South Bay Residents Demand Action After Wave of Smash-and-Grab Robberies
The mayors of several South Bay cities, along with community and business leaders, are calling for increased accountability in the wake of a string of high-profile retail crimes in shops across the region. The latest incident occurred at Macy's Valley Fair, where an 88-year-old store owner was assaulted during a brazen smash-and-grab heist.
The elderly woman's uncle, who owns a jewelry store, suffered a stroke and cuts from broken glass as a result of the attack. He has since become traumatized by the experience, citing that "he will never come back to the store again because of the horror that's still in his head."
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan emphasized the need for tougher laws and stricter enforcement to crack down on such crimes. He stated, "Voters need to feel that criminals are being held responsible. That might be accountability for drug treatment. It may mean sending someone who needs it to a mental health facility for a period of time. It may mean some jail time."
Proposition 36, a law passed by California voters in the November 2024 election, aims to increase penalties for certain drug crimes and thefts. However, critics argue that it is not being implemented effectively due to inadequate funding.
The San Jose police are urging anyone with information about the Macy's incident to come forward. Mahan also emphasized the importance of addressing this issue immediately, stating, "Our job is to deliver outcomes for our communities. Not to give in to what the highly organized interest groups in Sacramento want."
As the community continues to demand action, it remains to be seen whether the government will take concrete steps to address the growing problem of smash-and-grab robberies and ensure public safety.
The mayors of several South Bay cities, along with community and business leaders, are calling for increased accountability in the wake of a string of high-profile retail crimes in shops across the region. The latest incident occurred at Macy's Valley Fair, where an 88-year-old store owner was assaulted during a brazen smash-and-grab heist.
The elderly woman's uncle, who owns a jewelry store, suffered a stroke and cuts from broken glass as a result of the attack. He has since become traumatized by the experience, citing that "he will never come back to the store again because of the horror that's still in his head."
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan emphasized the need for tougher laws and stricter enforcement to crack down on such crimes. He stated, "Voters need to feel that criminals are being held responsible. That might be accountability for drug treatment. It may mean sending someone who needs it to a mental health facility for a period of time. It may mean some jail time."
Proposition 36, a law passed by California voters in the November 2024 election, aims to increase penalties for certain drug crimes and thefts. However, critics argue that it is not being implemented effectively due to inadequate funding.
The San Jose police are urging anyone with information about the Macy's incident to come forward. Mahan also emphasized the importance of addressing this issue immediately, stating, "Our job is to deliver outcomes for our communities. Not to give in to what the highly organized interest groups in Sacramento want."
As the community continues to demand action, it remains to be seen whether the government will take concrete steps to address the growing problem of smash-and-grab robberies and ensure public safety.
Something's off about this whole situation... I mean, an 88-year-old lady getting assaulted during a smash-and-grab? It sounds like a setup to me! 
And what's with all the sudden emphasis on accountability? Sounds like they're trying to distract us from the real issue. What if the mayor is just a pawn in a bigger game? Like, what if this whole "smash-and-grab" thing is just a smokescreen for something more sinister? 
I'm not saying it's definitely that, but you can't just dismiss the coincidence of all these incidents happening at once. It's like they're trying to cover something up... 
community leaders, business owners & even govt should be part of the solution 
come on with this... increased accountability and tougher laws? its just a bunch of smash-and-grabbers trying to get in and out without getting caught lol, we need better security measures than just relying on the cops to catch them ASAP 
. and what's with all these high-profile incidents? makes you wonder if people are even thinking about the store owners who have to deal with this stuff daily... poor guy at the jewelry store can't come back to work because of a traumatic experience 
.
. It's not just about the physical harm, but also the emotional toll it takes on their mental health 
. I think we need more support and resources for our seniors to help them cope with these types of incidents. Maybe we can start by talking to our local leaders about increasing funding for community services that provide emotional support and counseling 
.
i mean, 88 yrs old lady get smashed around by thieves? that's crazy 
. and its not just her uncle who got hurt, lots of small business owners are losing their livelihoods cuz of these robberies. they need some serious help from the authorities & gov... like, we cant have ppl just doing whatever they want! 
but at the same time, i feel for the lady's uncle, he must be traumatized 