Crime is a problem, and in many major cities, crime isn't prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. That encourages repeat offenders to, well, repeat.
And when that starts to impact businesses, those businesses shutter up and pull out.
In Boston, Walgreens is closing its fourth location because of the crime. One study showed that shoplifting was up 38% in June of 2023 versus June of 2019. In New York, retailers have lost $4.4 billion to shoplifting.
Walgreens is closing its 4th location in Boston in the black area of Roxbury, a neighborhood plagued by theft.
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 16, 2024
Residents are outraged and shocked.
Former NAACP president to stores: "Do what's right for these communities and beyond just your bottom line" pic.twitter.com/tFSZYVQq9I
People are not happy, as you see in the video.
The Western Journal reports (emphasis added):
As Walgreens prepares to close a store in Boston’s crime-ridden Roxbury neighborhood, residents are outraged.
“This Walgreens is critical, not just to this community but the surrounding communities and the seniors,” said Rev. Miniard Culpepper during a Friday protest outside the pharmacy, according to WBZ-TV.
The store is scheduled to close on Jan. 31. The nearest Walgreens location that will remain for Roxbury residents is about a mile away.
Customer Lucille Culpepper-Jones, who is calling for the store to remain open, said she cannot visit the next-nearest Walgreens because she would not feel safe making that walk alone, according to The Boston Globe.
The store’s closure comes as retail theft is on the rise in many urban areas.
It would be nice if someone asked Ms. Culpepper-Jones why she doesn't feel safe making the walk to the other Walgreens. We're guessing it has to do with uncontrolled crime in the area.
Why are they addressing the stores and not the community? Shouldn’t the people do what’s right for their communities?
— The Appalachian Podcast (@GetOnTap) January 16, 2024
Yes, they should.
As should the government. The basic function of government is to protect the people and communities. Boston -- like many other major cities -- is failing to do that.
Ignore the wholesale theft and looting
— Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) January 16, 2024
Just stay &give us free stuff
The sad thing is this hurts the decent people in those neighborhoods
But until Dems take control of their cities
They built this, they live with it
You get the government you vote for, unfortunately.
When this is what Walgreens has to deal with, I'm not surprised.... pic.twitter.com/nqMGTT9G1l
— HardBoiledEgg🥚 (@HarderBoiledEgg) January 16, 2024
This is unsustainable and should not be tolerated.
It is not businesses’ responsibility to accept financial losses, especially if the communities refuse to do anything https://t.co/BiS2Vhkfn1
— Jon 🔬 (@JonnyMicro) January 16, 2024
No, it's not the business' responsibility.
The idea that a major company should just lose money for the good of the community that’s stolen from them is just tremendously entitled & stupid. https://t.co/fyppHQEZIp
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 16, 2024
It's tremendously entitled.
It’s not Walgreens‘s fault that Boston won’t put people in jail for stealing. It’s not Walgreens his fault the community won’t police itself. https://t.co/NfDuJU22b6
— commonsense (@commonsense258) January 16, 2024
No, that's on the Left and Democrats. But we repeat ourselves.
They will continue to vote for all of the same political leaders who explicitly promise to make all of their problems worse while demanding that stores like Walgreens just volunteer to lose revenue by the millions. They will do everything but change their voting habits or take… https://t.co/UyIAm8KkXv
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) January 16, 2024
It really is a pathology: everyone is to blame but the people who steal or commit other crimes.
What the communities should be demanding is law enforcement. And that won't happen so long as they keep voting for Democrats. https://t.co/wMNvhaTSkZ
— Nan "Devalue the Degree" Hayworth, M.D. (@NanHayworth) January 16, 2024
Yes, they should be. Where are the leaders? Where are the police? The DA?
If only there was a way to fix this to everyone's benefit, except the thieves. I wonder if thieves should be arrested and incarcerated. I wonder. https://t.co/sff58c4Mof
— Charles X Proxy™ (@Charlemagne0814) January 16, 2024
Gee, if only there was a way.
Or maybe those communities could “do right” and stop fuggin’ ROBBING THE STORES. https://t.co/Q3rGUfNDBv
— AuntieVodScotch 📷I take pictures📷 (@HeddyNajjar) January 16, 2024
The solution is that simple.
Maybe the NAACP should open a store then since the bottom line and criminal theft is irrelevant. https://t.co/LRQMKS70Mx
— 🇺🇸 Just My Opinion 🇺🇸 (@JustMyOpinions4) January 16, 2024
They wouldn't know how to run a lemonade stand, let alone a business like Walgreens.
The rampant theft -- and it's brazen and organized in many places -- is the problem. Failing to police communities, to hold criminals accountable, and to enforce the laws are the problem.
Walgreens closing stores is not.
But innocent people -- like the soon-to-be-laid-off employees -- suffer because Democrats run cities into the ground.
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