Surveillance cameras captured a burglary taking place at BASA, the cannabis dispensary on Grove Street in San Francisco last week.
“I was angry when I saw the footage,” said Anisa Alazraie, her father owns the dispensary.
The burglary is upsetting enough — but this is the fifth burglary at their business and Alazraie said it’s the police response — or lack thereof — that angers them even more.
“I was like, ‘why aren’t people responding, why aren’t police working hard to keep our business safe? To keep our streets safe? To deter or intervene when a crime is in progress?’” she said.
On Nov. 16 at 5:37 a.m., video shows the first suspect exit the dispensary with a bag in hand, then get into the suspected getaway car.
About two minutes later, another suspect runs out of the building.
Within 10 seconds, video shows a police car using its spotlight — likely to alert the suspects that they see them.
It seems the suspects get nervous — dropping stolen products on the ground before scrambling into the car.
At this point, a second police car is in view, but no officers outside of them.
Seconds later, the last suspect runs out of the dispensary and, as the getaway car makes a three-point turn before getting away.
Alazraie says it’s after the suspects drive away, when a police officer is seen outside of their patrol vehicle. And the officer doesn’t appear to be moving with any urgency.
A crime report was made, but no arrests.
“We feel that we are very close with the community and that we care so it’s sad to not see that care reciprocated when we were in a time of need,” said Alazraie.
This latest burglary happened just days before the recent retail theft at Louis Vuitton in Union Square — in which officers are seen using force to arrest suspects.
“That stung,” said Alazraie.
She added that small businesses like theirs need the same police urgency and response.
“We should see that kind of perseverance and hard work especially in our neighborhoods, our communities which have been the anchors of San Francisco,” she said.
Alazraie says the suspects got away with thousands of dollars worth of products.
The San Francisco Police Department said they have reached out to the Alazraie family to facilitate a complaint to the department of police accountability.
They said an investigation into the incident and the department’s response is now underway.
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Source: NBC Bay Area
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