Locals responded to the imminent closure of a Walgreens store plagued by frequent shoplifting by launching a petition urging the corporation to keep the store open. It is set to close on March 17.
The store, located at 1300 Bush St. at the corner of Larkin Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood, recently posted signs telling customers about its closing and that all prescription information would be transferred to another Walgreens, located three blocks away at 1524 Polk St.
The Bush Street Walgreens “has become a lifeline for many seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income residents who cannot go further out to other stores to get what they need. The other Walgreens that is 3 blocks away is not handicapped accessible and cannot accommodate people with disabilities,” according to the petition.
“Walgreens Corp. has an annual revenue of around $139.5 billion,” the petition says. “We think they can afford to keep needed stores like this open.”
Walgreens media representatives did not respond to requests for comment Monday.
The store reported at least 18 shoplifting, robbery and burglary incidents to the San Francisco Police Department between September and December of 2020, according to police data. In a handful of incidents, thieves brandished knives or other weapons, or assaulted an employee or guard. In many cases, they stole merchandise valued under $950, which is the threshold at which shoplifting becomes a felony charge.
San Francisco resident Sebastian Luke, who has made it a personal crusade to save San Francisco’s Walgreens stores from closures, said the Bush Street location has increased its security in response to frequent thefts. It hired a security guard and keeps many items, including toothpaste and allergy medicine, in locked cabinets, he said.
Losing neighborhood drugstores can make it more difficult for neighbors to pick up medications or get necessary vaccinations.
This past winter, as more Americans were encouraged to get flu shots amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Walgreens reported “unprecedented demand” for those vaccinations. And, as the Covid-19 vaccine becomes more available in San Francisco, six Walgreens stores — at 2550 Ocean Ave., 4645 Mission St., 825 Market St., 2120 Polk St., 498 Castro St., and 5300 Third St. — will soon be administering Covid-19 vaccinations, according to a spokesperson at San Francisco’s COVID Command Center.
“In the middle of a pandemic and crisis, we cannot allow profit driven greedy Corporations to further traumatize and abandon their responsibility to the community. People over Profits! Especially during the worst crisis we’ve faced in a generation. Shame on Walgreens,” San Francisco resident Curtis Bradford wrote when he signed the petition.
In 2019 and 2020, seven Walgreens stores have closed, including the one at 16th and Mission streets, some as part of the company’s plan to shutter a number of locations across the country. But the Walgreens at Van Ness and Eddy closed because it was losing more than $1,000 a day to shoplifters, according to the Chronicle.
Many Walgreens stores across the city are facing rampant shoplifting, prompting the San Francisco District Attorney’s office to begin working with loss-prevention consultants at the ALTO Alliance to prosecute the most serious repeat offenders. They’re working with some of the hardest-hit stores in the city, including the one at 1300 Bush St., to identify and issue arrest warrants for those suspects, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Donahue said.
Walgreens reportedly takes a hands-off approach to shoplifting. Interfering with a would-be shoplifter can lead to assaults, injuries and insurance liability; instead, employees are encouraged to call the police only after suspects have left the store, according to their posts on Reddit.
“We’re supposed to wait until they leave the store to notify police, but what good does this do with no identifying information and a shitty camera system?” asked a Walgreens store manager posting under the name Nerdspice. “Why even try? I’m just struggling.”
Identifying and locating shoplifters is tough, largely because the suspects are long gone by the time officers arrive, Donahue said. However, some shoplifters return so often that Walgreens employees learn their names. That information, combined with security footage, helps identify potential suspects, he said.
Luke said he doesn’t expect the petition over the 1300 Bush St. Walgreens to make a difference. “I don’t believe that the petition will help [change] Walgreens’ mind,” he said. “According to the Walgreens employees I know well, the decision has been made by the corporate office.”
Old school- slice their tires, then call the cops.One large hardware/apparel store caught 2 guys shoplifting. 3 employee brought them in back and kicked his ass.Now, people and their families haul out carriages of stolen merchandise. I see people at Walmart just walking through the garden area or out the tire shop. No one stops them.The looting during unrest in the nation, sparked people to steal.
I was in a Walgreens in Watertown, CT the other day. A women walked out the store with large carriage filled with expensive makeup, supplements, and several smaller items. People in line told told the manager and she looked out the window and did nothing. Sadly a police officer was across the street monitoring traffic.
What can Walgreens do if they wanted to , to hire loss prevention or security to not only prevent theft but for the safety of its employees? I just want to know why this hasn’t been done yet ? The Walgreens on the corner of my neighborhood that I have shopped at for the past 7 years is probably one of the worst for theft and crime , last week when I was at the checkout I witnessed three young teenagers assault the manager , punch her in her face for telling them to leave because they were throwing things off the shelf and taking what they wanted .
By the time the police arrived they were long gone of course . I stayed to be a witness because I couldn’t believe that a teenage boy and his friends thought it was funny to punch a worker in her face as if he were hitting another man. I was horrified .
They couldn’t do anything ofcourse unless she pressed charges and they actually ca,e back into the store .
