BIZNOTE: West Seattle-area Safeway stores to close earlier because of safety concerns

West Seattle Mad Sci Guy January 5, 2024 (9:44 pm)

Sad… I’m actually strongly considering moving lately. This is a small component. I’m. Um. Moving to the safe haven that is Tacoma. Haha. Clearly I’m not very strategically moving (high crime rate…). But at least it’s a different beast.

Lana January 6, 2024 (2:08 am)

YES,!! If that will stop senseless violence and looting! Not really, but this has gotten completely out of hand! Bands of senseless, violent thieves and looters. There was a time(not too long ago) where this was NOT ALLOWED,!! For Gods sake, WAKE UP
DM January 6, 2024 (9:02 am)

Depends on where you live in T town. Born and raised in W.S. Lived in Seattle 50 years. Now in Tacoma. That Safeway was my childhood store. No issues where we live but can’t say the same for all of Tacoma. T town gets a bad wrap but it also stifles the overdevelopment. Choose wisely.

Star55 January 5, 2024 (10:00 pm)

Glad the staff comes first.

Pelicans January 6, 2024 (8:29 am)

Rhonda, amen. I’m one of the females you mentioned. Safeway’s statement said the earlier closing time was also for the safety of their customers. One of their employees was hospitalized last year after he was attacked by six or seven people trying to damage one of the electric shopping carts. During the pandemic I got into the habit of shopping later at night, say anywhere from 2100 to 0045 due to my work schedule and to avoid a crowded store. And I still do. Believe me, I’ve seen a lot of crap happening. This is no joke. These employees are regularly put in danger by thugs, thieves, druggies, organized groups of criminals and the mentally ill. They will occasionally call the police, but they don’t always come (not blaming SPD – they are stretched very thin.) And the employees seem to tend to believe that they are pretty much on their own when dealing with these people. Grocery store employees deserve all the support we can give them. They and we also deserve for their huge corporations to hire armed security guards for inside and outside the stores.

Skeptic January 5, 2024 (10:02 pm)

Bit by bit the quality of life in W. Seattle is eroding away because of of crime. Can we band together and stop it?

AN January 5, 2024 (10:44 pm)

This is exactly it. There are 80M+ residents of WS and I’d venture fewer than 50 who are wreaking havoc on our entire community. When we see something happening, we can’t turn a blind eye, stand around uneasily, pretend it’s just “kids”, etc. Enough is enough, it’s got to stop.
WS Res January 6, 2024 (12:25 am)

You’re suggesting… what exactly? Roving bands of armed vigilantes?
- Joseph January 6, 2024 (4:02 am)
  
  Why do the citizens keeping peace have to be armed? It’s called Neighborhood Watch and it has worked for decades in other areas of the country. It’s just numbers of people patrolling and calling things out they see. It’s an effective deterrent if it is regularly used.
  - JB January 6, 2024 (3:41 pm)
    
    Great, you can “call things out” just before you get shot by a 12-year old.
  - aa January 6, 2024 (6:17 pm)
    
    What stats does Joseph have to backup his claim that Neighborhood Watch works in other areas of the country? Numbers of people patrolling and calling things out as they see, where is that? Maybe years ago but I have my doubts it is still happening.
- seesometiingsaysomething January 6, 2024 (6:44 am)
  
  If you see something then say something. hold people accountable for their actions. People need to care about their community and make it known that you care by voting, contacting police when needed or suspicious or malicious activity is happening, and help contribute to a positive culture of giving a damn (which means action not just typing words on WSB).
- AN January 6, 2024 (12:12 pm)
  
  No, WS Res, that isn’t the suggestion being made. If 80M+ people kept their heads up, made eye contact, engaged with their surroundings and each other, demonstrated pride in their community, and stood up for others, I can promise you that slowly but surely these POS would be weeded out. As it is, in our particular case and only as an example, an over 6’6″ dad said nothing, did nothing, didn’t engage in any way whatsoever as these punks came for two women and a baby. One of us is also 6′ tall, so I’m not saying it was necessary, but gosh, the support sure would’ve been nice. My point is, if we decide collectively to take no more of this crap, it will end.
Asian Seattle Guy January 6, 2024 (7:21 pm)

It’s called voting
So the answer is simple…No.

jissy January 5, 2024 (10:09 pm)

The inmates running the asylums are winning — this is disappointing.

