Despite new security measures, one San Francisco store is still seeing an onslaught of shoplifting, according to The San Francisco Standard.
Receipt-scanning security gates have been introduced at a Safeway grocery store in San Francisco, but the new technology hasn’t been helping, according to the Standard. The store, located in Bernal Heights, San Francisco, has put everyday items behind locks, such as shampoo, toothpaste and vitamin supplements. (RELATED: REPORT: Walgreens In San Francisco Forced To Chain Food Freezers In Effort To Combat Crime)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 13: Products are displayed in locked security cabinets at a Walgreens store that is set to be closed in the coming weeks on October 13, 2021 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The thieves are walking through the self-checkout aisles and pushing past the receipt-scanning gates, according to the Standard.
“I’d say 60 to 100 [thefts] on my shift alone,” an anonymous security guard told the Standard.
During interviews with store workers, a theft occurred right in front of the Standard reporter. A man and a woman wearing backpacks pushed past the gates, ignoring the security alarm as they quickly rushed toward the exit.
“It’s a lot worse at night. During the day, it’s okay,” another anonymous employee told the Standard. Staff members have been told they can’t talk to the media, according to the Standard.
“Recent changes were made at select Safeway stores in the Bay Area to maintain a safe and welcoming shopping experience for our customers and associates given the increasing amount of theft,” a spokesperson for Safeway recently told the Standard.
San Francisco has seen a wave of retail stores leave the downtown area due to retail theft in the area. Walgreens announced the shutdown of five of their stores in October 2021 due to increased crime.
Safeway and the San Francisco Police Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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