Another time actually two other times while at the checkout counter I witnessed a man and once a woman grab the money right out of the cashiers hand amd walk out . They said nothing will be done. That this has happened many times .
It makes no sense to me that Walgreens allows this without hiring security either for the products or for the safety of their employees at least ! Why is it that. CVS and other pharmacies and grocery stores have security for these reasons but Walgreens seems to be the only one that doesn’t care . Their shelves are close to empty they never have any item I need but I still go there hoping they will because it’s confidently close to my home.
Why aren’t they doing anything to protect their employees or their product , ? Are they that broke they can’t hire security but can hire new employees? What is really going on behind the scenes of Walgreens what is their real intention , it makes me wonder because they are that careless about these things !!!!
Donating to a Walgreens? I’d like to close the one here in Reno, NV where I used to shop and get my prescriptions, but a week ago when I went to pick up my prescriptions, they wouldn’t give them to me even tho they are done and I rely on these meds. A few days prior when I was picking up another prescription when I suggested they take one of the 3 or 4 people filling prescriptions come and cash me out as they only had one person at the coiter serving a customer with a complicated problem and one other attending the drive thru. Well one of the prescription fillers did come to the counter to cash me out and give me my prescription that day, but not before a manager by the name of Zac told me I could not shop there anymore. But I did go back several days later when I was confronted with 4-6 young girls working at the pharmacy who wouldn’t give me my prescriptions and told me I’m banned for all Walgreens! I’m 71 yrs old, retired, living on a very limited income and I feel there’s a retailer’s war against the poor and aged. As I’m ‘white’ I cannot file a discrimination case against this unfair treatment. I’ve been robbed of the groceries I’ve paid for here at the #1 grocery chain but a letter to their West Sacramento regional HQ didn’t even get a response. Also I’ve been accused by another retailer without cause here which resulted in a cashier physically attacking me which resulted in a police report against the store but nothing is done. I have to walk or take the very limited public transportation here which gives the locals another reason I suppose to look down on those of us sans vehicles of our own. I do own a car but haven’t been able to get it road worthy. I blame some of this hostility towards us shoppers that take our own handcarts to stores and have backpacks because we suffer from backaches and other problems, and this is the only way we can shop at all, on the fact thst the high cost of living has flushed out many unfortunates from other states, especially of course, our closest neighbor, California. But our costs have skyrocketed here too, with most rents tripling due to outside private equity firms buying up the real estate and making it unaffordable. I’m from San Francisco myself, came here to help an elderly friend, who has now passed away. I was unfairly evicted from the home we shared for 12 years, as the new managers lied and said I did not live there. It was difficult to get help as this was during the pandemic and the pro bono lawyer wouldn’t tslk to me until the date of the court hearing was set. I wonder what Walgreen’s policy is in the mistreatment of its would be consumers. Walgreens is doing well, profiting immeasurably according to the figures on its website. Give to a charity not a profitmaking corporation that mistreats some of the most vulnerable members of society.
As usual today’s society blame everything on someone else….I have not heard 1 person blame THE THIEF that is causing the problem….Y doesn’t the COMMUNITY CREATE a WATCH PATROL for its local stores and let the ELDERS tell the TROUBLE MAKERS that this store is OFF LIMITS ..but no because that would be admitting that there is a REAL PROBLEM
I think they should shut down . If they are losing money then it’s time to shut down .
Not a single comment from any of those trying to force the stores to remain about the scumbags who are stealing their goods. If I own a store and you steal from me, you’ve already received one benefit. I didn’t blow you out the front door. So I’d move my store and tell those who seem to be blind to KMA.
My husband and I visited SF in the last couple of years (from Colorado) and had occasion to shop at a Walgreens. We were shocked at the literally empty shelves. We asked a salesperson what was going on and she explained that the law basically gave carte blanche to petty theft…no punishment, no deterrent. If such a ridiculous law is passed at least have the sense not to publicize it. Instead of blaming Walgreens you might want to consider whom you support in local elections. It was so pleasant to visit our neighborhood Walgreens when back in CO…with shelves full.
Some comments on other replies.
You to vote in laws and prosecutors that make shoplifting have no consequences. The resulting surge in shoplifting was hardly a surprise. These are NOT people who are stealing to feed their families. They are stealing what “boosting rings” want them to steal. There have been big busts of these rings, who often resell the merchandise on eBay. You have no high ground from which to lecture Walgreens on their social responsibilities in this matter. It’s ludicrous of you to ask them to keep stores open that are losing them money as a result of your political choices.
Hey big guy, try not throwing up a smokescreen with numbers. $139 billion in revenue isn’t $139 billion in profit. Their net income on that $139 billion was around $450 million. That might not seem like a lot of money to us, but that’s a net margin of 0.33%. Not a very profitable business at all. It can’t really endure less profit.
Seriously…. people think the store should stay open allow people to steal, just because it is a large profit making corporation?
Sorry, no. Close it down.
