Safeway is yet another chain joining the ranks of retailers fed up with alleged shoplifting issues in San Francisco.
The grocery store recently announced that it would be reducing its operating hours in an effort to stem rampant retail theft at its Castro location, closing now at 9 p.m., as first reported by Hoodline.
The Safeway at Church and Market streets was previously open 24 hours a day, and now closes earlier than the majority of the local chain’s San Francisco locations, most of which don’t close until midnight, according to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle.
"Last week I met with representatives from UFCW and Safeway leadership to discuss the escalating retail theft at the Castro store, and the serious impact it has on employees and customers," San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman of District 8, which includes the area the Safeway is located in, told KCBS Radio in an emailed statement. "They informed me that over the past six months, this store had the highest rate of theft of any location in the history of the company."
In response to the news, Mandelman said he consulted with the San Francisco County Sheriff’s Office and the San Francisco Police Department on potential solutions, "including Supervisor Safai's proposed legislation to allow deputy sheriffs to serve as store security in addition to SFPD officers."
The scope of the theft is unclear, as SFPD does not keep specific shoplifting and theft data for specific stores, SFPD Officer Adam Lobsinger told KCBS Radio in an emailed statement on Monday.
The conversation between law enforcement and Mandelman is still ongoing. "My office is convening a meeting with SFPD, the District Attorney's office, and representatives from Safeway to determine how they can best address this unsustainable level of theft and preserve access to one of the last sources of affordable groceries in the area," Mandelman added.
The reduction in hours could have an adverse affect on the community, according to a tweet Mandelman wrote on Friday. "A reduction in their operating hours will make it harder for working people to get groceries for themselves and their families, and will have a huge impact on the lives of the store’s employees whose hours will be cut," he wrote.
"Safeway has been proudly serving San Francisco since 1926 and we continue to invest in the community with new and remodeled stores," said Safeway spokesperson Wendy Gutshall in an emailed statement to KCBS Radio on Monday. "Recent changes at the Market Street store were made to maintain a safe and welcoming shopping experience for our customers and associates given the increasing amount of theft at the store."
Related