Math Teacher January 6, 2024 (9:39 am)

What asylums? I realize your statement is a cliche/joke, but seriously, the abrogation (over 40 years) of government’s traditional role/responsibility of building and maintaining adequate infrastructure for people who could benefit from asylum care has left us bereft of asylums.
- Batman January 8, 2024 (3:23 am)
  
  100% ^ this. There are no asylums anymore.

eva merrick January 5, 2024 (10:15 pm)

Good decision. With delivery available, why not close earlier, 9 or 10 pm?

sixbuck January 5, 2024 (10:42 pm)

You do realize that not everyone works the same hours as yourself, don’t you?
AutumnThinksEvasCommentSucked January 5, 2024 (11:00 pm)

@EvaBecause sometimes the big kids and the grown ups stay up past your bedtime, and should they find themselves in dire need of a tub(yes, I said “tub” not a cup) of Ben & Jerry’s to go with their after dinner joint but can’t afford the exorbitant fees that delivery would incur on top of the cost of the $9 B&J’s… OR maybe we can afford it but would rather have the option of being able to go out and get some groceries past their children’s bedtime hour.
- Neighbor January 6, 2024 (7:41 am)
  
  It’s illegal to drive high, how are you getting to the store? Instead of endangering your neighbors to save a couple bucks you do the grown up thing and order or plan ahead.
  - Brian January 6, 2024 (10:56 am)
    
    I’ve got these things called legs that are attached to my lower torso. Walking is this hot new hobby I’ve picked up to try them out.
    - Dorotheann January 7, 2024 (9:20 am)
      
      You go Brian. Used to walk from the admirel junction to the Fauntleroy junction all the time, but that was 45 yrs ago.I do miss the old small town I grew up in. Skippers. Godfathers pizza, roundtable pizza, Sambos then Charleston Cafe were I worked actually for a bit. New luck toy was the spot for Chinese. Prairemarket with the laundry room in between. Huskies for ice cream. Radio shack and the store next door with the race track in back. Then the Indian store. Geogies, Jefferson elementary school which is now Safeway with condos above it, at a 1000 bucks a pop. Oh and Gracies Underhill jewelry. I still have a bracelet he engraved for me.
- bradley January 6, 2024 (12:44 pm)
  
  ..but they can afford the cost of pot, but not delivery. Oh, ok. So many First World Problems, where to start?
  - Manmun January 7, 2024 (10:33 am)
    
    Yes just put the delivery drivers at risk. They don’t deserve safety.If the store closes earlier for safety why have the delivery drivers stop delivering earlier for the same reason?They are in great danger too.

It's Worse January 5, 2024 (10:22 pm)

But I’m told over and over by the media and notable progressives here in town that crime is DOWN and things are better than ever? Who do I believe? The “trusted” media talking heads or my own lying eyes?

Frog January 6, 2024 (12:34 pm)

“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” — Orwell, 1984, has your answer.

Nightowl January 5, 2024 (10:47 pm)

I’m a bit of a nightowl so I appreciate late hours but it’s definitely getting crazy out there so I understand. I wonder if we’ll get to the point with our grocery stores where it’s like Muckleshoot Casino and you have to show ID for entry and your name gets checked against a blacklist.

AN January 5, 2024 (10:55 pm)

I’d be very fine with this if it meant feeling and actually being safe, at least until the dirtbags get weeded out and we can have a civil society again.
JA January 6, 2024 (10:01 am)

I hope so.
Daniel January 6, 2024 (11:05 am)

A casino can do person-by-person ID checking because they have significant profit margin. Like 20%+. Grocery stores, at least as we know them, operate at 1-3% profit margins, so they wouldn’t be able to do that and still stay open.
- crying poor January 6, 2024 (12:55 pm)
  
  only 1-3% lol, that means nothing in and of itself, you know that right? 1 to 3% of WHAT is the question you should be asking. Look, Kroger CEO for example makes 15-20 million a year. But sure, they don’t have enough money to hire security guards or check ID. eye-roll. Y’all, this is about money, like everything else in corporate America. If Safeway makes more money staying open later they’ll stay open later, if the numbers don’t add up they won’t. And, shocker, maybe you shouldn’t believe everything that corporate spokespeople tell you? I mean, really.
  - HappyCamper January 6, 2024 (6:30 pm)
    
    The point is they shouldn’t have to hire security guards! We’re talking about sometimes violent crime in a more or less public space and people want to go on about corporate profits? Two different topicsWe don’t go to Roxbury Safeway anymore and here’s why:A while ago my wife came out of Safeway and was loading groceries into her car. A Safeway employee came up to the car next to her and challenged the person in it about theft. The person got out of the car and pulled a gun and waved it around and pointed it right in the Safeway employee’s face. LESS THAN 10ft FROM MY WIFE!!!!She was shaken and absolutely refuses to go back. We’re both thankful that was one of the few times she didn’t have our kids with her.I have lived in West Seattle for 20 years and absolutely, for sure, 100%, guaranteed it has gotten worse. That’s just fact

1994 January 5, 2024 (10:54 pm)

QFC at Westwood is open until 1 AM but I wonder if they will consider closing earlier too. There are too many shoplifters at all times of the day! On New Years day about 4 PM while at the Q, I heard utterances of ‘get him!’. I looked out into the parking lot & noticed a guy walking away with one of the stores hand baskets. A security guard dashed out and returned about 15 seconds later with the hand basket full of meat packages. There are food banks available for those with low incomes. Theft is not cool.

uncle loco January 6, 2024 (4:37 am)

They’re not stealing the food to eat. These are the people selling discount steaks in the parking lot.
West Seattle Person January 6, 2024 (6:17 am)

Because of the issues around QFC area I rarely go there anymore and the last time I went there were people who were trying to steal wandering around and it was totally obvious and a stoned or idiotic male going up to lone females in the store and saying strange things to her and if he did it I would have told him to get the flipping away from me. The entire atmosphere in QFC was horrendous.

