(StraightNews.org) — Walmart has announced it is to close all of its stores in Portland, Oregon, for financial reasons, only months after claiming that “theft is an issue.” The company said it is still performing well across the United States, but its outlets in Portland will close because their sales are not as healthy as expected. In December, CEO Doug McMillon said, “Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been – prices will be higher and/or stores will close if authorities don’t crack down on prosecuting shoplifting crimes.”
Businesses in the left-wing city have been under increasing strain due to high levels of law-breaking. Last November, the owner of a clothing store Marcy Landolfo closed her business and left a note on the door as she departed. The note stated that she had suffered 15 break-ins within a year and a half and was not able to keep going. “We have no protection, or recourse, against the criminal behavior that goes unpunished,” Landolfo wrote, before adding, “Our city is in peril.”
Portland’s crime rates have exploded over the past few years, and the city is a focal point for extreme left activism and politics. Over the past 3 years, homelessness figures have shot up from 4,000 to 6,600, while homicides have almost tripled from 36 in 2019 to 97 in 2022. Vehicle theft had risen from 6,500 to 11,000 during the same period. The city was the scene of notorious protests at the height of the Black Lives Matter campaigns in 2020 which prompted President Trump to send in federal troops. While the city’s Mayor Ted Wheeler sided with the protestors, he was still subjected to violent threats when he refused to reduce sufficient levels of funding to the police. However, the city commissioners did cut $15 million from the law enforcement budget and disbanded the Gun Violence Reduction Team. The result was a crime eruption and record numbers of homicides and shootings.
Copyright 2023, StraightNews.org
