want to leave.
Under the ‘Grocery Protection Act’ introduced by city Board of Supervisors member Dean Preston (Democratic Socialist), stores that want to flee all the crime and other increased liabilities will have to provide the city with six months advanced notice, and make efforts to find a replacement supermarket for the location being vacated, Benzinga reports.
The move comes after Whole Foods shut down its flagship store in San Francisco after being open for just over a year, citing employee safety concerns.
The reports show how workers at the store were routinely threatened with weapons, while vagrants would throw food at staff, engage in fights, and even defecate on the floor.
One incident saw a homeless man with a knife spray an employee with a fire extinguisher
There were also cases of drug overdoses, with one man dying in the bathroom after overdosing on fentanyl and methamphetamine. Thefts were also common, with large quantities of alcohol stolen from the store.
Nearly 570 emergency calls were logged from the location, including one call with desperate pleas to the police saying “male [with] machete is back,” and “another security guard was just assaulted.”
Former SF Board of Supervisors member Matt Dorsey (who wasn’t assaulted at Whole Foods) said he was “incredibly disappointed” at the closing.
“Our neighbourhood waited a long time for this supermarket, but we’re also well aware of the problems they’ve experienced with drug-related retail theft, adjacent drug markets and the many safety issues related to them,” Dorsey said.
According to Preston, “Our communities need notice, an opportunity to be heard and a transition plan when major neighbourhood grocery stores plan to shut their doors.”
Preston’s proposal would allow anyone impacted by a noncompliant store closure to initiate legal proceedings.
As Benzinga further notes, “It’s not just grocery stores that have had enough of the city. Other large businesses that recently closed their downtown San Francisco locations include Adidas, AT&T Inc., Nordstrom and Lego Group.”
