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By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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The number of businesses announcing the full or partial closures of their stores in California due to crime continues to rise, with companies citing regular theft, property damage, robberies and car break-ins as threats to their employees and customers.
Taco Bell was the latest company to denounce the surge in crime in Oakland, suspending indoor dining in four of its stores—offering only a drive-thru service instead—and limiting indoor service to contactless payment only. In a statement to Newsweek earlier this month, the company—whose Oakland stores have recently been targeted by criminals—said that "providing a safe environment for team members and customers is the priority at Taco Bell restaurants."
In January, In-N-Out Burger announced the company would close its only store in Oakland "due to ongoing issues with crime," Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick said. "Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies."
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In late September 2023, Target announced the closure of some of its stores in Oakland and San Francisco to protect "team members and guest safety" amidst a rise in retail threats in these cities and other crimes. And in May last year, Nordstrom and Whole Foods also closed some of their stores in San Francisco, citing crime and the deteriorating economic conditions of the city's downtown.
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Both San Francisco and Oakland—considered a cheaper alternative to the City By the Bay for artists and young professionals—have recently been in the spotlight for an increase in retail theft, which has led to the exodus of major companies.
Oakland has one of the highest crime rates in America (81 per 1,000 residents) compared with all communities of all sizes, according to Neighborhood Scout, an online database that provides crime, lifestyle, school performance and real-estate information about U.S. neighborhoods. The website writes that Oakland residents have a one in 65 chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime—compared with one in 200 at the state level.
According to police data, violent crime rose in Oakland by 21 percent last year compared with 2022. Robberies in the city grew by 38 percent, while burglaries increased by 23 percent and motor vehicle theft by 44 percent. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, one in 30 residents had a car stolen there in 2023.
San Francisco had a slightly lower crime rate, according to Neighborhood Scout, at 67 per 1,000 residents—but it was still one of the highest in the country. Residents had a one in 148 chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime; much lower than in Oakland.
While city authorities' data show that crime has dropped in San Francisco in 2023, the state of neglect of its downtown, with a record-high number of vacant office space, has exacerbated an already-existing situation of homelessness, drug use, and often crime.
Last year, overall crime had decreased by 7 percent compared with 2022 and 13 percent from 2019; property crimes dropped by 34 percent, including an 11 percent decline in car theft and a 16 percent decline in burglaries. Violent crime was down 23 percent.
Here is a list of all stores that have closed across California due to crime between summer 2022 and spring 2024.
- 7-Eleven: In July 2022, the company advised several of its California locations in the Los Angeles area to change their operating hours to increase customer safety amidst a rash of crime.
- Whole Foods: In May 2023, the supermarket chain announced the closure of its "flagship" branch in downtown San Francisco, which it had opened only 13 months before in March 2022.
- Nordstrom: In the same month, Nordstrom announced the closure of both of its stores in downtown San Francisco, blaming the changing dynamics in the city market over the past few years.
- Target: In September 2023, Target announced the closure of several of its stores in California—including in Oakland and San Francisco—over concerns of a rise in retail theft.
- Starbucks and Subway: In November 2023, two Starbucks stores and a Subway restaurant located on Hegenberger Road and 98th Avenue closed their doors due to car break-ins targeting their customers.
- Denny's: In January 2024, a Denny's, which had been on on Hegenberger Road in Oakland for 54 years, closed after being hit by a series of crimes.
- In-N-Out Burger: In the same month, In-N-Out Burger announced its only Oakland store was shutting its doors, citing threat to the safety of its employees and its customers.
- Macy's: In February 2024, Macy's announced the closure of one its most iconic locations, the store in Union Square, San Francisco, due to a rise in shoplifting.
- Taco Bell: In March 2024, the company announced it has suspended indoor dining in four of its restaurants in Oakland, and limited it in a fifth store to customers making contactless payments.
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