Oh I so hope every business closes and leaves san francisco. Then all the lefty idiot politicians and lefty idiots who vote them in to pass laws like making $950 shoplifting legal can all gloat then how their lefty policies are working!!!!!
Why is Walgreens wrong? It funny how we always blame the wrong people. Let’s see the law is insane! People have to start to take personal responsibility with their lives and stop blaming everyone else!!!!
Call the police? Lol That’s funny, all SF police should leave and let the locals deal with what they voted in. You vote in stupid crap… you get crap results. Your stores are leaving, deal with it.
SF voters caused this. You reap what you sow. Lot better than Chicago though …
Rather than petition corporations to lose money opening up shop …
Why not stop the looting?
I haven’t seen an intelligent comment from a SF resident ever.
Same on Walgreens? Same on local Politian’s for not handling the issue. Giving citation (no jail) for shop lifting anything less than $900.00 is ridiculous. If there’s no real consequence to stop this crime from happening then people are doing to continue to do with it.
It’s almost like Walgreens is taking a page out of Atlas Shrugged and simply leaving a city government and citizenry that does not support having a viable business climate. Good for Walgreens. Coming from a medium-sized city in a deep red state where our citizenry and local police would never tolerate that much crime, I am laughing my ass off watching leftist ideology slowly destroy the West Coast.
You blame the greed of the corporation? LOL. Why should they continue to have a business that is not protected by the law? It is not their responsibility. All those people who no longer have the resources of the local business can blame the politicians who set in place a community that does not protect local businesses.
If you don’t do your part in the societal game of capitalism, and just break the rules and steal, this is what you get. In this game you get out what you put in. Unfortunately what about the people that played fair and get nothing but inconvenience now. It’s not Walgreens fault, they came to do fair business, not get robbed.
Several has posted comments about how these people complaining about store closures should open their owns stores for the community. Although, when a persons main skill set is complaining and throwing out soft headed slogans, it’s hard to open and manage a store — actually, it’s close to impossible.
I once spoke to a person that worked at SF City Hall about the high levels of theft. She assured me that these “massive corporations” could easily absorb the money lost due to stealing.
What is wrong with some people? Instead of getting mad at the corrupt laws that allow shoplifters to get away with stealing from a business, instead they blame the company for not being ok with it and call them greedy! Who wants to have open doors to thieves§.
Shame on Walgreens? How about shame on you for writing this ignorant article when it’s the lawmakers of SF and CA who caused this!!
To everyone decrying a business making a profit, or at trying to. Put YOUR money where you mouth is, and open up your own community store, and let the local populace take what they need, based on the honor system. All you have to do is keep your shelves stocked for these poor, disenfranchised people… after all, it’s the right thing to do.
I worked for walgreens for nearly 14 years. 2 of those years were spent working in a store in one of the most dangerous, blighted cities in the country. The fact that so many stores in San Francisco closed, and the one I used to work at remains open is just incredible. Local citizen support for the store, and prosecution of shoplifters is clearly a reason the store I worked at remains open. Shame on San Francisco, not Walgreens.
Hey like everyone says about youtube facbook twitter .. Private company they can do or close whatever store they want. Suck it up buttercup
It’s not Walgreens duty to lose money due to theft. Get pissed off at your thugs and criminal mobs, not Walgreens.
The Juice in the bottom of the dumpster…that is what many cities are becoming.
SF law makers have endangered the lives of many retail employees throughout the city. Basically their is
no punishment for STEALING $950 of products that are at retail to serve the community. This law favors the criminal not the retailers and the safety of their employees. Good for Walgreens and others that have closed their doors. Thank you for thinking of the safety of your employees first. You get what you deserve politicians. Because of your laws you have less services and employment in your community. Keep making senseless laws so more and more businesses and people leave your city.
i wonder which poor downtrodden minority group the shoplifters belong to, that they are being enabled by the lunatic left that runs most of california.
Shame on SF politicians for letting this happen to residents. Shame on Breed, Boudin and district supervisors for crime against our seniors, open drug dealing in the Tenderloin, feces and needles all over the streets, robberies and break-ins all over our beautiful city.
Urging the corporation to keep the store open under the current circumstances is a waste of time. You’re blaming the victim. Like it or not, the stores exist to turn a profit. Better to urge the DA and police to get tough with the thugs doing the shoplifting. And, someone should start a ballot initiative to reverse Prop 47 of 2014 that lowered the felony to a misdemeanor for thefts under $950.00.
Gov Newsom crazy law..and Mayor San Francisco is not stop crime which growing.
Not supporting Company save they property…that why small business and big company leaving California. I am going to do the same, soon.
Yup. Blame the corporations for the bad behavior of thieves.
The ultra-left knows no balance or personal responsibility. Greedy capitalists have an obligation to give away stuff, after all.
I am surprised Trump wasn’t blamed by the article or some of the commenters.
Perhaps we should nationalize Walgreens and CVS.
