Bodega owners call on the NYPD to protect them from gang activity
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City bodega owners are calling on the NYPD to help them protect their businesses from gang activity.
The plea for help comes just months after a teen boy, Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, was stabbed to death outside a bodega in the Bronx.
Junior would have turned 16 on Sunday.
The owners want proper training for emergency situations.
"We open our stores every morning not knowing what to expect anymore, not knowing if someone will die during our shift. We have nothing to defend ourselves or our patrons in case of a gang attack," said bodega owner & President of United Bodegas of America Radames Rodriguez.
They're calling on the NYPD to install panic buttons in their stores and increase patrols in their neighborhoods. They also asked for training in the use of tasers to stop violent attacks.
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