CAM January 5, 2024 (11:04 pm)

Did the spokesperson specify that the “significant increase of violent incidents and major theft, especially at late hours” was noted to be occurring at the 3 stores in West Seattle? Because I’m not seeing that in the quote. Maybe it is but that’s not what was said. Same as target closing stores because of “theft” but leaving open the stores in Seattle that have the highest numbers of police contacts. Let’s not jump to conclusions based on corporate double talk.

Makes me wonder what the profits were vs expenses to keep the stores open for that extra hour each day (labor, electricity, etc.)

Wseattleite January 6, 2024 (4:58 am)

Cam, some of us experience and see with our own eyes what you continue to seem to stare at computer screes and collected data to prove. I am tired of witnessing rampant shoplifting, being threatened by criminals trying to get around me to escape security, and having my car broken into while being in a store. Live in your own world of alternate reality filtered by data bases, lists of reported crime, etc. – all fed and filtered to you by others and then blame the evil corporations for their greed if you want. I want different experiences that I live first hand.
- CAM January 6, 2024 (3:43 pm)
  
  I’m sorry that you seem to be present at every single criminal event that occurs in West Seattle. On the other hand, anecdotal statements do not statistically accurate data make. If it’s true, okay then they are closing these stores earlier because these stores in West Seattle are experiencing increases in crime more than other stores. But nothing that the spokesperson said has actually indicated that is true. And I live and exist in this community and shop at these places and ride public transit and park in these parking lots and on the street and walk alone after dark and leave my house every single day and I can tell you that you’re experience is not the experience of everyone in this community. In fact, I would bet that the majority of residents of West Seattle have not been victims of crime in the last year.
  - Manmun January 7, 2024 (10:49 am)
    
    That’s what Ive been telling them. It’s West Seattle. There is no crime problem. Just a tiny increase if anything.Compared to where I come from, this is nothing.Where I’m from you don’t get guns waved at you, you just get shot.Crime is almost non-existent here by comparison.
  - Mark B January 7, 2024 (4:26 pm)
    
    Cam, of course you are right in that “the majority of residents of West Seattle have not been victims of crime in the last year.” Assuming 80K in WS, I do agree that no more than 40,000 have been crime victims in the past 12 months.Parsing of the Safeway statement is irrelevant, as they are free to set their own operating hours. Do you have statistics specific to their locations that prove their “significant increase” comment false?Metropolitan Market is now open 6a-11p and used to be 24 hours. The times I’ve been there recently, they’ve had armed guards at the doors. Taco Time no longer accepts cash. Perception or reality, businesses are responding.
Kl January 6, 2024 (7:39 am)

Fwiw, my local safeway already closed at midnight and from the article that is the more common time outside ws.
- CAM January 6, 2024 (3:45 pm)
  
  Right, and if they simply said, we are making all our stores close at midnight to be consistent across the board that would be entirely different than what they did say, which was to suggest that it was because of crime, not to have consistency.

WSderp January 5, 2024 (11:26 pm)

The crime changing the hours is less annoying than having one side of doors locked closed all the time. It’s frustrating to park on one side and go to the closed entrance all because there is too much theft to control both doors. And to anybody who says they NEED safeway open that extra hour from 12-1am is full of it. Regardless of what shift you work, you can go to Safeway at other times. They open at 5 or 6 and stay open until midnight. If that 1 hour a day for all 7 days a week is the only time someone can go grocery shopping, they’re doing life wrong.

sixbuck January 6, 2024 (1:26 am)

I think logically. Therefore, I predict the late night shoplifters will adjust quite nicely to Safeway’s new hours.

Jenna B January 5, 2024 (11:48 pm)

Everyone has a right to food, people who are stealing are just trying to make ends meet through their own ways. This is nothing but corporate greed and a total lack of compassion. Everyone says go to food banks, but those are regularly running out of the most basic essentials. This narrative that crime has gotten so much worse is such conservative bull, and is just a way to undo all the work we did in 2020 when we pushed hard to defund the police. We can’t trust the police, so let’s trust the statistics they provide? They have every incentive to make those look worse, and the media and the public are eating it up. Crime is a barely elevated, but so many, lost so much from the pandemic that this is the only way back for many.

