San Francisco-style robbery costs Association member $200,000 in Gresham. Video shows it all. The Association declares its support for local police.
GRESHAM – Just as in the brazen retail robberies we have seen in San Francisco, Chicago, and other cities, burglars struck in dramatic fashion at 5:49 this morning by robbing the House of Vape retail store located at 17120 SE Powell Blvd. In Gresham. Video of the robbery, taken by security cameras, can be seen here
According to store owner Sami Hales, over $200,000 of merchandise was stolen after burglars backed their truck through the store’s front door, ran into the store with empty trash containers, and took what they could before speeding away. The Oregon license plate on the truck bore the number 820-BCK. The new store’s alarm system had yet to be certified, so was not fully functional. But, according to Hales, the police did not show up for four hours. During this time, a few individual passers by, seeing the storefront’s wreckage, walked in and took additional merchandise themselves. Video of an example of this can be seen here.
“What happened to my store is similar to what is happening at retail stores across America,” Said Hales. “This is what happens when we do not support our local police, do not deal firmly with criminals, and fail to stand for law and order as a community. What has been happening across Portland is now bleeding over to the rest of us.”
Hales is also the current Vice President of the “21+ Tobacco and Vapor Retail Association of Oregon,” also known as “VAR21.” The Association exists to, among other things, elevate the industry’s level of professionalism and community stature while ensuring legal compliance within the industry and helping member stores become strong commercial citizens with their communities.
“We support local police and concepts of law and order,” said Association Executive Director Richard P. Burke. “In situations where the police are slow to respond, we don’t blame the police themselves. We blame the fact that our officers are stretched too thin, are not provided with the resources they need, are not given the political or legal support they need, and do not have sufficient support from local businesses. As a new Association, we know that police will do what they can. Police officers have our faith, confidence, and support.”
CONTACT:
Richard P. Burke, Association Executive Director
503-970-1876
