By Gus Saltonstall
An Upper West Side smoke shop was robbed earlier this week after three men jumped the counter and punched the clerk, a NYPD spokesperson told West Side Rag.
The trio, wearing all black, entered the store at 447 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 81st and 82nd streets, about 9 p.m. on Monday, police said.
The men proceeded to attack the employee in the store and snatch an unspecified amount of merchandise, before fleeing on foot toward West 82nd Street, police said.
The smoke shop is known as Zootiez.
There have been no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing, police said.
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oh no, not Zootiez! such a great business that supports the community so well…
These smoke and pot stores are nothing but trouble and crime.
While the NYPD was at Zooties gathering info about this crime, did they do anything about the crime of illegally selling marajuana?
There is nothing the NYPD can do about weed period. The NYPD has been turned into toothless tigers. This is what New Yorkers wanted and now they have it. Illegal weed stores are great for criminals, no security and no weapons , robbing a street weed dealer is dangerous because now they almost all have guns.
Well in New York, yeah. In other states (ie CA, IL) the shops are relatively nondescript, one must go through a vestibule where your ID is scanned by machine by an armed security guard before you are allowed into the “showroom.” But this state, being the never ending hamster wheel of incompetence that it is, decided to strike out on its own without attempting to learn from others, and here we are.
You are describing legal weed stores. We have very few of them. All the illegal ones have no qualms about telling the world what they sell. There are no repercussions.
The legal ones have no security either! I went to one in Massachusetts went into locked hall they scanned ID and every employee in store had a hand gun and a million cameras in store.
This is the ‘con’ to over greatly outweighing the ‘pro’ that people can get stoned more conveniently.
Hmm, call me crazy but I’m starting to think these businesses aren’t so great for the neighborhood.
although it seems they stole merchandise, cash-only businesses will always be crime magnets. And because cannabis isn’t yet legal at the federal level, it’s illegal to buy or sell it via the federal banking system, which rules out things like credit and debit cards. Of course the illegal shops might not be following those regulations, but they’re in much deeper water than angering the UWS if they get caught violating US banking laws
It is completely legal for dispensaries to take debit cards and many, if not all, do. Credit cards are a bit different but I’m aware of at least one legal dispensary that uses a workaround to allow customers to use a credit card. While many credit card processors won’t work with cannabis business, it’s not per se illegal.
Banking laws apply to banks, so the shops, which are not banks, aren’t in danger of violating banking laws. But yes, those laws could make it hard for the shops to access banking services like a regular business, which presents its own problems for their continued operation.
The other commenters are misplacing blame on the pot store.
However, it is the 3 violent criminals who are responsible for this crime. Full stop.
It is irrelevant whether you like or dislike pot stores or cash only businesses. That does not permit violent criminals to rob these businesses. The same people who rob these stores would gladly attack and rob other stores and citizens.
So how’s the clerk? People matter too.
There is always a comparison to bars. But we don’t see this behavior at our bars. Im SHOCKED to learn that illegal weed shops attract violence. CRAZY I tell you. I thought marijuana had a calming effect on users. Ilegal businesses attract illegal behaviors. Maybe laws and enforcement should matter?
Illegal business are cash businesses and attract criminals.
“Ilegal businesses attract illegal behaviors” is exactly correct, but the solution isn’t stricter enforcement, it’s fixing the regulatory regime so that these businesses are allowed to operate legally. They don’t want to be illegal either!
Pretty brazen: 81 and Amsterdam at 9pm. Bunch of bars and restaurants there (gazalas, St. James, dead poet, gin mill). Must have been lots of people out and about in the area at that time.
I understand the issues with the illegal week shops = and look forward to the first legal one opening on the UWS.
BUT… , I used to get gummies that helped me with a long time pain issue (and didn’t really make me feel “high”
The stores can still sell things that make me feel high -But that isn’t what I want. (maybe I’m in the minority)
I want the pain relief that I haven’t been able to find since. (Fingers crossed that I’ll find something when the legal store opens.
Robin,
My sympathies for your chrinic pain. You used to get gummies …. until what? We do have a few legal store in the city. Could you try them?
You can buy quality CBD gummies at many health food stores (‘Head & Heal’ is a decent brand).
I wish NY had only made edibles legal, not smoking pot. The strong drug smoke everywhere (including inside my building) is impacting my health and sleep. I’ve never in my life done drugs, but now I’m being forced to second hand because of all the pot smokers around me. Why has the government prioritized the recreation of addicts over the health of non drug users? It’s nonsensical. They’ve made no effort at all to protect those of us who don’t smoke.
I hope you get the pain relief you need, Robin.
Call your elected officials and Call 311
When you see illegal pot stores.
They only hurt our children who are getting high.
Hope they catch these criminals- they would rob anyone in their path.
This happens at other stores in the neighborhood too. Nothing different about this.
Isn’t this the store that was just shuttered by NYPD a week ago?
It’s great than an illegal business calls the police as soon as they have trouble.
Not different than illegal immigrants having the protections provided by a sanctuary city. Both are entitled to police services.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. These places are crime magnets and eyesores, a scourge on the neighborhood. Shut them all down.