By Gus Saltonstall
Police are looking for a group of suspects wanted in connection with a trio of smoke shop robberies since the end of February, including two on the Upper West Side.
The robberies took place between February 20 and March 18, and each involved culprits rushing a lone employee, police said.
Around 9:30 p.m. on February 20, six unknown people entered an Upper West Side smoke shop as a 25-year-old employee was opening the door to allow some customers to exit, police said. The group proceeded to break the store’s display case with a blunt object, before fleeing on West 76th Street, NYPD said.
The store’s employee ended up getting cut on his arm, but refused medical attention, police said.
NYPD did not provide an exact address for the store.
Two days later, a group of six people again entered a smoke shop at 664 9th Avenue, near West 46th Street, and forcibly removed marijuana items, police said. The half dozen people fled toward the 53rd Street subway station, where one member of the group was apprehended, while the others got away, police said.
More recently, on March 18, a 22-year-old woman was working at Zootiez at 447 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 81st and 82nd streets, when three people entered the shop and forcibly removed small cannabis bags from the display case, police said.
The trio fled the store, then immediately tried to re-enter, but the Zootiez employee was able to lock the door in time to block them, police said. The robbers then fled on Amsterdam Avenue, according to police.
NYPD believes the three robberies are connected.
Police released a photo on Thursday of the suspects.
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here.
So over the course of a month two UWS smoke shops had merchandise stolen with no weapons involved? OK.
“Police put out call for help.” Um, that’s not the way it works. We, the citizens, have been putting out calls for help to close these illegal weed shops!! It is not surprising that illegal shops attract illegal activities. Here’s another call for help – close down the illegal weed shops. Enough excuses.
Wasn’t the theory behind making these kinds of products more publicly available that it would for one result in lower crime? I guess the thought was that it would bring these transactions out of the shadows would reduce the violence that often accompanies underground trading.
But now these places are everywhere and it seems that not a week goes by without a report on a violent robbery of them. I support people doping themselves and doing whatever else so long as they’re not bothering anyone else but I have to question if these stores are more trouble than they’re worth. As a society we’ve shown no appetite to disincentivize crime with heavy handed punishments that are proven to deter, so the choices we have are to just put up with all of this or get rid of the stores.
It’s extremely common in WSR comments about crime for people (who rightfully are upset about something disturbing) to state as fact things that are patently untrue. For instance, the claim that we can “disincentivize crime with heavy handed punishments that are proven to deter” is totally incorrect. There are no simple prescriptions for lowering crime rates–if there were, they would be employed. Crime rates rise and fall due to much larger, multi-faceted and exceedingly complex societal issues/trends. More severe punishment has been tried many times before and didn’t work. Stop and frisk was tried and wasn’t effective. (It also was found to be unconstitutional.) As for the cause du jour, bail reform, to date there’s no real proof that it’s actually responsible for an increase in crime. Yes, it’s understandable that we search for simple answers that make us feel better, but it’s just not that easy or straightforward–no matter what anyone may read in the NY Post or hear on Fox News.
Your argument contradicts facts. For example, the crimes that have surged in NYC (I.e. – shoplifting) are the very same crimes that have essentially been “de-criminalized”. If there is no penalty for shoplifting, then shoplifting will spike – which it has. Guess what? Make the penalty for shoplifting a month in jail, and I guarantee shoplifting will plummet. And, no, you don’t need Fox News to tell you that.
No. His arguments are deeply rooted in decades of academic and law enforcement studies, data analysis and experience, particularly if you speak with practitioners in the field. WSR comments far too often ape far right and police union rhetoric that seeks to pin blame on THE DEMS THE LIBS THE LEFT, and routinely blows problems out of proportion.
Crime is the number one topic where this happens. Number two is anything that has to do with parking or congestion pricing. Number three is Israel
And I’ve gotta say – the moderators are 100% culpable for shaping discourse.
My argument doesn’t contradict facts, and your made up scenario is incorrect. It’s already been shown that an increase in shoplifting has been occurring nationwide–including in jurisdictions with Republican governors and Republican district attorneys and no diminution whatsoever in enforcement or penalties. The increase is fueled by organized groups who are able to sell the stolen merchandise online (oftentimes through Amazon). The persons doing the actual shoplifting are low level functionaries, the bottom rung in a larger crime operation, and the organized groups are becoming bolder and bolder.
That crime is difficult to diagnose and defies simple solutions is indisputable. There isn’t a criminologist anywhere that says otherwise.
Every single time anyone bought marijuana before it was a crime and it was somewhat dangerous at least. All of that has been eliminated in exchange for a smoke shop getting robbed now and then. Totally worth it.
They have/had one of them in custody and still need help finding the others?
So to be clear, there is illegal activity (robberies) taking place at places conducting illegal activities (illegally selling narcotics). Keep up the good work Mayor Adams and the upper west side you should keep up the good work of overwhelmingly voting for him and Hochel.
Because one has anything to do with the other?
Since when is there so much concern when criminals rob a criminal business. Remember there is no honor among thieves.
The clerks at these shops know that they are working for an illegal business. No different than drug runners. If they would be arrested, the illegal smoke shops would disappear.
While these are “better” than the underground, “better” is relative. Are cocaine , herion and fentanyl stores next?
It is outrageous to pin any blame on the smoke shops.
The blame should be placed 100% on the suspects in the photos – the criminals who violently attacked people and stole products.
I can list plenty of other venues that “attract crime” yet no one is calling for their closure.
What? They’re totally illegal; they should all be shut down! Support legal NY-Grown and tested cannabis products!
These are obviously the same criminals robbing people at knifepoint in Central Park. Shouldn’t take much to figure that out. Packs of 3 to 6, around the same locations. Walking around masked and concealed.