You know every time I go into any store in SF, which is daily. I am followed by employees or security guards and I cant stand it. How can they be losing so much and have a “hands off” approach if I hace eyes on the back of my neck the while time I shop. Yes I do shop, last time I stole something anywhere I was 12 and it wad a pack of spiderman cards. I am 40 now, I think 28 years of non-theft should give me a pass when I am in the store. The Walgreens in question I have actually dropped my basket full of items and walked out leaving it on the floor after one cashier followed me from aisle to aisle. This was 4 or 5 years ago now, but still. Walgreens is trying to cry victim here when they charge 200% more for everything in the store then they actually pay. Now I am going to go to safeway, to get followed, as well, and spend my food stamps that came in today. Sorry I don’t feel bad for Walgreens.
Btw, please don’t reply to this post, I will not be back on this page again.
You’re the one stealing huh
You do not need a Corp Chain store , just open up a small store using a check cash floor plan. Put the goods behind bullet proof glass , and have customers prepay for everything that they want.
Or , jail persons that break into homes , cars , or shoplift
Walgreens is not a “not for profit” ministry. They are a business. A guilt trip should not be placed on them. If the community wants and needs this store then they’d better do a better job of creating a safe environment for the business. Walgreens has every right to close a store that is not profitable.
It’s nothing new,company have a loss prevention position just for moniter employees ,thieves, they are welcome.
…the closure of the mission & 16th walgreens created an unmitigated disaster at the walgreens pharmacy at mission & 23rd…employees agree…walgreens is not a friend to the average san franciscan, not that they want to be…
Thieves are stealing these items because they can be sold on the streets. Maybe part of the solution to this problem could be shutting down these sidewalk markets that sell stolen goods.
Must be very difficult to live in California these days. I find it interesting that the some want to shame Walgreens, but they do not mention a need to shame the shoplifters and robbers. Why not have a protest in front of Walgreens demanding that shoplifters and robbers stop destroying the business. Why not point the finger at the cause of Walgreens decision to close? Why not form a citizens brigade of young strong citizens from that community to document and photograph shoplifters and take those documents and photographs to the police? Why not hold community meetings with the police and the elected community leaders to support Walgreens instead of blaming Walgreens? It is easier to bloviate about corporate greed rather than to create an environment conducive to thriving businesses and employed people. I had a very small business. Drove upwards of 200 miles a day to meet my clients. Worked at night to write reports, create meeting plans and marketing materials. Worked most weekends to satisfy all the government paper work necessary even for a small business of just me. My fees may have sounded high to the client, but to pay for all my expenses to meet these clients’ needs reduced my net income to less than minimum wage when you divided all my hours into the net. It is your community…….point the finger at the individuals who are driving the businesses out, not the businesses that provide employment, products and stability to the neighborhood.
Thank you so much for stating what the real problem is and what needs to be done.
If we as citizens stand against crime, in all it’s forms wherever it is found, our country would be healthier financial and spirituality.
Barbara, Barbara, Barbara,
Your comment is far too reasonable and cogent.
Blame the thieves
This is not The Tenderloin, this is Polk Gulch.
HYPERBOLE, all this blaming sounds like a Republican chinwag, As some mentioned closest Walgreens 3 blocks away. Opioids was a Rx sold by many pharmacies so that’s just gas lighting. I personally think there are way to many Walgreens in this city, and the real reason is always the bottom line in any business. So all the BLOVIATING about community responsibility is squat..
Where was all the rage when the Walgreens closed at Third & Evans? Oh, that was just the Bayview…
Maybe you missed it. Think of that? Where was your outrage??
Did everybody miss the sentence the closest Walgreens is only 3 blocks away?
Yes. It is 3 blocks away. IF YOU LIVE WHERE THAT WALGREEN’S STORE IS PRESENTLY LOCATED!! Otherwise it may be 6, 8, 10 blo9cks away. THINK!
OK….. up to 3 blocks further for some, up to 3 blocks closer for others.
But cashless bail and don’t prosecute low level crimes. Welcome to utopia.
Why did the Mission nonprofiteers, the ones who claim to be rooted to “the community,” remain silent when the Walgreens closed at 16th and Mission? Could it be that their commitment to community varies with the size of the grant or contract they’re working at the time?
Joel and his staff provided valuable para-medical services to people who needed extra help negotiating the insurance and health care systems with scant resources.
United to “Save” The Mission was silent on Walgreens. Apparently proximate ready access to prescription drugs and other health care needs for vulnerable neighbors was not a priority for “the community.”
That’s what one would expect from advocates who live nowhere near and nothing like those on whose behalf they claim to act politically. I might not live like many of our neighbors. But the whole point of Muni and Walgreens was to be amidst and around our neighbors instead of living in a hermetically sealed and curated cubicle.
Sadly the 23d and Mission Walgreens is much more fraught than 16th and Mission. During the pandemic, waiting in line amidst cranky stressed people in that crowded back corridor was not tenable. I’ve switched to home delivery for regular scripts until the risk subsides.
