Fallout from MLK, "72 black people are charged in Philadelphia after stores were ransacked last week"

https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2023/09/27/ap23270581380063_cus
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Shown is the aftermath of a ransacked liquor store in 
Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Matt Rourke/AP

Authorities in Philadelphia have charged 72 people for allegedly 
ransacking businesses in multiple neighborhoods across the city 
last week.

Images and videos shared by police and posted on social media 
showed perpetrators bursting into stores in large numbers on 
Tuesday and Wednesday and quickly fleeing with stolen 
merchandise.

Prosecutors said Monday that 67 adults and five juveniles face 
charges from criminal mischief to conspiracy and felony burglary.

According to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, only 
a few of those arrested are underage but a "very large number" 
are between the ages of 18 and 25.

"In general, what we are seeing is that most of them have no 
criminal record or a minimal criminal record," Krasner said. 
"But that isn't all of them. There certainly are some people in 
this group who are much more concerning than others."

Authorities said they expect to charge more people in the coming 
days.

The unrest began Tuesday evening shortly after a peaceful 
protest over a judge's decision to drop all charges against a 
Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed a driver last 
month.

Interim Police Commissioner John M. Stanford Jr. stressed that 
the incidents were not connected with the protest: "What we had 
tonight was a bunch of criminal opportunists take advantage of a 
situation and make an attempt to destroy our city," he said in a 
press conference Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, the police department said it would have an 
increased presence throughout the city and warned that officers 
were "ready to make more" arrests.


Philadelphia Police Department
@PhillyPolice
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Due to last night's events, @phillypolice will have an increased 
presence throughout the city. We made dozens of arrests last 
night (with more to come), and we're ready to make more. Please 
call 911 if you are aware of any ongoing criminal activity. 
#SeeSomethingSaySomething
2:13 PM · Sep 27, 2023

Video on social media showed thieves breaking into an Apple 
Store, and groups also stole from a Foot Locker, a Lululemon and 
a liquor store, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board closed all of its retail 
locations in the area Wednesday "in the interest of employee 
safety" and pending an assessment of the damage and losses, 
liquor board spokesperson Shawn M. Kelly told NPR.

"At least 18 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores in Philadelphia 
were looted" on Tuesday night, Kelly said. "Fortunately, no 
employees were hurt, although some were understandably shaken."

Philadelphia is the latest city to see dramatic scenes of large-
group smash-and-grabs, which have been documented across the 
country in recent years, though it's unclear whether such crimes 
are actually increasing.

Still, retailers have been raising the alarm on thefts in their 
businesses. Target said Tuesday that it is closing nine stores 
in four states, citing theft and organized retail crime, which 
involves large-scale criminal operations that steal and resell 
merchandise.

A National Retail Federation survey estimated that "shrink" — 
the industry term for losses — amounted to $112.1 billion in 
2022, up from $93.9 billion in 2021. Those figures are based on 
self-reported data by businesses and other groups, and also 
include losses from employee theft, cashier errors, incorrect 
pricing and more.

In Philadelphia, Stanford said the thefts began around 8 p.m. in 
Center City, with a crowd growing to as large as a hundred 
people.

Authorities then began to get 911 calls about looting in 
different neighborhoods, which he believes people had been 
discussing online. "We were able to link some things on social 
media and see that there was some chatter about certain 
locations," Stanford said.

Several vehicles and a police cruiser were vandalized, and 
police recovered at least two firearms during the arrests, 
though it was unclear if the weapons were linked to the unrest 
Tuesday evening.

Drew Neckar, president of Security Advisors Consulting Group, 
said it's difficult to disrupt large-group smash-and-grabs 
because of how quickly they occur and how many people are 
involved.

"No store can have the level of security to be able to withstand 
or have security employees in place to stop a hundred people 
coming through the door intent on looting," he said.

Neckar added that once thieves are inside, most retailers tell 
their workers and security guards to "back off and be a good 
witness, which is the correct thing to do, because you don't 
want people to get hurt when you might just lose inventory and 
dollars."

Some retailers have taken other steps to reduce their likelihood 
of being targeted by large groups of thieves in the first place, 
such as installing laminated glass and keeping high-value 
merchandise in a secure area of the store, he added.

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/27/1202157055/philadelphia-stores-
looting-arrests