Rhonda January 6, 2024 (12:14 am)

Please explain how Safeway protecting it’s unionized workers from late-night, shopliftings-turned-robberies (and elderly female customers from violent purse-snatchings in their parking lots) is “corporate greed”. Talk to ANY Safeway employee and they will tell you how bad the thefts are between 11pm and 1am.
- Erik January 6, 2024 (12:19 pm)
  
  Wow Rhonda, what a hypocrite. You decried Taco Time for not taking cash in order to better protect their employees and at the same time are criticizing someone for being upset that Safeway is doing something similar to protect their employees. Seemingly on the opposite side of the opinion you would have taken before? Man people are so complicated. 🙄
AprilThinksJennasCommentSucked January 6, 2024 (1:03 am)

Stealing, sometimes at gunpoint, is the only way to “make ends meet”? And the problems here are corporate greed and a backslide from all the supposed great gains made four years ago? Theft is NOT the only way back. C’mon, man. Your comment doesn’t stoke the compassion you’d hoped. Crime is not a solution, it’s an indicator. Your comment points to the wrong issues.
T Rex January 6, 2024 (5:53 am)

Jenna, You are very misinformed. You are also part of the problem if you feel that crime is conservative bull. If you read this blog every day, you must have missed the car jackings, the store break ins using CARS, etc. and that is just in West Seattle. My dentist office in Admiral is now keeping their front door LOCKED because a group of punks are coming in and terrorizing the staff and clients. This is way beyond people being down on their luck.
HappyCamper January 6, 2024 (8:15 am)

Grocery stores have extremely low profit margins of <3% typically. They do not have the room for these kinds of losses. It’s less about greed and more about survival. They are also having to compete with non brick and mortar businesses for food delivery, including meat, vegetables and non perishables. Think Amazon, butcher box, etc.And how about stealing and violence is wrong and ALL of the rest of us, customers and grocery workers deserve safety and security just as much as all people deserve food and shelter? And it’s not just food, it’s ATM’s, packages, gas from cars parked at home, smash and grabs, purse snatchings, the list goes on and on.The bottom line is we cannot excuse and normalize behavior. Period.
LawnOrder January 6, 2024 (9:17 am)

This type of apologism just feeds the problem. These folks stealing aren’t starving in need of food. They are criminals – most on drugs – plain and simple. Quit demonizing the victims and blaming society – the blame land squarely on the shoulders of these low lifes doing the stealing. I know one of the kids responsible – a 14 year old who thinks it’s cool and fun to do this and then brag at Madison about what a G he is while selling weed and vaping at school and playing likes he’s a tough guy because he’s been in juvie twice. Please. These criminals need to have the book thrown at them or they will only get worse.
W Sea Fields January 6, 2024 (9:42 am)

The level of unseriousness in this post is astonishing. I volunteer at the WS Food Bank and can categorically refute the notion that we run out of the essentials: we always have canned goods, deli items from local grocery stores, milk, some sort of frozen protein (including Halal for guests with such restrictions), and fresh fruits/vegetables. A Safeway associate now has to walk any liquor purchases up to the customer service counter because too many bottles were walking out the door – is $45 bourbon a necessity? Anyone who has lived in WS for more than five years and isn’t wearing ideological blinders can tell you something is dramatically off: auto theft/car jackings, smash and grabs (Hotwire, Mystery Made, Emerald Water Anglers, Rush Hour…the list goes on), armed robberies of convenience stores, and purse snatching on California. Go talk to a small business owner who has to sweep up a shattered storefront for the third time, wondering when they will be able to open safely and what the insurance company will say this time – tell them it’s all just a Fox News plot to undo the “progress” of the defund movement and see how that goes. One doesn’t need police statistics to see that excusing anti-social behavior under the banner of “compassion” has only encouraged more of the former…and the results have been disastrous.
spooled January 6, 2024 (4:34 pm)

Jenna, you have no right to steal that which I am expected to pay for.
Resident January 6, 2024 (8:51 pm)

You are literally out of your mind with you comment. There is plenty of food help in the US. Snap, food banks, not to mention churches and other civic organizations. People don’t have to steal to eat. My relatives are on programs at times and they eat just fine. Not steaks every night but they go to bed full.

Tired of the BS January 5, 2024 (11:53 pm)

@AutumnThinksEvasCommentSucked – Can’t afford delivery fees but can afford their after dinner B&J ice cream and joint, must be one of those first world problems. And here I am concerned about my property taxes…

Michelle January 6, 2024 (12:15 am)

Why don’t they just say what its really about… “due to the upcoming merger with Kroger we’re going to go ahead and slowly start making these stores go away”

CarDriver January 6, 2024 (6:13 am)

Um, no. It’s actually about crime. Covering for the crooks by claiming “corporate greed” solves what?

pop a squat January 6, 2024 (1:09 am)

There is undoubtedly increased crime in West Seattle. Have first hand experience seeing multiple shoplifters every.time.go.to.the.store. Lived here several decades and never saw this constant shoplifting until recently.

Melanie January 6, 2024 (1:38 am)

Investigate the truth about claims.

There was a lot of noise about defunding police. Some City Council members pledged to do it. But it never happened, There are plenty of new sources to read up on this. From Seattle Met article

SPD BUDGET
2020, actual: $402.3 million
2021, actual: $361.7 million
2022, adopted: $355.5 million
2023, adopted: $374.3 million
2024, endorsed: $384.9 million

Of the 20% cut from 2020 to 2021, 16% was already determined “pre-protests.” The majority (around $40 million) of the SPD’s budget “cuts” came from transferring departments like the parking enforcement officers, the 911 call center, the emergency management department, and victim advocates out of SPD. The council reduced another $20 million by cutting funding for vacated positions.