And the petition was signed – Sincerely, The Thieves.
the petitioners should focus on the recall chesa boudin effort instead of blaming walgreens. security guards cant help if they are not allowed to stop the perpetrator. our DA refuses to prosecute crimes. it is an open invitation to steal whatever you want for those who dont care about the law. walgreens is being responsible by not puttting employees in harms way
Boudin prosecutes crimes, you lie with your fake news.
No. No, he doesn’t. He believes that too many people are in jail already.
In SF, you are allowed to steal up to $950.00 without any consequences. The security guards are prohibited from stopping the theft. They cannot do anything about it. The SF police will not do anything about it.
Sorry, comrade. You are the one not telling the truth.
Why doesn’t the community organize to stop the shoplifters. They come from the community. Many steal to sell the goods for cash at UN Plaza to buy drugs. It is not just Walgreens job. We are all responsible.
Because people on drugs are not people you want to be personally policing. They are on the edge. They live on the sidewalk next to gutters and their quality of life depends on getting heroin, fentanyl or crack! Walgreens just gives them an opportunity to make a few extra bucks selling vitamins or provides them a free soda or candy. They steal everything including all the reading glasses and no security can stop it. It’s too prevalent and violent encounters are not wanted by stores.
I live in Ohio….the number of addicted and homeless in SF sounds like the root of the problem. There’s no easy fix except to round them all up and either put them in jails….very costly….house them in subsidized housing separate from law abiding citizens….still costly…..or let them run loose searching for drugs and committing crimes/theft….least costly.
Shame on Walgreens? More like shame on the criminals and SF’s legal system that lets them get away with it. 7-11 in the Castro is going away for the same reason.
Hey why not hold the group committing these crimes accountable. How come their community doesn’t step in and fix this and effect change?How about being honest and publish what specific group commits most of these robberies against largely Asian owned businesses.
An Asian owned pharmacy at 3rd and Evan’s was terrorized/robbed right out of business.
Grocery, pharmacy, produce stores operate on RAZOR thin margins there is NO massive corporate profits to cover lose or pay a security guard who legally cannot touch or intervene on a criminal. They can only observe and report on what is now a non-crime.
STOP blaming the victim – it’s sick!
Grow up nah sayers and lefty boo crewer’s. Your point of view and co-dependency enabling actions that destroy our community are childish. Leave governance and running a healthy community to the grown ups.
This can permanently destroy grocery/pharmacy businesses. Food deserts are caused by unchecked crime not racism. Be careful can happen in a neighborhood just like yours!
Razor thin? This is Walgreens:
In 2020, the U.S. drugstore chain Walgreens generated net earnings of about 424 million U.S. dollars, and gross profit of over 28 billion U.S. dollars.
WBA pays nearly a 4% yield. That means they’re doing fine.
Tell that in person to the store owners who are closing because of rampent theft. Unreal that because of a 4% yield is used to justify theft an any manner. Who is faithful in little will be faithful in much. Open your home to looting while you are at it.
Yeah yeah yeah. So that makes it OK to steal $950 of goods every day per thief? And threaten women workers?? That is fine with you??? You complain about a company making a profit, as it should. If YOU don’t like that, comrade, start your own non-profit company. Well??
It wasn’t a comment about the moral or ethical issues around shoplifting. I was merely offering a correction to Tom’s allegations about the financial stability of a large corporation. “Mom and Pop” and “razor-thin” margins are tossed around a lot. I just think they should be used correctly and accurately.
But, again you are conflating the profits of the Corporation with the profits of an individual franchise and they are NOT the same thing.
The average Walgreens owner makes a bit over $109K annually.
That’s about $300 a day.
That’s the national average, so it’s not adjusted for higher COL, higher security costs, etc. Yes, you can charge more to offset some of that…but not all.
Simply put – it doesn’t matter how well Walgreens is doing if the individual franchise is still losing money. I doubt the franchise owner is making enough to completely shrug off the losses.
That’s because they own thousands of stores it’s called volume. For the franchise owner it’s a razor thin margin. It’s all based on volume. Try figuring out how much each store make, so what if their massive. Btw are you avoiding using Amazon ? They make a lot of money too!
Yes they are but in case you missed it this progressive city is turning into Detroit unless you live high in the hills and even there the homeless are breaking into cars. I’ve seen it.
furthermore, a large part of the profit over the last 10-15 years came from opioid sales such as oxycontin. it was pushed not only by the drugmakers but walgreens and cvs themselves saw a big opportunity to profit from it.
check this out:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/health/opioids-pharmacy-cvs-litigation.html
You don’t know what you are talking about.
A Pharmacy cannot “push” a drug – all opioids ARE controlled substances that require a prescription which the pharmacy then fills.
In other words, unless the patient has a prescription from a DOCTOR – the pharmacy cannot fill the medication. Period. Full Stop. The End.
Your argument that a pharmacy bears some responsibility for the opioid epidemic because it sold drugs PRESCRIBED BY A PHYSICIAN is ridiculous, to say nothing of attempting to justify shoplifting because you believe an alleged drug habit was caused by the pharmacy, not the prescribing doctor.
