Northeast-based convenience store Wawa announced Thursday that two of its Center City Philadelphia locations will be shutting down due to safety and security concerns.
“We are very sorry we can’t be there for our friends and neighbors at these two locations, but we continue to serve the community from our other nearby stores and our commitment to the greater region remains strong,” Wawa said in a statement, per Fox 29. “Philadelphia is our hometown and that’s something that will never change.”
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Locations at 12th Street and Market Street and 19th Street and Market Street will close, according to the company, which cited “continued safety and security challenges and business factors.”
The timeline of the store closures was not elaborated on.
Recently, a Philadelphia Wawa located at 7001 Roosevelt Blvd was ransacked by 50-100 teenagers.
Despite the large group leaving the store in shambles, no arrests were made. Instead, the officers simply dispersed the crowd.
“Why didn’t they arrest anybody?” anti-violence activist Bilal Qayyum asked the Philadelphia Inquirer. “If you are in the store and literally stealing, you’ve got to be held accountable.”
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As of Oct. 13, Philadelphia has amassed 421 homicides, slightly less than the same time last year, when there were 431. In 2021, the city had a record-high 562 homicides — the most it has ever seen. And now, the city of brotherly love is on track to give that record a run for its money.
This is part of a larger crime surge across the United States. According to the Major Cities Chiefs Association’s Midyear Survey, violent crime spiked more than 4% nationwide in the first half of 2022.
