Bodega owners in New York City are arming themselves for self-defense and store defense as crime continues to surge in the City.
The New York Post pointed to the National Supermarket Association, which indicated upwards of 25 percent of NYC bodega owners are armed as compared with roughly ten percent prior to coronavirus shutdowns.
Moreover, “the United Bodegas of America and the Bodega and Small Business Group said they’ve helped at least 230 store owners apply for their gun licenses, connecting them with concealed-carry classes required by the state to obtain a permit.”
On January 22, 2023, FOX 5 reported that bodega owners in the Bronx observed that crime was so bad they were “chaining up merchandise” to prevent it from being stolen.
The United Bodega Association’s Fernando Mateo explained that part of the problem is that criminals are confident they will not get punished.
He said, “NYPD is doing their job, they come when you call them and make arrests, but that person will usually get a desk appearance and nothing will happen because District Attorneys and judges are not willing to prosecute.”
In mid-2022 Mateo called on bodega owners to legally…
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