San Jose Safeway adds security measures to deter crime

SAN JOSE, Calif (KRON) – In the South Bay, one Safeway store is stepping up security measures after dealing with shoplifters almost every day. 

At the Safeway on Almaden Expressway in San Jose, there is just one way to get in and out of the store. Inside, a security gate is in place, and there is a warning of an alarm if the gate is pushed.

Over at the registers, there are gates at every checkout line. A longer barrier is also in place to guide customers toward the exit.

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Long-time shopper Sandra Benavidez noticed the new changes almost two weeks ago.

"It's definitely an adjustment seeing the new security precautions, but I shop at this store often and I've seen many times people shoplifting here,” she said. 

Shoppers say it is not only homeless people stealing from the store, “regular, everyday people” do it too. Shoppers have noticed people stuffing underneath their shirts and jackets to take them without paying. 

In a statement to KRON4, a spokesperson for Safeway wrote in part :

“Recent changes were made at select Safeway stores in the Bay Area to maintain a safe and welcoming shopping experience for our customers and associates given the increasing amount of theft. Those updates include operational changes to the front end of the stores to deter shoplifting.” 

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In and around the Bay Area and across the country, big box stores have been taking extra security measures for quite some time now, even placing basic items like soap and laundry detergent under lock and key.

Councilmember Pam Foley, who represents this district, supports the new security measures at this Safeway. She says she has been hearing about safety concerns in the area.

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KRON4's 2023 AAPI Heritage Month Special

(KRON) -- KRON4's Will Tran and Stephanie Lin provide a closer look at the Bay Area's rich Asian and Pacific Islander culture with this year's AAPI special.

Learn about a Bruce Lee exhibit at the Chinese Historical Society of America, Oakland's Dokkaebier brewery and more. Watch the whole show using the video player above.

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Majority of Californians think Dianne Feinstein is unfit to serve in Senate: Poll

(KRON) -- U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-San Francisco) previously announced she would not seek reelection in 2024 but said she would finish out her term following an extended absence from the Senate due to health issues. But the majority of Californians don't even think she should finish out her term, according to a poll conducted by the University of California, Berkeley.

Two-thirds of Californians believe Feinstein is unfit to serve on the Senate after returning to work following health issues just last week, according to the poll released Thursday. Many agree that she should resign immediately and allow Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint someone in her place. Sixty-seven percent of respondents blamed the senator's recent health issues, agreeing with the statement, "Feinstein’s latest illness underlines the fact that she is no longer fit to continue serving in the U.S. Senate.”

Democrats and Republicans alike agree that Newsom should appoint a successor for Feinstein, the poll showed.

Democrats and liberals agree that Feinstein should resign at a ratio of about two-to-one while Republicans favor her resignation at about three-to-one, the poll revealed.

While many believe that Newsom appointing a new senator to finish out Feinstein's term (52 percent) "would benefit the state because a successor could better represent California’s interests in the Senate," according to the poll, many also agree that her replacement should be chosen by the voters, not the governor (56 percent). About 21 percent of people said she should be able to finish out her term and 31 percent are undecided.

Additionally, just 29 percent of voters still view Feinstein positively overall, down eight points from February and almost 20 points since her run in 2018, according to the poll.

Doubts surrounding Feinstein seem to stem from calls for her resignation by Bay Area Democratic Representative Ro Khanna as well as New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Conversely, Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton recently defended Feinstein saying she should not resign in an interview with Time.

The poll also asked voters about their 2024 primary election preferences for the position with Republican candidate and attorney Eric Early with 18 percent of the vote, Democratic Congresswoman Katie Porter at 17 percent, Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff at 14 percent and Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee at 9 percent. About 32 percent said they are undecided and 10 percent said they would support someone else, according to the poll.

Read the full poll results here.

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BART introduces anime mascots to try and attract youth riders

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The Bay Area Rapid Transit System has introduced a group of Bay Area-themed anime mascots. The five mascots are part of the transit system's effort to attract riders back, especially younger riders, according to a news release the transit agency put out this week.

The five anime characters are "inspired by BART frontline employees and BART-contracted animals," like "Pac-Man the Harris hawk and the goats that graze BART property," BART said. "Pac-Man" is the name of a Harris hawk the transit system has deployed to scare away pigeons.

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The anime mascots also "contain numerous details highlighting the tight-knit connections between BART and the Bay Area."

