(NationRise.com) – Target announced Thursday the looming closures of nine stores in four blue states after drastic increases in crime.
The announcement comes after the retail giant’s attempts to improve security at all nine locations have failed. Those measures included more guards, locking merchandise in cases, and even partnering with the Department of Homeland Security.
In a statement, Target specifically cited rising crime and the safety of its customers as the reasons for the closure of the nine stores. The report did not mention a lack of customers at the locations.
The closures hit Target as it continues to struggle with ongoing backlash for its support of left-leaning ideologies. That backlash slashed its stock value, leading to shareholder lawsuits.
The nine stores facing closure are in the following cities:
- San Francisco/Oakland, CA
- Harlem, NY
- Portland, OR
- Seattle, WA
Other giant retailers, including Walgreens, Whole Foods, Starbucks, Nordstrom, and REI, have made similar recent announcements. Shoplifting has become especially devastating in San Francisco, where criminals brazenly loot stores in full view of news cameras. Some retail stores in the far-left city have been looted by mobs of as many as 80 people at a time.
The exceptionally high increase in San Francisco’s crime rate is often blamed on a law passed nine years ago that downgraded theft charges under $950 in value to a misdemeanor. Shoplifting was previously a felony.
The city has responded to increases in crime by slashing its police force. City officials have publicly supported the far left’s “Defund the Police” movement, although some have since pleaded for additional police officers.
The National Retail Federation has expressed grave concern over the record retail crime wave that has hit blue states especially hard. It accounted for an economic loss of $112 billion in 2022, a number that is expected to increase significantly in 2023. They also noted the dangers of growing organized crime efforts against retailers and their employees.
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