Trader Joe’s shoppers are warned of new crime trend in Bay Area – Trader Joe’s shoppers are warned to ‘stay vigilant’ as authorities in the San Francisco Bay area struggle to contain soaring crime . Thieves are snatching wallets from unattended shopping carts and open purses while customers shop, the Livermore Police Department warned on Facebook . The force has advised that shoppers ‘stay vigilant,’ ‘minimize distractions,’ and ‘avoid leaving items unattended’ as high crime continues to impact stores across neighboring California cities.
Officers issued the warning just one day after diner chain Denny’s and popular burger spot In-N-Out closed stores in nearby Oakland due to surging crime . Robbery in the city is up by 37 per cent year-on-year, burglary up 24 per cent and motor vehicle theft rising 45 per cent to reach an all-time record. Other local businesses have reportedly taken extra measures to protect employees, including encouraging them to dine inside the office building and hiring ‘security escorts’ to walk staff to public transit, parking garages and restaurants. Livermore police on Thursday warned of a new ‘crime trend’ that has apparently been hitting Trader Joe’s stores in the Tri-Valley.
‘In these crimes, wallets were taken from unattended shopping carts or open purses while victims were shopping in the store,’ the force said. In a bid to keep the shopping experience ‘safe and secure’, police advised that customers should follow five simple steps: ‘Remember, staying alert and taking proactive measures can go a long way in protecting your belongings and ensuring a worry-free shopping experience,’ the force added. ‘Let’s work together to keep all stores a safe haven for shoppers!’
Nearby Danville Police Department also warned of the trend on their Facebook page. telling locals: ‘Don’t assume your belongings are safe in a shopping cart without taking precautions. ‘Always be mindful of your surroundings.’ Livermore police’s warning came just one day after a 54-year-old branch of Denny’s permanently closed its doors in Oakland on Wednesday amid threats to ‘the safety and wellbeing’ of staff and customers.
Employees were only told of the closure on Tuesday and several were seen in tears on their last day, FOX 2 reported. The restaurant, like many other businesses in the area, had seen its fair share of break-ins, robberies and violent crime. Denny’s officials declined to speak to FOX 2 on camera, but a sign posted on the diner’s front door reiterated that ‘the safety and well-being of Denny’s team members and valued guests is our top priority’.
Locals said closure of the beloved spot was ‘overwhelming’ and ‘terrible’, but also was seen as indicative of the malaise in the area. According to Fox Business , other local businesses have ramped up security measures in a bid to keep workers safe. Health insurance provider Blue Shield and cleaning supply company Clorox reported hired security to escort staff from the building to ‘BART, parking garages and restaurants’.
Similarly, Kaiser Permanente – a healthcare company headquartered in Oakland – is understood to have told employees to eat inside as crime continues to target business in the area. The Denny’s closure follows that of Subway, Starbucks and In-N-Out Burger – all of which have become magnets for car burglars. A spokesperson for In-N-Out previously told SFGATE that customers and employees experienced regular car break-ins, property damage and armed robberies.
A Shell gas station about a mile from the Denny’s had also become a hotspot for vehicle break-ins. The Oakland Police Department previously said 271 auto burglaries, 15 robberies and five instances of vehicle theft occurred at the Shell station in 2023. Police say the criminals, who operate in well-organized groups, follow the same playbook: a spotter keeps watch for targets, usually rentals headed to or from the airport, as they pull up at the gas stations. They then alert accomplices, who pull up in a vehicle when the targets start to pump fuel. Often, they smash a rear window or pop the trunk of unlocked vehicles before making off with luggage and valuables. The thefts take just seconds.
The spike has earned the Shell the nickname ‘America’s most dangerous gas station’. The two Chevron sites are also top contenders for the unwanted title. Online reviews for these gas stations and the In-N-Out are flooded with dozens of complaints from customers who were hit by the crooks. One shocking video from the In-N-Out parking lot shows a thief smash into a black SUV in broad daylight. The crook leans, feet off the ground, through the vehicle’s rear window and snatches up several items before escaping into a waiting getaway car as more than a dozen onlookers watch. Another clip from outside the Shell shows a thief deploy exactly the same method to steal a backpack from the trunk. Feet of the ground, he leans into a smashed rear window to scoop up loot before making an escape.
The victim said he was parked for less than two minutes. ‘Stay away from this place at all costs,’ the review said. ‘The thieves were bold enough to use my credit cards at this exact gas station later in the day.’ A police officer who was patrolling outside the Shell last Thursday told DailyMail.com: ‘This has always gone on, but not to the extent it is now.’ The officer’s assessment is backed up by official crime stats for Oakland which reveal car theft has risen nearly 50 percent across the past year. There were 8,675 car theft cases in the city in 2022, compared with 12,956 last year. The officer said they often see repeat offenders. ‘We see someone and they’re arrested, then a week later they are back out,’ the cop said. Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13046267/Trader-Joes-shoppers-warned-new-crime-trend-Oakland.html?ito=msngallery
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