Every evening in Seattle, hundreds of people gather outside a Walgreens store—not to shop, but to sell the very goods they have just stolen from inside. The store closes at 8:00 p.m., and by 8:05 an open black market materializes on the sidewalk. Stolen merchandise is neatly laid out in rows, offered at heavily discounted prices to willing buyers.
Retail theft in Seattle has evolved into a full-fledged industry. Theft involving goods worth less than $750 is classified merely as a misdemeanor, and in practice, most police officers neither pursue such cases nor arrest the offenders. The outcome is entirely predictable—organized retail theft operating openly, night after night.
This is not an isolated anecdote or a collection of exaggerated tales. Washington State now records the highest rate of retail theft in the United States—averaging nearly $347 worth of stolen goods per resident. I have witnessed similar illicit markets in Los Angeles’ Skid Row, but Seattle stands apart. In many respects, the city functions like a lawless zone—and in terms of the scale of disorder and the tolerance for it, it has, in some cases, surpassed even Portland.
Walking through downtown Seattle, the sheer number of homeless individuals living along the sidewalks was staggering. Yet even more startling was the sight of a McDonald’s drive-through window completely barricaded with metal grilles—leaving only a narrow opening just sufficient to exchange money and food.
And then there was the Walgreens market—an almost surreal spectacle. The goods were stolen from the store and sold directly across the street from it, in plain sight. Theft and resale, side by side, without fear or consequence.
Read more from English Section: https://inkindianews.com/latest-news-in-english/
External Links: https://www.seattle.gov/police/need-help/property-crimes/online-reporting
Writer’s Bio:
Mann Ji is a US-based NRI with a deep interest in history and global affairs. Writing is his passion, through which he explores power, politics, and the hidden patterns of the past, presenting complex events in a sharp, thought-provoking narrative style.
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