Shops Vandalized During Anaheim Protests
Anaheim, Calif., retailers recently found themselves caught in the middle of protests, which broke out on July 24 and then stretched into a second week.After 20 businesses were vandalized on the first night of the protests, a handful of clothing boutiques closed on July 29 when hundreds of people marched through downtown Anaheim with placards protesting alleged brutality by the Anaheim Police Department.
In the earlier protest, vandals smashed the windows of a Starbucks café at the Anaheim Towne Center mall, located on the corner of West Lincoln Avenue and Anaheim Boulevard. (No Starbucks workers or customers were hurt.) Looters stole $20,000 worth of apparel from retailer T-Shirts Outlet, which is located close to the Starbucks, according to news reports. Most of the damage was broken windows, said Sgt. Bob Dunn of the Anaheim Police Department.
A team from Starbucks monitored the protests and talked to Anaheim police about whether the Seattle-based company’s cafés should remain open during protests. Starbucks closed two downtown Anaheim stores early the night of July 28 and also closed for a few hours during the afternoon of July 29, said Zack Hutson, a Starbucks spokesperson. The cafés resumed normal business hours during the week of July 30.
If faced with violent civil disturbances, retailers must first ensure the safety of store staff and customers, said Joe LaRocca, a veteran retail security consultant who recently founded Los Angeles–based Retail Loss Prevention Partners, where he serves as senior adviser, asset protection.
He recommended working with law enforcement and neighboring stores to assess the threat of protests. If law enforcement forecasts danger, a retailer might want to give staff time off to get as many people outside of the protest area. Retailers also should take the most high-value merchandise out of the store and hire a security guard to monitor the shop.
If all of a store’s retail neighbors are boarding up windows, LaRocca counseled to board up windows, too. Looters will be attracted to a store with little protection. "If no one is boarding windows, it might be overkill to do it,” he said. If vandals attack a store, the retailer should close doors, shut windows and evacuate the shop.
Store staff also should carry government ID, such as a driver’s license, and store identification, so they can confirm to police that they are sales staff and have a business purpose to be in the area.
If stores are damaged during a riot, vandalism should be repaired as quickly as possible. Maintain a relationship with window-glass companies and other construction companies so cleanup and repairs are accomplished quickly, LaRocca said.—Andrew Asch
