BREAKING NEWS – San Francisco, California – A generations-old hardware store in California has been forced to go above and beyond to protect its shoppers as the state’s crime wave continues to rise.

Fredericksen Hardware & Paint, a long-standing shopfront in the Cow Hollow-Marina area of San Francisco, will now provide shoppers with a staff member to escort them through the shop.

“We really weren’t given a choice. I mean, we have to keep our employees safe and our customers safe. When they’re coming in to do snatch and grabs, that was the final, final straw,” stated store manager Sam Black.

“This is not right!” stated Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “If a person comes in the store, looking for duct tape, rope, and a shovel, following the customer around is only adding unnecessary stress, if he or she is struggling on where to hide the bodies!”