And for the people saying “Walgreens/CVS has plenty of money” – well, that’s not for you to decide. It doesn’t matter how much the company makes, it depends on how much a single location makes – and if that location is repeatedly in the red, then it makes no sense for the store to remain open.
It’s really sad that you guys will sit and make excuses for criminals and politicians to who cater to them while demonizing business and their employees who don’t want to remain in a situation where they are repeatedly victims of crime.
Fix your laws. Fix your politicians. Hold people accountable.
Or don’t be surprised when more people and businesses leave.
NYT articles on class action lawsuits now are simply rewrites of the plaintiffs brief. No great fan of Walgreens but they are not the culprits in the opioid epidemic. Hate to be an OK Boomer but while like most of my generation I lost friends and family to scourge of drugs at least we didn’t look for someone with deep pockets to blame if the desire to get high got out of control. Also whatever Walgreens overall national profits they are not required to keep open money losing stores indefinitely in cities run by fools.
Larkin and Bush is not the Tenderloin.
San Francisco journalists regularly blame the TL for “bad” things that happen elsewhere. Last week, SF Gate had an article about a visiting nurse whose car was broken into on Pine Street, referred to by the author as Nob Hill. But for some reason, she felt her article also needed to include a specific reference to the Tenderloin:
“Additionally, 80 larceny thefts were reported in the Tenderloin District this year, a significant drop from the 177 that were reported to police in 2020. Burglaries, however, have increased by 33.3% in the neighborhood, and 62.8% citywide.”
Although the information provided in the article might be accurate (I haven’t verified it), there is no reason to single out a slice of the TL’s crime statistics. Of course, those numbers seem to show the problem is getting worse faster elsewhere in the city. Neighborhood boosters and real estate agents go through great pains to make sure Bush and Larkin are known to be in Lower Nob Hill (walkscore.com), Downtown (zumper.com), Polk Gulch (niche.com and almost everybody else); and even the hybrid best of both worlds Nob Hill/Polk Gulch (loopnet.com).
Oh, wait, there are reasons to discredit the TL. Here are just a few of them:
We can deflect and displace to maintain property values in “good” neighborhoods;
We can make smug comments (and policy) about a complex residential neighborhood and still pretend we’re good liberals;
We can repeatedly fail to make commitments to and invest in the 3,500 kids who live in the neighborhood but still use them as pawns when we burst into tears at a Board of Supervisors meeting while grandstanding about SFUSD progress on reopening schools for in-person learning;
We can blame the victim when we speed along Leavenworth, run a red light and drive over a pedestrian;
We can shun and hate all sorts of people who are in the way of the iron fist and under the heel of decades’ of hostile statecraft, locally, nationally and internationally.
No shame on Walgreens shame on the whole f****** State of California for being such dumbasses and allowing this s*** to go on. You getting exactly what you f****** ask for. Not prosecuting criminals let them run free what kind of f****** idiots are y’all out there ?
Sounds like you have some beef to take up with Randy Shaw. What are you doing in the ML comments section? He and the ilk are taking lead on the Keeping The Tenderloin S***y movement. I’ve hung out with some SRO employees who are proud that neighborhood is the country’s headquarters of human misery.
I am disabled and a senior. I use 1300 Bush since it is powerchair and handicapped accessible. The Polk st store is not. Where will I go since there is no where close. CVS is not accessible either
“Where will I go since there is no where close.”
Beats me. How much did you do to help eliminate mass shoplifting? Walgreen’s is about to show a bunch of parasites what happens when an actual producer says, “no more”. You, unfortunately, along with many honest but silent people, bear the fallout from those parasitical scum.
Go to the voting booth.
We? It is YOU. Don’t drag us into your mess.
I left Seattle years ago for largely the same reason. The leftists politicians were very soft on crime and it has gotten much worse since. I used to live in the bay area and SF was a wonderful city (in the 70’s) but apparently is now circling the drain with homeless bums everywhere and no enforcement for the law. Sad.
It will be a shame to see such cities become Detroit like but that’s clearly where it’s all headed. Wake up voters.
Prosecute these criminals. The crazy extreme liberals in this city are incredulous. We are sick of the stupid political posturing of the DA and mayor. Vote them out!
Shoplifting has been a problem at urban Walgreens for years. I would go in & find the eye care shelf empty. Once the pandemic hit, it felt unsafe waiting in long lines at a pharmacy tucked in a poorly ventilated corner as far as possible from the front door.
If only Walgreens urban locations had set up curbside pickup when the pandemic hit.
I am now ordering toothpaste, etc online & may never set foot in a Walgreens again.
Unless things (Laws/People) there will be no local stores to vandalize. Individual buisness owners shell out $$$ for a franchise license and are held in contempt by the public for trying to make a living? Not only are there Laws but there is a Commandment not to steal. Don’t blame your local business owner who has their entire livelyhood invested to make a living. If you don’t like the closings then you spend the mega$$$ to start one only to be robbed. Don’t you know that theft affects the price of everything we purchase? It’s not one person capping out at $950 but enough that they are closing, they can’t afford to be in business.
shame on walgreens and cvs for raising prices for everyday items such as toothpaste, deodorant, etc. and first aid items such as band aid. the prices vastly outpace the inflation rate. toothpaste now cost often around $8, floss $5-8, etc. these items are exactly the same as 30 years ago, no new research/developement went into it.
a lot of stuff at drugstore chains are is vastly overpriced.
