Crime in San Francisco forces grocery stores to chain up their freezers

Employees say there are more than 20 incidents per day. The city is currently experiencing a wave of crime.

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19 de julio, 2023

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Crime in San Francisco continues to rise. The situation has forced supermarkets to chain up their freezers in their frozen section to prevent thieves from stealing products. CBS reporter Betty Yu posted videos showing how the measure is being implemented.

Employees explained to the reporter that shoplifters were constantly stealing pizzas and ice cream every night. They explained that there were at least 20 robberies per day. "They are usually hit 20x a day." Entrepreneur Elon Musk reacted to Yu's news.

Crime in San Francisco

The situation has been hard on employees, but also on customers who say they have to wait a long time for employees to unlock the freezer to get the products that they need. In fact, last month, some workers said they would quit their jobs because of the stress. David MacDowell, who is leaving Safeway after six months, told The San Francisco Standard, "It's just too much. Having to bring things to the front was a game-changer."

San Francisco is currently experiencing rampant crime, so much so that San Francisco's Democratic mayor, London Breed, asked the federal government for help in dealing with the problem. In a letter to the new U.S. Attorney, Ismail J. Ramsey, Breed highlighted that there is a lack of resources available to her police force, which is necessary to bring order to the streets of San Francisco.

In addition, companies and businesses have long warned about how they are being affected by crime. In April, Whole Foods Market, owned by Amazon, announced the temporary closure of one of its flagship stores in downtown San Francisco because the company was concerned for its workers' safety. A company spokesman told The San Francisco Standard:

We are closing our Trinity location for the time being only (...) If we believe we can ensure the safety of our team members in the store, we will evaluate reopening this location.