There has been an alarming rise in theft from supermarkets, pharmacies and other chain stores – and sadly, vendors in the capital are also reportedly unaware of criminals and have had to take steps to protect their businesses.
For many street vendors, their stall is their main source of income. So each theft represents a hard blow to the pocket of these people.
Several vendors tell Telemundo 44 that the streets have gotten tougher, and that robberies are often accompanied by assaults.
“Precisely yesterday a girl passed by… a minor. She haphazardly grabbed a $45 turquoise and walked it away,” said Carlos Joaquin, a street vendor in DC. “I went after her and grabbed the turquoise, and the girl came and she slapped me.”
Joaquín has been selling for years at the stand he sets up on 14th Street in Columbia Heights. He assured that in recent months he has seen an increase in thefts from area vendors.
“I am earning our daily bread with ease and these come who have nothing else to do and make a circus of this,” he continued. “I am here from 6 am to 6 pm After 6 pm, this is every man for himself.”
These freelancers are not only on alert to protect their businesses, they have taken other measures as well, and say they feel a little unprotected because they are not supposedly getting the support they are looking for from the metropolitan police.
Vendor Juan Garcia said he would like to see officers watching the area “for anything that might happen to one here… because I come with my wife to sell here, do you understand me? So one has to be a little protected with the police as well.”
“You call the police and the police do absolutely nothing. Unless there is blood, if they threaten you, they have to specify how they are going to kill you,” said Joaquín. “If they steal anything from me, I’ll go behind and take it out of their hand.”
Although the victims say they are tired, the authorities recommend not chasing or arguing with criminals because of the risk of being hurt.
According to data from the DC police, robberies in general in the city have increased 34% compared to last year. Right now there are almost 1,394 robberies in the city.
Telemundo 44 requested the report numbers of some of these robberies, the number of incidents reported on this block in the last three months, and what is being done about it. Until this time, we have not received a response.
