Migrants camp outside a hotel where they had previously been housed, as they resist efforts by the city to relocate them to a Brooklyn facility for asylum seekers. (Photo by ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)
OAN Staff Blake Wolf 4:00 PM – Tuesday, July 23, 2024
NYC store owner Chris Sciacco says that he is struggling to keep his business afloat due to the amount of shoplifting perpetrated by migrants in Queens, New York.
Advertisement
Sciacco’s shop, Kaiya’s Pallets, is a variety store that sells food items and other essentials. It is located only a few blocks away from 17 different migrant shelters in the area.
In an interview with the outlet New York Post, Sciacco claims that his store is being targeted up to “six times a week,” with losses costing him at least $3,000 a month.
“It’s not fair that these people can come into my store and steal willy-nilly and nothing gets done about it,” said Sciacco.
His business opened in 2021 and only saw less than a handful of thefts in their first year of business. However, the recent flood of migrants into the city has resulted in Sciacco’s business becoming a frequent target of shoplifting.
“I am barely getting by. I don’t see how I can continue at this rate,” Sciacco explained.
Sciacco says that he is also frustrated by the lack of response by the New York Police Department. He recalls one experience when his store was facing ongoing thefts. Sciacco had repeatedly called the NYPD numerous times, but to no avail.
Police sources in midtown Manhattan have reported a troubling trend of migrant gangs operating in packs. These groups start with petty crimes like shoplifting, quickly escalating to more serious offenses… pic.twitter.com/d4ZSq63lWm
“I also tried to flag down over 30 cop cars on the street, and not one stopped to help me or even see what was wrong,” he proclaimed.
Sciacco’s situation is exacerbated by the massive influx of illegal immigrants pouring through the southern border throughout the Biden administration.
Late last year, NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D-N.Y.) stated, “Let me tell you something New Yorkers, never in my life have I had a problem that I did not see an ending to – I don’t see an ending to this.”
“This issue will destroy New York City,” he added.
🚨🚨Shoplifting Surge in Sheepshead Bay and Gravesend: A Community in Crisis🚨🚨
The recent influx of migrants in the Sheepshead Bay and Gravesend neighborhoods of Brooklyn has sparked a wave of shoplifting incidents, leaving local businesses reeling. The area, known for its… pic.twitter.com/myOPPwkn8m
With no incoming assistance or help from the NYPD, Sciacco says that he simply resorted to creating a “Wall of Shame,” where thieves’ pictures are framed along the store’s wall, accompanied with descriptions of the stolen items they had taken.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
