Walgreens to Shut 5 San Francisco Shops On account of Rising Retail Theft – CBS San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) – Retail chain Walgreens announced Tuesday that it was closing five of its San Francisco stores for retail theft.
Meanwhile, SF overseer Ahsha Safai said he hoped a law he recently proposed can prevent stores from closing more locations.
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According to Walgreens, it will close its following SF locations next month: 2550 Ocean Ave., 4645 Mission St., 745 Clement St., 300 Gough St., and 3400 Cesar Chavez St.
“Because of the ongoing organized retail crime, we made the difficult decision to close five stores across San Francisco,” Walgreens said in a statement Tuesday.
“Organized retail crime remains a challenge for retailers across San Francisco, and we are not immune to it. Retail theft at our San Francisco stores has continued to rise in the past few months, up to five times our chain average. To combat this issue, during that time we have increased our investment in security measures in stores across the city to 46 times our chain average to create a safe environment, “the company said.
Upon hearing the news, Safai said the closings would severely affect children, families and seniors, many of whom get their prescription drugs from Walgreens pharmacies.
“I am completely devastated by this news. This closure will have a significant impact on this community. Less than a mile from seven schools, this Walgreens has been a staple for families and children for decades, ”he said of the Mission Street location. “The city must act urgently to reduce and prevent the number of incidents of commercial retail theft.”
Safai has worked with Walgreens and other retailers to find solutions to rampant and ever brazen retail thefts across the city.
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Two weeks ago, Safai introduced a law that would amend the city’s administrative law to allow sheriff’s deputies to enter into contracts with businesses, private events, and community areas to ensure safety. Under the law, private companies would pay MPs overtime at no cost to the taxpayer.
San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto supports the legislation.
“With the recent surge in property crimes in San Francisco, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office (SFSO) stands ready to do its part to keep our communities safe,” said Miyamoto. “Our office and our members support legislation that allows FSO employees to be present in shops and companies to ensure everyone’s safety and reduce the opportunities to commit crimes. It is important to keep stores in our community to provide access not only to retail stores but also to pharmacies and medical services that host or offer them. “
In addition to the proposed laws, Safai has also set up a commercial retail theft working group that will include Police Chief Bill Scott and District Attorney Chesa Boudin, which will make policy recommendations.
Scott and Mayor London Breed also announced a number of new initiatives to address retail theft last month, including expanding the police’s organized retail crime division and recruiting more retired police officers to patrol the neighborhoods.
Back in July, Governor Gavin Newsom announced an aggressive enforcement plan aimed at a staggering increase in brazen retail thefts by organized gangs.
With the five Walgreens locations closed next month, Walgreens said each store prescriptions will be automatically transferred to another Walgreens location nearby within a mile radius and patients will receive a notification in the mail. In addition, the company announced that it will be relocating employees at the closure locations to other nearby locations.
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