California Rite Aid Locks Up Nearly Every Item, Including Cereal And Candy As Shoplifting Skyrockets

Stores are turning to more drastic measures to preserve inventory as shoplifting increases.

One Rite Aid store on Long Beach Boulevard in Compton, California, has opted to fight the shoplifting epidemic by installing locked glass cases for almost every item for sale in the store. Effectively, almost all items would require the assistance of a store employee to purchase.

The changes have perturbed many of the store's customers, who cite the increased inconvenience of making a purchase at the store caused by its heightened safety measures. Some have noted that even inexpensive items, such as candy and cereal, have been placed behind glass.

"It feels weird when you walk in there. Really uncomfortable." Eduardo Ramirez, a customer of the Compton Rite Aid store, told Eyewitness News. "The only thing that's not locked up is the drinks, but that's it. Everything else is locked up."

"Now I've got to press the button and wait about 10 minutes to seven minutes for them to come and help me, and they come moody," said frequent customer Roy Barocio of Lynwood.

The increase of shoplifting has not only encouraged additional security measures from store owners, but also additional legislation and policy from both lawmakers and law enforcement. California Gov. Gavin Newsome signed a bill which would attach harsher punishments to smash-and-grab robberies and penalize bigger theft schemes.

"California already has some of the strictest retail and property crime laws in the nation - and we have made them even stronger with our recent legislation," said Newsome in a statement. "We can be tough on crime while also being smart on crime - we don't need to go back to broken policies of the last century."