Safeway announces decision to close San Francisco store amid theft and security concerns: report
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Safeway announced Tuesday in a letter to San Francisco Mayor London Breed that it will close a location in the city after suffering a spate of thefts.
The letter explained that Safeway decided to close its location in Fillmore, a neighborhood in San Francisco, “due to ongoing concerns about the safety of relatives and the safety of customers, as well as the ongoing problems of theft,” and that current employees have been assigned to other areas of the store, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Safeway is one of many companies, including Walgreens, that have been hit hard by shoplifting and other crimes in the area. The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) recently announced that authorities have arrested eight suspects believed to be involved in 23 incidents at various Walgreens stores throughout the area.
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Safeway announced Tuesday in a letter to San Francisco Mayor London Breed that it will close its location in the city after suffering theft. (Getty Images / Getty Images)
“We are committed to serving San Francisco at our remaining 15 locations, and to ensuring that our unionized employees are able to do their jobs in safe and secure workplaces,” Safeway said.
Some members of the community said they would oppose the closure of the store, including Pastor Erris Edgerly.
“Obviously the community was struggling, but to just walk away without calling a meeting, with nothing else to eat, is outrageous,” Edgerly told the San Francisco Chronicle. “There was absolutely no communication with the community.”
“It will have a big impact. I was hoping that they would at least come to the table and say, ‘Here is the issue, let’s fix it,'” he said.
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Breed, who lost his re-election bid in November to Levi Strauss heir Daniel Lurie, said he was “disappointed” by Safeway’s decision to close its Webster Street location. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
“These are tough decisions we make as a business with more than 255 stores in Northern California, and we don’t take them lightly,” the Safeway store said. “We appreciate the time and resources you’ve invested in trying to help us find a way to stay open, but unfortunately, the challenges are too great to overcome.”
Breed, who lost his re-election bid in November to Levi Strauss heir Daniel Lurie, said he was “disappointed” by Safeway’s decision.
Safeway and Breed’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
San Francisco manager Dean Preston also reportedly spoke out in light of Safeway’s announcement that it will close its Fillmore location.
“I continue to believe that the best way to ensure a future grocery store and affordable housing in this once developed area is for the city to begin negotiations to acquire the property,” Preston said.
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