An early morning robbery at a Brooklyn bodega has reignited calls for panic buttons in small businesses. The latest robbery, which was captured on surveillance footage, involved four masked men who posed as members of the New York Police Department.
The perpetrators barged into the store, assaulted employees, and fled with cash and lottery tickets, according to a report. The incident occurred shortly after 8 a.m. along Marcus Garvey Boulevard and Willoughby Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant on Sunday. The video of the incident has since been released to the public, showing the robbers dressed in jackets and hats bearing NYPD insignia.
The footage, which is over a minute long, begins with one of the suspects pushing a man wearing a blue cap before passing him to his assailant. Another suspect runs towards what appears to be the rear of the store.
Not long after, another victim, who is seemingly a worker, is tackled to the ground by a suspect while a different perpetrator makes off with a big plastic bag. A separate worker gets assaulted as he is thrown to the ground and then hauled to another section of the store.
At least one of the suspects was armed with a handgun, which was caught on camera. USA Crime reported that the suspects escaped with an undisclosed sum of money and a bag stuffed with lottery tickets.
The impersonation of law enforcement personnel has triggered a full-scale investigation by NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau.
There has been a string of crimes in the area, particularly robberies involving businesses. This has become a concerning issue for business owners. There has been a renewed cry for panic buttons following the robbery.
Fernando Mateo, spokesperson for the United Bodegas of America (UBA), called the latest incident the “frosting on the cake.” During a press conference, He highlighted New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s $5 million tax credit initiative, which will help small businesses invest in security enhancements.
Mike Alcazar, a retired NYPD detective, also raised concerns about how easily the suspects obtained NYPD gear. He expressed that uniform equipment stores are not allowed to sell such uniforms. They are only authorised to sell the gear if they are NYPD or corrections.
