Wawa announced its plans to downtown Philadelphia stores due to “continued safety and security challenges and business factors.”
Crime is rampant in the Democrat-run city. Criminals have targeted the beloved convenience stores:
Two of Wawa‘s downtown Philadelphia stores will be shuttered as the Delaware County-based chain continues “to be focused on doing everything we can to monitor and work with local authorities to address challenges impacting operations in any other stores,” the company announced.The convenience stores to be closed in Center City are located at 12th and Market streets and 19th and Market streets.”Despite reducing hours and investing in additional operational measures, continued safety and security challenges and business factors have made it increasingly difficult to remain open in these two locations,” the company said in a statement. “All associates from these two stores will be offered continued employment at Wawa. These two closures do not necessarily impact or limit potential for future stores in Philadelphia County.”
On Thursday, the community heard about police wanting to find five women who allegedly stole and hurt “a female employee.”
A few weeks ago, 50 to 100 juveniles, some as young as 10, ransacked a Wawa in northeast Philadelphia.
Two people told 6ABC:
“It’s getting worse, it’s getting worse. I don’t even understand why they keep doing this. It doesn’t make any sense,” said customer Virginia Carrington of West Philadelphia.—“I heard they pepper sprayed the employees that worked at Wawa. The city is just out of control at the moment,” said Alfie Coker of South Philadelphia.
City Councilman Michael Driscoll fears the crime will drive Wawa and other businesses out of Philadelphia.
A Wawa spokesman said, “These closures do not diminish in any way our on-going commitment to serve the Philadelphia community or our acknowledgment of the effort and support we continue to receive from local police. It is our hope to repurpose these two locations to further benefit Philadelphia.”
So what does Democrat Mayor Jim Kenney say about losing two Wawa stores? Meh:
“These two particular locations have certain issues that they had to deal with that was costing them money, and it wasn’t really worth it to keep them open,” Kenney told reporters at an event to encourage voting in November’s election. “We’re really happy with our relationship with Wawa. They’re involved in everything that we do from Wawa Welcome America to the Police Athletic League and all of these things.”Kenney said his administration has been in conversations with Wawa about their decision to close the two stores, at 12th and Market Streets and at 19th and Market Streets.“It was’t a huge surprise for us,” he said. “In the retail food business, there’s lots of reasons why things change and things close.”
Dude. Did you not read anything or are you deliberately being obtuse? Don’t answer. It’s a rhetorical question because Wawa literally said crime and violence is one of the reasons why it closed the two stores.
Denial is not a good look, Kenney. Your city is falling apart. It’s not just Wawa stores. It’s also not the first time Kenney has shown his…well, I’ll remain silent because I have nothing nice to say.
In August, residents in Philadelphia described their city as a war zone: “Sound like Beirut out here yesterday and I never been to Beirut but it sound like Beirut out here yesterday…exactly like a war zone.”
Two police officers were shot during a fireworks display on July 4. Remember, police officers have guns. After the shooting, Kenney said only police officers should have guns and would strip people of their right to bear arms if he had the power to do so.
Business owners lashed out in June, claiming “weak enforcement” has caused the violence engulfing Philadelphia’s famous South Street.
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