Portland liquor store owners have turned up their demands in asking the state for help in decreasing robberies and thefts. It is being reported that liquor store owners are seeing people brazenly steal multiple bottles at a time. According to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, shoplifting claims are up more than 450% since 2018.
Theft isn’t happening exclusively in liquor stores — it’s impacting small businesses across the city. However, the liquor store owners seems to be at their wits end at how bold criminals have become. A group of people stole 18 bottles at once out of one store. Some owners say that some of the thefts they are unaware of until they review the security camera footage, and by that point it’s too late.
Burglaries, when someone breaks into the store after hours, are up more than 500% since 2018. As for armed robberies, at least four have been reported this year. Three of them happened at Hollywood Beverage.
The store owner can call 911 if a crime is in progress; otherwise they need to call a non-emergency line. Store owners are being told to file online reports. It is being reported that many of the filings have gone unanswered.
One store owner said, “We’re really limited because we can’t physically confront a shoplifter — it’s just verbal, we’re asking them to return the bottle, to not steal and that’s almost always ignored,” Miner explained.
These owners took their concerns to the state last week and asked for some type of financial relief. The OLCC joined the Oregon Retailer Crime Association to learn more on how to address retail crime.