“toothpaste now cost often around $8, floss $5-8, etc. ”
Gee, do you think it might be because those items are being shoplifted out the door in bulk every day, and they have to make it up on the few honest people left?
Then YOU open a cheap drug store.
This is incredible to me… here you have a populace of “progressive” residents who vote Chesa Boudin into office on a platform that basically calls for decriminalizing theft and vandalism, then complains about the consequences of their votes. This is yet another perfect example of the unintended (yet easily foreseeable) dim-witted policies of our current progressive government. My hope is always that the voters will wake up and realize the consequences of their idealistic — yet unrealistic — policy choices, but it has not happened yet. Please wake up voters!
Whisky cost too much, so I just walk out without paying and suffer NO consequences , of course they have to go , or boycott them to close sooner. Too late for law and order.
You reap what you sow. Thanks to the failed policies of Gascon and Boudin, we are losing vital businesses.
“you reap what you sow” rather applies to Walgreens and CVS. they promoted, participated and profited from the trade in opioids. and i presume most theft occurs to finance and maintain a drug habit.
I didn’t know they were in the Meth, MJ, Fentanyl business. Prescription opioids are tightly controlled. My recently deceased 85 y/o mother could only ever get just enough to manage a severe arthritic condition. Anti-inflamatories were not an option due to a congenital heart problem.
They sell the stuff they steal to get the $$ for their drugs.
Shit hole city closes everything……….
Corporate greed? What about the safety and lives of the employees? Plus there are no repercussions for shoplifting.
If Luke thinks having a knife in your face is so nice let him volunteer as a security guard. Screaming about “people over profits” in this case is actually embarrassing
“… we cannot allow profit driven greedy Corporations to further traumatize and abandon their responsibility to the community.”
What a typical and entitled knee-jerk-corporate-hating-lefty-prick! What greed are you referring to? Why don’t YOU stop all the theft going on? Or get on the DA’s case (as well as moronic SF residents) that voted for decriminalizing theft of under $950. Better yet, open up a for-the-people pharmacy coop. But no, you just choose to whine. Grow up.
It is absolutely hilarious for normal people to read the comments from leftist California lunatics that actually think businesses should put up with their insane laws that basically allow stealing other peoples property. Keep it up Cal loonies…we enjoy the laughs !
What a bullshit pathetic comment. No business is obligated to provide service to anyone. You want them to stay? Petition the local government to do something about the rampant crime. Your local drug store is robbed blind by the dregs of humanity that plague the neighborhoods and the drug store is the bad guy for leaving because they make x amount of money? Good lord, the level of entitlement is unbelievable. Why don’t you start a drug store that gets constantly robbed, then keep the doors open when you can’t pay the bills but the local residence still need their tooth paste and bread because they “can’t” get 3 blocks further down the road. Your petition will do nothing. It shouldn’t do anything. You are placing blame on the wrong party, it’s your local government. This is one of the many reasons California sucks. Fix your shit CA so your residence stop fleeing to Az, Nv and other neighbors. We don’t want you coming here and ruining our states with your horrible voting history.
Are you people honestly on here saying that it is okay to just take someone’s stuff because you want it? What the hell is wrong with you people. You honestly just expect Walgreens to stay there and take that? Come take my stuff and I will blow your head off!
What is shameful is that these “neighbors” are NOT part of the solution. A lot of whining but doing nothing to actually prevent such criminal activity. Duh!!
Blame your retarded regressive politics jackazz. Stupid people.
Yeah
So, is anyone actually thinking of anything other than profitability for the store??? Perhaps their reasoning is staffing/ the safety of the employees. Who is going to keep working a store that has continually been robbed, sometimes with the use of weapons??!!!
Let’s boycott them, that will do it, power to ,,,,,
Power to Chaz for prosecuting this shit…..no one cares if Walgreens takes a 1K hit a day, so phuck yall
Ok mind if I come to your home and help myself to what I think is bare necessities? No? Why not? Its the exact same thing. Or your just too stupid to see it any other way but your own. I really hope you don’t have kids.
….And if our boycott is effective enough, it’ll run them out of business!…. Wait !!!! ツ
Hey big guy, how about a profitable mega corporation invest in some security guards for their stores instead of packing up and shirking their responsibility as an essential service provider in this city?
Hey dude- how about having people act like responsible humans and not shoplift
Walgreens responsibility. Why is it their responsibility? It’s your neighborhood. It’s your responsibility.
Hey, big guy, Walgreens has no “responsibility” to keep any store open. If you want stores to stay open then enforce the laws. Otherwise, open your own store and give your stuff away to the creeps you keep propping up.
Hey big guy, did you read the article?
What’s a “mega corporation”?
