Target joins other retailers that are closing stores in crime-ridden blue cities as organized gangs endanger employees and shoppers.
By Eileen Griffin
More retail stores are closing in Democrat-run cities and states as soft-on-crime policies cause an unprecedented crime wave.
Target announced the closing of nine stores in four Democrat-led states including California, New York, Oregon, and Washington, The Epoch Times reported.
Despite efforts to keep stores open it was eventually decided the environment was not safe for customers, Target announced in a statement on Tuesday:
“In this case, we cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance. We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all.”
Target has been allocating budget dollars towards more prevention tools and techniques. The company hired additional staff to provide increased security as well as using an outside third-party security force. Target invested in new systems and technology for crime prevention. Despite those efforts, the lawlessness persisted.
“While we will continue to make meaningful investments throughout our business, we cannot solve this issue on our own,” stated the retailer.
The closing of these stores will be a significant loss to these communities, CNN reported. Target purposely places stores in accessible locations for those who walk, ride a bike, or use mass transit.
Target contributes to the economy through sales tax and commercial real estate taxes. In addition, the company makes donations and engages in other activities to support the communities they serve.
“More than the sales tax that it generates, it’s the commercial real estate taxes that go towards funding public schools and other community services,” Burt Flickinger, retail expert and managing director of Strategic Resource Group told CNN. “When a superstore like Target leaves the neighborhood, it erodes the economic strength of the community. Jobs are lost, suppliers no longer come to the area, shopper traffic drops.”
Target is one of many retailers closing their doors due to the overwhelming crime and subsequent loss of revenue, Heartland Daily News reported previously.
The city of Portland, Oregon has lost businesses and individuals as lawlessness rules the city. Portland officials have been among the most aggressive advocates for de-funding the police and other pro-criminal, anti-police policies.
A recent Manhattan Institute report documents the severity of the problem in Portland due to the long-term effects of these policies. Even as they try to reverse course and attempt to regain control of the lawless city, Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) is thwarted by laws enacted in the Democrat-controlled state.
Businesses have been closing in Seattle, Washington, another anti-police city. Local business owners have asked city leaders for help reducing crime after the defund the police movement resulted in fewer law enforcement officers and unfettered criminal activity.
In 2014, California implemented a policy, Proposition 47, reducing penalties for theft. The result has been steadily increasing crime and companies leaving all over the state.
Target stated that the main reason for their closures is gang-related shoplifting. Organized crime rings have become effective at attacking stores with large numbers of criminals. The escalating crime without penalties for the criminals make the business model unsustainable, The Epoch Times reported.
Organized crime has now become a focus for federal lawmakers. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act was introduced by Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in January. Anti-organized crime legislation has also been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The federal government is creating policies with bipartisan support while the Democrat-run cities continue to wallow in crime and anarchy.
Concerns for the functioning of retail business is not just the loss to the profit of the business, but the criminal threats and violence individual patrons experience, The Epoch Times reported:
“Approximately 67 percent of these retailers noted a heightened prevalence of violence and aggression attributed to organized retail crime perpetrators compared to the previous year,” wrote Epoch Times reporter Caden Pearson.
Target plans to continue combatting violent crime and the loss of business revenue in their remaining stores.
Eileen Griffin, M.B.A., Ph.D., is a contributing editor at Heartland Daily News and writes on a wide range of topics, from crime and criminal justice to education and religious freedom. Griffin worked for more than 20 years in leadership roles in the financial industry and is the author of books on business and politics.
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