This wiki has the best charts about how the 2020 money was spent.

sgs January 6, 2024 (1:19 pm)

Not sure what your point is with that data. SPD can have all the money in the world and still have staffing problems. It might be a hard sell to get someone to want to be a cop in Seattle.From a KOMO news report on Oct 10, 2023, it was reported that more officers have left than are being hired, and staffing levels are at their lowest levels in 35 years. Seattle has grown significantly since then.
W Sea Fields January 6, 2024 (1:51 pm)

The numbers – and residual “fund vs. defund” debate – miss the larger story. The fact is SPD defunded themselves in a thankless environment and with an unsupportive, if not hostile, council. Hundreds of experienced officers took early retirement or left for jurisdictions where they don’t have to deal with Seattle’s political climate. The type of officers desperately needed – thoughtful men and women who can control their emotions and de-escalate volatile situations – either quit or want no part of the job (even five-figure signing bonuses aren’t enough of a carrot). What we are witnessing is understaffed, reactive policing on a scale we’ve never seen before. And it may be irreversible…
- HappyCamper January 6, 2024 (9:18 pm)
  
  You are 100% correct. Politics aside that is what has and continues to happen at SPD. I’m no fan of bad cops but the climate has caused too many good cops to leave.

Shawn January 6, 2024 (2:07 am)

Should be open 24 hours. The way the whole neighborhood just shuts down at 8pm is just crazy. They are obviously making excuses; if there was a real safety issue they could just hire a security guard. They really just want to be cheap and cut operating hours.

J January 6, 2024 (6:24 am)

You’ve clearly never owned, or run your own business to know the cost of operating a business as large as a grocery store wouldn’t justify staying open 24 hours, not in this day and age. And you want to add a security guard which would add even more costs. That’s one less employee you could have so you can have a security guard to stop people from doing something they shouldn’t be doing anyways. And then we complain about along the lines are because there’s not enough employees, but we couldn’t bring employees in because we had to have a security guard because people are stealing so much stuff…yada yada. Take off your blinders and look at things from other perspectives not just what will serve you best. Things are not as cut and dry, as you seem to think they would be. oh and by the way, a lot of these places already have security guards
wsres January 6, 2024 (6:51 am)

It’s called running a business to earn a profit.
Kl January 6, 2024 (7:44 am)

From a recent trip to Europe where everything shutdown from Dec 24-27 (except for one grocery which is open from 7-22 365) just pointing out that it is possible to survive less than 24hr open :)
Terremoto January 6, 2024 (8:14 am)

The “security guards” I’ve seen are most often scrolling on their phones. I have seen thieves walk right past them in Safeway. I think they are just supposed to be a visual deterrent, not to accost? Also, for whoever thinks this is just about people needing some food, I have seen folks with backpacks clear a shelf of shampoo, detergent, etc. They are reselling. They know no one is going to do anything to them, just let them walk out quietly. The stores don’t want to scare away paying customers.
bradley January 6, 2024 (1:02 pm)

Shawn, there’s a place called Seven-11 that’s open for you 24 hours. But ask every one of the stores in WS how many armed robberies they’ve had. That might answer your issue.
Jeff January 7, 2024 (9:03 pm)

Shawn ++++++ I agree!!! West Seattle is so annoying with its “sleepy town” reputation. WE ARE A CITY! Denser by the day. It’s time to get places acting like a normal city and be open late.

Kt January 6, 2024 (6:24 am)

The other morning at 6 a.m. I saw two men in their mid 60s walk into and quickly out of the Westwood QFC both carrying two 12-packs of beer. They skeedaddled across the parking lot. The clerk said that theft is a daily occurrence there.

Rick January 7, 2024 (10:27 am)

I would hope the beer was stolen AFTER 6:00 AM because if it was stolen before that it would be, well, you know, against the law.

22blades January 6, 2024 (6:53 am)

I’m all for the safety of staff, but, what do the numbers (SPD call history) say? I’m putting on my tin hat because it’s starting to sound more like a market exit strategy for Bartells, Target, CVS… Either way, I hope the best for jobs and safety.

LibrulPup January 6, 2024 (11:37 am)

Agree, this crinkles my headgear. I’d love to understand the statistics. Lately so many stores have justified business decisions by citing crime, as a public relations tactic. Blame the outcasts of society, because no one will question it the way they would simple cost savings, lay offs, automation, and other business decisions.

QFC cutie January 6, 2024 (8:13 am)

Yet, theft of taxation keeps open. Its icy hands. Police playing donuts and wordle. Guard our hearts for they protect us. Yet, stray they stay away from Safeway where else should they be? Steal tribal land and fish. Take our junction parking lots and give us lucky Diamond tickets. Over budget and, yet, they ask for more.Make us pay more for meat and Skittles. Oppress the workers, pay executives more, justice in aisle 9.

