DETROIT, MI (WXYZ) — In 22 days, 20 Dollar Stores in Detroit have been held up and robbed. Some within minutes of each other.
It’s a terrifying reoccurrence Savannah McKenzie’s siblings are all too familiar with.
"Yeah they had to put all their stuff down and duck and hide out the back door," McKenzie said.
That incident happened a few years ago and unfortunately, Dollar Store robberies aren’t new. They can also be dangerous. In November, a 23-year-old Store Clerk was shot in the leg at a Dollar Store on Detroit's west side store.
"There's a reason they are being targeted. We believe they're soft targets and people are taking advantage of that," Detroit Police Chief James White said.
But Family Dollar disagrees sending a statement saying, "our data does not indicate our stores are soft targets. In addition to our ongoing investments, in-store security, we work with law enforcement to help them identify and apprehend individuals who have committed crimes in our stores."
Dollar store shopper Thomas Rodney says he typically feels safe when he shops at the dollar store.
"Yeah, I feel safe when I shop here but they need to have guards. I always ask where the guards are," Rodney said.
"Regardless of whether or not they have security or whatever they shouldn't be victimized," Chief White said. "But the reality is that's not the case."
