Children's Pressline: Robbers plague bodegas
Owners, clerks and families say danger is ever-present
Tuesday, August 7th 2007, 4:00 AM
At City Hall, concerns about bodega robberies bring together government officials and members of various organizations.
Santos Garcia's safety is a constant concern to his daughter Maxelin, 9. "I feel scared that he'll get robbed and get hurt," she said through tears about her father who is a bodeguero in Jamaica.
In the 16 years Garcia has worked in bodegas he has been robbed six times. Only once were the perpetrators caught by the police.
At their Ozone Park bodega, the Reyes family has an added danger: Their home is above the store. Armed men have robbed their father's store three times. "Two men just came, put a gun to his face, and jumped over the table and stole the money," said his daughter Jennifer, 16.
Anthony Walsh, 10, whose mother, Maria, owns a deli in Ozone Park that has been robbed twice by armed men, said, "She likes it, but I don't feel safe there." Last January, thieves robbed the Walshes' bodega, hitting Anthony's uncle over the head with a gun. In a recent robbery, Anthony's grandmother and cousin were also present. "Anything is better than what my mom is doing right now," said Anthony.
"Running a bodega is not just a regular business," said Jose Fernandez, president of the Bodega Association of the United States. "These people can't work in these conditions, in fear for their lives."
Fernandez and his family are no strangers to violence. "My father and mother were robbed three times at gunpoint," he said.
In a recent press conference, Fernandez, Assemblyman Jose Peralta (D-Queens) and Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens) called on Mayor Bloomberg to make bodega security a priority.
In 2004, Bloomberg created Operation Safe Store (Operacion Tienda Segura), a program designed to install security cameras and other safety measures in bodegas. The pilot program started with 10 stores and was supposed to expand, but never did.
"The mayor needs to live up to his promises," said Peralta, "Bodegas are the lifeline of our community. Their safety is our priority."
Despite these precautions, Jennifer Reyes said that her father's livelihood is still at risk. "I don't even know what anyone can do for their safety because [the robbers] come armed," she said.
Fernandez said "3,000 bodegas are in immediate need of security attention, and are on a waiting list." Bodegas on this list are located in high-crime neighborhoods and have reported numerous robberies.
"One of the people that died on this waiting list was Bolivar Cruz," said Fernandez, referring to the high-profile murder in June that left seven children fatherless. But bodega owners don't feel protected by the police. "I don't think the police officers really made an effort to find the robbers," said Jennifer Reyes of the men who stole from her father. None of the thieves have been caught in the three crimes against the Reyes' bodega.
Even with all the violence against bodegas, the owners still must return to their stores.
"After being robbed I was scared to come back to my job, but I had to go back. I have to support my family," Santos Garcia said.