On Alert January 6, 2024 (8:49 am)

Old enough, by far, to remember the era when no stores were open past 9 at the latest. We all managed to get what we needed. Closing a bit earlier with notice given is a good move to protect both staff and other shoppers. Closing or guarding entrances and exits that have been problematic does add some steps, but please note, many stores are doing this now. Met Mkt being one of them too. The volume of reported shoplifting, car thefts, porch pirates, home invasions, breaking and entering in to small businesses and residences as well as street hold ups by gun toting creeps has definitely made many of us consider moving. But sadly, this is occurring pretty much everywhere and housing alternatives are limited. In the short term, vigilance, thoughtful timing of our previously “carefree” activities and support of a system that will offer the complex services to get things back in balance (social services, housing, drug addiction treatment, law enforcement and the person power to do it, as well as prosecution of perpetrators) are top priorities.

CAM January 6, 2024 (3:33 pm)

No, not everyone managed to get everything they needed in the halcyon days of “undefined back then.” Lots of people went without. Lots of people experienced horrible effects of discrimination and segregation (which continues today in more covert ways). And lots of people lived in homes that didn’t have enough, worked more hours than they should have, couldn’t get to the stores when they were open, and relied on neighbors or family or social services to fill in the gaps.

Gibby January 6, 2024 (8:51 am)

I used to work at Vons (Safeway) in Southern California about 10 years ago and our store closed at midnight. There was very little business past 10:00 p.m. Closing an hour earlier at midnight seems pretty normal; there’s not much of a reason to keep the store open so late. Then again, we would periodically get that one person coming in 5 minutes before store close that decides they want to do a whole full shopping trip.

Alki resident January 6, 2024 (9:04 am)

Do you think shoplifting will stop if they close an hour earlier? They’ll shoplift at any time the store is open. The thieves don’t care what time they steal.

anonyme January 6, 2024 (9:41 am)

There’s no reason for any store to be open all night. Even those who work all night can still shop before or after a shift. Catering to stoners is not a valid reason to put employees at risk. Turn off the lights.

Alki resident January 6, 2024 (10:57 am)

Stoners? Excuse me?
22blades January 7, 2024 (1:01 pm)

What?!!! I’ve worked odd hours my entire adult life. I had to “make do”. That’s code for finding a meal, grabbing some pain reliever, getting all my bills paid in a 9 to 5 world. Next time you pick up that Amazon package off your porch, think just how that “stuff” magically arrived the next day. Gimme a break.
Jeff January 7, 2024 (9:01 pm)

Ridiculous comment. I am up late and can be up late if I want. I work in industry and prefer to shop at 1-2AM personally. Who are you to judge people???

Liz Giba January 6, 2024 (11:02 am)

Please add this post to WCN, thanks.

WS Geezer January 6, 2024 (11:04 am)

Some history here – The QFC in Westwood Village was a Mayfair Market (The Mighty M) back in the 1960’s. I worked there as a boxboy during my time at Chief Sealth High 50+ years ago. As I recall we closed at 10 PM weeknights, 11 on Friday and Saturdays and we were always slammed at closing, everybody getting their stuff before going home to watch one of the four or five channels available on the tube. Everyone survived, I suspect people will survive the midnight closure of Safeway as well. As for shoplifters, there were a few, mostly organized small groups stealing meat by hiding it in their clothing, and the sad, desperate alcoholics trying to do a grab-and-dash of fortified wine or malt liquor (think Mad Dog 20/20 or Micky Big Mouth). We were encouraged to confront, chase & detain shoplifters, and to us boxboys it became quite the sport. The police always responded, and it was taken seriously by the legal system. Much less of issue than we see today, but still, organized retail theft and theft by substance abusers to support their habit is nothing new, just dramatically increased today.

Seattlite January 6, 2024 (11:19 am)

Civilized societies do not let the criminals dictate the running of businesses.

North Delridge January 6, 2024 (11:53 am)

Count me as someone who DOES NOT believe this story from Safeway corporate at all! Target and Starbucks have done this recently too, blame crime when the real reason is just underperforming stores or staffing issues. I encourage everyone to be more skeptical of corporate statements that is deflecting blame for their own business decision.

Sarah January 6, 2024 (1:48 pm)

Have you visited Safeway, or say target, at 10pm? If you do you WILL note with any honest observation… the crime is rampant. It’s sketchy as hell. I can’t believe they waited this long to make this change. And… I bet there are staffing issues because Who would want to work there? I wouldn’t. Not safe even with a security guard or two. Tell yourself whatever story you want but maybe consider believing others experiences including those that work there
Rhonda January 6, 2024 (2:06 pm)

Target has not reduced their hours. In fact, they increased their closing hours to 11pm for the weeks leading up to Christmas and still remain open until 10pm every night.
CarDriver January 6, 2024 (2:22 pm)

So, you believe there is no crime? That Safeway/Target/others are all lying and there is no shoplifting/burglary/employee assaults?
- K January 6, 2024 (3:56 pm)
  
