(NewsReady.com) – At the end of August, mobs of teenagers wreaked havoc on a mall in Emeryville, California. A city council member went to the shopping center to speak to shopkeepers after the incident, and he, too, became a crime victim.
Councilman Kalimah Priforce spoke to business owners and employees at the Bay Street mall on August 29. He told a local reporter that many stores don’t have the money to hire security guards. Those businesses need panic buttons so they “don’t have to actually pick up the phone [and] call the police dispatch.”
While at the mall, Priforce had to use his own phone to call law enforcement after he noticed he’d been robbed. The council member’s wallet and keys were stolen from his bike bag. CBS Bay News reporter Betty Yu shared a video of the local lawmaker joking that the thieves weren’t going to get much from him because he was living on “a politician’s budget.”
Someone stole councilmember @priforce’s wallet while he was at Bay Street Monday speaking to store owners and workers about safety. @KPIXtv pic.twitter.com/15sBhmvTad
— Betty Yu (@bett_yu) August 30, 2023
The councilman said he was going to reach out to District Attorney Pamela Price to discuss what happened at the mall and hoped they could arrange a town hall.
The mob of teens descended on the mall the day before Priforce’s belongings were stolen. According to reports, the employees at Bath & Body Works locked themselves in a stock room out of fear for their own safety. There were reports of a stabbing and a gun being fired. Ashleigh Wells, the manager of Bath & Body Works, told the local news that workers at the store were afraid. She said they’d “never been in a situation” like that before.
Moviegoers were forced to evacuate movies at the AMC theater, where showings were just $4 because of National Cinema Day. Officers said it started with roughly 50 teenagers and escalated. Video of the incident showed kids running down the road near the mall. It’s not clear if anyone was arrested for their behavior.
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