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Washington officials seeking worker safety solutions after string of robberies

KING 5 reached out to lawmakers and leaders to see whether any efforts are underway to provide support for retail and convenience store worker safety.

WASHINGTON, USA — Multiple convenience store locations were hit by armed robberies from Monday night into Tuesday morning, the latest in a series of overnight crimes on 24-hour stores. 

The problem has left store owners frustrated, joining business owners dealing with organized retail theft. Some federal and state lawmakers and local leaders are hopeful that investments in overall public safety measures will help to address these issues, while many continue to search for other solutions to target worker safety specifically.

Legal protections for workers statewide 

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries says violence in the workplace is a "major contributor to occupational fatalities and injuries," and that its Late Night Retail Worker Crime Prevention standard has made some headway, but that the scope was limited to a select group of businesses. The department says research shows a number of factors contribute to the higher chance of violence in the workplace, and several policies require employers to "provide and use safety devices, safeguards, and use work practices, methods, processes and means that are reasonably adequate to make your workplace safe."

Federal funding 

On a federal level, a spokesperson for Senator Patty Murray's office says that she has specifically spoken out against reports of labor violations at dollar stores, asking for accountability among company leaders. According to her office, she also fought to secure more funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which ensures employers provide safe workplaces and is working to obtain other public safety funding through a variety of sources.

“Crime is a serious issue, and we need to be tackling it at every level of government in every way we can—whether that’s addressing gun violence, investing in mental health and substance use disorder programs, or supporting local law enforcement and community crime intervention initiatives," Senator Murray said in a statement to KING 5.

She also noted pushing to pass the SAFE Banking Act to assist legal cannabis businesses so they are not forced to operate only in cash.

City of Seattle

In a response to a request for comment by city councilmembers, Councilmember Sara Nelson released a statement saying that "public safety is the City’s core responsibility so when it comes to worker safety, I’m focused on holding ourselves – elected leadership – accountable for keeping everyone safe." 

Nelson said, "That means accelerating recruitment efforts so that we have an adequately staffed police department to reduce retail theft and better address issues like substance use disorder which is contributing to increased crime." She went on to write, "I also support helping businesses invest in crime prevention measures such as improved external lighting and security infrastructure. In other words, the burden falls first on us."

The city of Seattle says downtown business owners also pay for some of their own safety services, in a sense, through the "Metropolitan Improvement District" fund, with employers paying rates to fund the Downtown Seattle Association SafeWalk.

Organized retail crime proposal 

In regards to overall retail crime, Rep. Dan Griffey (R-Allen) has previously pushed and plans to re-introduce a bill that would expand the definition of theft to make it a crime as soon as someone takes and conceals an item into a pocket or otherwise.

"There's an emboldened understanding that if I get out the door or I run fast enough because law enforcement can't pursue them, they're just gonna get away with the crime," Rep. Griffey said. "It's not a victimless crime. These emboldened activities are injuring the people that work at our retail establishments, and it's raising the costs of goods and services for each and every Washingtonian."

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