  Not that there’s “no crime” but that there always has been, it’s not good but it’s not new, and some stores have been caught misleading people about the real reasons they are closing stores. The downtown Target never met the expectations that were set before it opened. It lost money every quarter the first few years it was open and was never a store with profits seen through most of the chain. Piroshky, Piroshky got caught complaining that crime was the reason for shuttering their 3rd ave location when employees had been telling customers long before the supposed incidents that lead to the shutdown happened, that the store was going to be temporarily closed for a few months. Turns out the owner was trying to negotiate better lease terms, the media hype worked, and they reopened and are still operating there today. The skepticism isn’t coming out of nowhere.
aa January 6, 2024 (6:36 pm)

Why is everyone up in arms about whether or not this is a lie? Did they promise you the 100% truth? It is none of our business why they have made a decision to change their hours. It is their business, not yours and they can do whatever they want. And if you haven’t noticed, most stores have changed their hours since covid. It is an evolving situation with increased crime, drug addiction, and staff shortages and we are all trying to navigate this new world we live in. In 2020 when we all retreated to our homes, the cockroaches came out and no one can figure how to deal with the ongoing infestation.

Rebecca Gilden January 6, 2024 (12:22 pm)

I was robbed at gunpoint on my way to the westwood qfc right by the McDonald’s drive thru at 10:15 pm while at least 5 cars in the drive thru watched and did or said nothing.

Rhonda January 6, 2024 (11:04 pm)

Rebecca, what night/date did this happen to you?

Admiral-2009 January 6, 2024 (12:39 pm)

North Delridge – the Admiral Safeway is amongst the best performing stores in the State. Staffing challenges and crime are very legitimate issues.

CarDriver January 7, 2024 (6:42 am)

Admiral-2009. Back @25 years ago heard that Admiral Safeway was #3 in the state.

Mmmmmmmkkkkkkm January 6, 2024 (12:50 pm)

This place is insane. It doesn’t matter what time of night and day it is, I have personally watched people walk out of the Safeway at Jefferson Square with entire shopping carts full of stuff in the mid afternoon. I watched three separate people do it in the short time I was there. The employees just watched and laughed. I have also watched people with arms filled full of clothing, as much as one can carry walk right out the door of Marshall’s. It is infuriating to watch the employees including the security guards standing at the front door doing absolutely nothing. I see someone blatantly stealing something from every store I go to here in West Seattle and almost every time I go. There is no shame. It is completely out of control here. I agree these employees need to be kept safe but there needs to be someone brave enough to stand up to these asshats that steal and stop it. It is annoying and it is just going to get worse until someone here grows a backbone and stops making excuses for the criminals. There are food banks and resources. It is uncomfortable and gross and getting worse. They more they take, the more comfortable they are. I honestly wonder what Seattle was like before when it was affordable and full of artists. Was it ever safe or clean or has it always been this much of a garbage can? How can there be soooooo much wealth in one city, and it still be a complete dump?

Rhonda January 6, 2024 (12:54 pm)

We do have one major store in our area that has DRAMATICALLY reduced their shoplifting and assaults on employees and customers: Target. They have had armed security for all open hours for several months now. It’s the same armed security company that Costco uses. They work in conjunction with their own active store security. The front-end manager told me their theft incidents have gone from several per hour to a handful per day, and most of those are now apprehensions. Their attacks on employees and customers have also stopped completely. The Roxbury Safeway has occasional security off and on later at night but they are unarmed and can only observe. I feel 100% safe shopping at Target at night now. But during a few recent 00:30 trips to the Roxbury Safeway I heard staff announce on the overheard speakers “King County deputies are on the way” and saw heated exchanges between cashiers and unruly customers.

bradley January 6, 2024 (1:16 pm)

Just curios, do you believe its a God Given Right for there to be stores available for your convenience, whenever you deem that? It’s funny how people just feel that “They must be open for ME!” Like its a requirement for survival. How spoiled are we?No one seems to mention how the Admiral Safeway has to close mid day on weekdays due to the crush from the local school lunch hour. Is that Fiction? Corporate Greed? It should smack you face first.Don’t believe that all incidents are being report to the Blog either. I know we had our car rumbled, and reported it to the blog, but only if any of it was recovered. Plenty of times, people just accept it and move on because its become “normal” behavior. Until things change. Let’s hope for the best.I also take exception to the poster saying its Media Overkill. I’m sure Tracy takes no joy in having to publish these stories, and its not Clickbait.

Gina January 6, 2024 (3:20 pm)

Once upon a time nothing was open after 9 M-Thu except bars. 7/11 opened up and was open until 11pm. The big grocery stores boosted their hours after that.If stores had been open 24/7 back then there would have been rampant crime, WS had no police precinct and there was a 30 minute response time at night!

