In the Richmond District of San Francisco, a small family-owned business is on the brink of closure after being ransacked for the fourth time. Cigarettes Cheaper, which has been operating in the area since 2003, has become a target for thieves in recent years.
The latest break-in involved suspects entering cars and fleeing the scene, with one of the cars hitting a marked police vehicle. Despite efforts by officers to recover stolen merchandise and apprehend the suspects, no arrests were made. The store owner, Bashir, expressed his frustration with the ongoing situation and is considering closing down the business due to financial strain.
Bashir had already installed interior fencing to protect against previous break-ins, but thieves used a car to ram through it during the latest incident. The estimated cost of stolen items and damage to the storefront is in the tens of thousands. To make matters worse, Bashir’s insurance provider, State Farm, canceled their policy due to the store’s location in a high-crime area.
The challenges of maintaining a business are overwhelming for Bashir, who is also dealing with rising costs and increased threats of continued break-ins. Despite his efforts to secure the store, he feels as though he is constantly playing catch-up with thieves. Bashir is at a loss for how to proceed and may have to close down his shop as a result of these ongoing issues.
However, despite all these challenges Bashir still hopes that he can find a way to keep his store open for another year or two until he can find new ways to protect it from thefts.
