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… Mission Local