Scarlett January 6, 2024 (4:34 pm)

I was in LA recently, and there are security guards everywhere, small store to big supermarket. At the bigger stores there are two or more. They aggressive, they watch everyone, and not afraid to get physical with shoplifters or someone they think is a shoplifter. I saw a couple altercations, one in which someone was unjustly accused of shoplifting and pulled a knife because he was so incensed at being detained. If its you who was falsely accused, you just pick up your pride off the floor and move on because no one is going to apologize, and cops don’t care either – you’re on your own. These security guard thugs have carte blanche authority and take pride in roughing up people for their gringo employers. Better think twice if you want to shop in this kind of environment.

bradley January 6, 2024 (5:58 pm)

“gringo employers”??? wtf? in L.A.? Are you one of “those people”?

WiseWoman January 6, 2024 (4:43 pm)

I was there the other day and that short kid from madison (all the posts) was trying to break a row of windows!! It’s ridiculous his parents don’t step up and handle him. Its not EE’s job!!

onion January 6, 2024 (5:24 pm)

People who believe West Seattle is going down the tubes because of crime need to back up their claims with year-to-year statistics in key categories, along with comparisons to other parts of King County and other U.S. cities. And once you have that data, look at the cities that are doing better and ask what they are doing that we aren’t. Fear mongering and whining accomplish nothing.

Steve January 7, 2024 (12:20 pm)

When the people are not arrested or charged it is going to be difficult for it to show up in statistics. Maybe instead of fear and whining it is anger at what the people that live here can see with their own eyes. In Seattle in general most homicides in the last 44 years, third in the nation in car thefts, first in the nation for retail theft (third in the nation for overall value of retail theft).
- WSB January 7, 2024 (12:28 pm)
  
  If police are called, it shows up in stats regardless of whether anyone is arrested, let alone charged. However, the public-facing police call log does not show exact addresses, so the best you can glean from that is, for example, the 26xx block of California SW (which holds Admiral Safeway but also other businesses) or the 47xx block of 42nd SW (which holds Jefferson Square Safeway but also other businesses in that center as well as on the other side of 42nd). – TR

Steve January 7, 2024 (12:21 am)

First of all, it’s very unusual that Safeway has such late hours. Get outside your bubble it’s not the norm. Secondly kids/shopliftees are commiting crimes because there’s no consequences plain and simple. That and the fact a month’s full time at minimum wage, $16.28, is $2,604.80 BEFORE TAXES. Average rent for 1bedroom w 650sq ft in Seattle is over $2,200; in West Seattle it’s $2,100! No wonder there’s lawlessness.

Joan January 7, 2024 (7:49 am)

Yep, what’s next? I wanted to comment before this that both Safeways have closed one entrance/exit now, I am certain to prevent shoplifting. I have witnessed one person in front of me, checking out with a cart full, and then said he left his wallet or card in the car, He grabbed the wine and ran out. Went through the whole charade of shopping and checking out and then stole the liquor he came for. I echo others’ comments about what is being stolen. There are food banks and food stamps, and shoplifters are not stealing a loaf of bread and milk. The drug store now puts toothpaste – TOOTHPASTE – under lock and key. This is our society now,. Batteries under lock and key. Exit doors locked. I assume if there is a fire emergency these doors will be unlocked.

love bug January 7, 2024 (1:21 pm)

Local main news medias (not neighborhood blogs) don’t wanna bother collecting good footage/photos that are offered to them from independent photogs. May just not be important enough to them or they don’t wanna spend the money for good footage when they cannot obtain it themselves. West Seattle is fortunate to have such a dedicated and committed blog, that takes the time and season the news to the fullest extent they can. Same as anywhere, if you don’t personally care for something keep scrolling…

NewToWSeattle January 7, 2024 (2:18 pm)

I’m new to west seattle and work at one of the nicer grocery stores over here. I come from Seattle and lived on the cusp of capitol and first hill. While safety for workers is important and I have no doubt late hours make those occurances more frequent, it is laughable that it is that big of an issue to warrant this. We have possible 1 to 2 shoplifters a day where I’m at and typically taking hot food (imo that’s okay because eating is a basic human right), when I worked downtown seattle in a small cafe I witnessed theft/was threatened/assaulted every other day. If you all think its bad over here you’d just about lose your minds over there (not that its a competition but seeing the comparisons first hand it is a certified paradise over here). I can’t imagine its that huge of an issue, I agree with another poster that its likely more about saving money for the big corporation

Rhonda January 7, 2024 (6:58 pm)

Reducing hours costs Safeway more money in lost profits but they have to balance that with increased late-night theft and employee injuries from assaults. They are also liable for injuries to customers. But from what I’ve seen from shopping at the Roxbury Safeway between midnight and 1am (I get off work late) is that there’s very few shoppers and quite a few thieves. Closing at midnight seems reasonable and also gives the night workers an extra hour to stock shelves without having to babysit drunks and troublemakers.
- Laura January 8, 2024 (11:47 am)
  
  We JUST bought a house in Tacoma. Should be moving in early February. I can’t wait. I’ve been in WS since I moved here in 2014. We are in N Delridge and lived through the encampment very close to our house, but it’s time to move on. Thankfully.