The mascots were also inspired by public transportation agencies in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where it's common to use anime mascots to connect with riders. The mascots were chosen from an open call for California-based artists BART put out in the summer of 2022 which received 500 submissions. BART worked with selected artists to conceptualize and create the mascots which are intended as "friendly and approachable avatars," BART said.

BART's anime mascots include:

• "Baylee The GOAT," a "star online influencer" inspired by the goats BART hires to graze the East Bay hills
• "Nimus Bard of BART," a "historian with a hawk companion," inspired by Pac-Man the hawk
• "Jasmine #1 Transit Fan," inspired by BART fans who attended last year's 50th anniversary celebrations
• "Mira the Train Operator," a train operator character inspired by actual BART train operators
• "BARTY," an R2-D2-type character inspired by BART's legacy fleet

The characters are set to make their formal debut this weekend at FanimeCon, an animation convention at McEnery Convention Center in downtown San Jose. BART will have a table at the convention with BART-themed anime merchandise and other items

Whether or not the characters will help attract riders back to BART remains to be seen. Ridership on the system is down about 60% according to the Bay Area Council. A recent poll indicated that rider safety and cleanliness were the two top issues for most BART riders. Most riders polled said that above all, they wanted to see additional police presence on trains and in stations.

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CHP reports fatal accident on eastbound 580 in Livermore

(BCN) -- The California Highway Patrol reported a fatal collision occurred Thursday morning on eastbound Interstate Highway 580 in Livermore.

The collision, which involved two vehicles, occurred at the Springtown Boulevard off-ramp and was first reported at 3:31 a.m., according to the CHP.

The collision closed all eastbound lanes of Interstate Highway 580 at First Street, and a Sig-alert was issued at 3:52 a.m.

One lane of the highway was reported open at 5:13 a.m.

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Community gathers to honor Banko Brown in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Funeral services for Banko Brown, the 24-year=old transgender Black man who was shot and killed by a Walgreens security guard after suspected of shoplifting, will begin at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Third Baptist Church in San Francisco. Organizers expect hundreds--if not thousands--of people from the community to attend potentially causing traffic issues.

Brown and the security guard got into a confrontation inside the store, but Brown was outside the store when he was shot.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said that based on surveillance footage and witnesses, her office has decided not to prosecute the guard, 33-year-old Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony, which has many in the community outraged. Anthony was arrested by the San Francisco Police Department on suspicion of homicide immediately after the killing. Anthony was released from jail days later.

Anthony told police he believed he was in imminent danger because Brown made a “sudden movement,” and that Brown threatened to stab him while they were wrestling inside the store, Jenkins told reporters during a news conference.

When the surveillance footage of the shooting was released, protestors took to the streets calling for justice for Brown.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said he plans to review the case to see if the state can bring charges against the security guard.

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Berkeley auto repair shop burglarized for the second time

BERKELEY, Calif. (KRON) – An East Bay auto repair shop has been burglarized once again. This time the thieves stole four cars from the business' garage, along with expensive tools and money. And it was all caught on camera.

The crime left the shop’s longtime owner feeling uneasy about the future of the business.

“I think at this point these thieves have no fear of anything really because there’s no repercussions or punishment anymore,” co-owner Victor Delgado said.   

Delgado has been helping to run Autometrics of Berkeley for nearly 30 years. The business has been a staple on San Pablo Avenue since the 1970s.  

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He is worried that crime is getting more brazen in Berkeley. It leaves a feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty.

“What happened to us I think is a reflection of I think what’s happening in general in California, maybe in the whole country. I don't know, but it is happening here for sure,” he said.   

Delgado says the first break-in happened in February. The thieves made off with a safe. After some security upgrades, the Autometrics team felt a little more secure, but in the early morning hours of last Thursday, another group of thieves came back.

First, they unsuccessfully tried to ram the auto shop’s steel roll-up doors. But they eventually got in through the front, rolling away with a BMW and three other vehicles.

Video also shows a cabinet of tools being dragged away. Over the course of about three hours, the burglars took what they wanted.

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“Shop equipment, electronics, petty cash, and very expensive tools,” Delgado said. 

Delgado has plans to increase security even more as police are investigating the burglaries. For now, his time is tied up with insurance and customers to answer to.

Back in March, it was reported by Berkeley’s then-interim police chief that Berkeley has one of the highest property crime rates in the region. Crime data from the police department also shows burglaries and, more specifically, cases of stolen vehicles have increased.

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