San Francisco hardware store escorts customers while shopping to deter rising crime

The store manager said a series of 'smash-and-grabs' finally forced the store to take aggressive action combatting the crime wave

A generations-old hardware store in California has been forced to go above and beyond to protect its shoppers as the state's crime wave continues to rise.

Fredericksen Hardware & Paint, a long-standing shopfront in the Cow Hollow-Marina area of San Francisco, will now provide shoppers with a staff member to escort them through the shop.

"We really weren't given a choice. I mean, we have to keep our employees safe and our customers safe. When they're coming in to do snatch and grabs, that was the final, final straw," store manager Sam Black told local news outlet Fox 2.

FRIGHTENED OAKLAND RESTAURANT OWNER CALLS CITY'S CRIME EPIDEMIC 'WORST I'VE EVER SEEN'

"It's a shock. This has been happening maybe all over the city and other parts of the country. Now, it's finally reaching Cow Hollow," Black continued. 

Shoppers will now be walked through the store by a personal attendant from the moment they walk in until the moment they leave.

Fredericksen Hardware & Paint hopes the increased awareness and attention to each shopper will dissuade would-be criminals from continuing to ransack the store with snatch-and-grabs that threaten to put it out of business.

MASKED CALIFORNIA THIEF NABBED AFTER BEING CAUGHT ON VIDEO SNATCHING DOZENS OF IPHONES FROM APPLE STORE

Stories about high-profile companies around the San Francisco area closing shop or hiring extra security have made grim headlines in recent months. 

Target closed its downtown Oakland location last fall after police responded to more than 100 smash-and-grab thefts and similar incidents in 2023. 

In-N-Out recently announced its sole Oakland burger joint was closing — the first time in the company's history it had to make such a decision — due to rampant burglaries, property damage and armed robberies in the area. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS 

A Denny's also closed down last month because of the crime epidemic.

Blue Shield, Clorox and Kaiser Permanente, the largest employer in Oakland, have issued warnings to employees, hired security guards or taken other actions in response to a crime surge in the city. 

FOX Business' David Rutz contributed to this report.

Load more..