Only a liberal would live in a community where criminals are basically given a pass to steal repeatedly and then turn around and blame the victim of the theft for giving up and leaving. Here’s a hint that you might be wrong…this doesn’t happen in my neighborhood where criminals are prosecuted.
Security gaurds??? If the police cannot punish the criminal what makes u think the security gaurd can fix the problem. Making the law that caters to the criminal, and has no consequenses is the problem. Cooperations cannot pay employees , nor keep the shelves supplied when thousands of dollars are leaving the store free of charge. The overhead to operate the walgreens and other stores is tremendous, lights heat water taxes and employees. Laws must punish the criminal thefts, any amount of stealing is wrong and should be punished.
Nnot
Ken, are you out of your fucking mind? How about there won’t be any essential services if we let stores get robbed into bankruptcy? “Mega corporations” are in business to make money and grow shareholder value. Grow up.
There’s no point to security guards in SF, where there will be no legal penalties for the theft and the guard would probably be sued by the criminal or the DA for assaulting the thief.
It seems to me that the other Walgreens that is 3 blocks away is breaking the law by not being compliant with the ADA Americans with Disabilities Act! I believe this is nation wide. So it could force them to keep the store you need open at least until they make the other store compliant with the LAW!
BTW there is no doubt that the thief laws need to be fixed!
Keep fighting back!
That is so far from the truth. I now first hand that Walgreen’s makes every effort possible to comply with all ADA, Osha, and City Codes.
The Police Dept., because the D.A. has chosen to not enforce the law, and will not prosecute shoplifters is the reason for closing these locations. Store managers work on profit, this comes directly out of their profit/pocket.
That is not how the ADA works.
Furthermore, just because some petition claims that the other location is not in compliance with the ADA, does not constitute proof that it is so.
Security guards are not police. They follow one guy around the store and others are milling around other aisles. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. In a city full of people in second hand store clothes you can’t tell which is the homeless addict about to fill his back pack with a shelf of candy bars or vitamin D, or soda. I’ve witnessed the unbelievable while just going in to pick up a prescription both at my last Walgreens at Van Ness and Market (closed last year) and the new one on Fell St in the Hayes Valley. The city is over run with men and women pushed over the edge by their lifestyle and empty shelves are the result. Now everything where I shop is locked up. It’s like that now. The streets are like that now but if you live somewhere where it’s not like that good for you. But you are clueless then.
Please need to change that stupid law
Store needs to close, you reap what you’ve sown, No business should be forced to stay open so they can get ripped off daily, close it down, how many watched the thefts and did nothing, it’s YOUR community and YOU should stepped in and put a stop to it, but you didn’t! Now you’re all whining and crying over what you caused.
ummm how about using squirt guns with the die they use in die packs to mark the crooks so police can id them after they leave the store ??
Instead of berating a business that’s been literally UNDER SIEGE by organized groups of shopliftifters..
Why dont you petition the government to STOP passing legislation that makes shoplifting & theft LEGAL??
Just because Walgreens is a major corporations it should NOT mean that its OKAY to rob them blind..
CHANCE the law _& FIRE the DA!!
What kind of legislation makes theft and shoplifting legal? All I see happening is more laws making it possible for the cops to put you in prison for drinking a chocolate milk before you paid for it. Walmart is a good example of this kind of Gestapo crap. They had my wife arrested because loss prevention claimed she “skip scanned” items at the self checkout and thats considered shoplifting here in Texas. My wife had asked a Walmart cashier for help with the machine 7 times because it wouldnt scan items or would double scan them. The cashier even went to bat for her but in the end, LP pressured the cop to arrest her for 3 hours after Walmart closed and succeeded in getting their way. The last thing we need is for more bs like this happening. You dont care or empathize because you have likely never been done wrong by the system but its a very real problem and they need to try a different approach. It would solve the entire problem if they would just man the 50 checkouts they have instead of cheaping out with self checkout. If Walgreens has that big a problem with violent, lowlife scum at that store then they could very simply hire a security officer. Be careful what kind of world you wish for because you could be the next one to slip through the cracks on a technicality thanks to the laws enforced by our so called “justice system” that ruins lives of innocent people every day over stupid crap like shoplifting. Its easy to point a finger but I would like to see how someone who thinks like you handles being publicly harassed and humiliated by bullying LP employees and cops thanks to one of the new laws you think we need.
The cameras in Walgreens are a joke the most ridiculous is on the Hallmark aisle to the office door where the safe is no cameras in our store or in many store I have worked at when they are short. Walgreens is to cheap to put in proper cameras, they think the tv one at front door is going to make shoppers not steal. With the high turn over ever CSA knows where the cameras are and aren’t you can see the fake camera its joke. Also in the pharmacy any doper would know they run straight to Walgreens once they have left the doctors office. I can’t tell you how many times a pharmacy tech has said you will have to wait and give the reason why which should never ever be told. I told the pharmacist and she was such a b said they dont know.what time it is I could tell she was sampling the product. She was always in the gray cabinet both doors open hiding from the cameras popping pills and chewing them as fast as she could.