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**Giant Food President Warns of Rising Theft and Violence in Stores**

Giant Food’s president, Ira Kress, has expressed serious alarm over a significant rise in theft and violence within company stores in the past several years. Theft alone, he said, has increased tenfold in the last five years, while violence has escalated exponentially at the company’s over 160 store locations.

Though no stores have been shut down as a result, Kress emphasizes the urgency to run the establishments safely and profitably. He recalled days when shoplifters would be pursued with little concern for personal safety. He lamented that knives or guns were not a concern four decades ago, but now it is a primary worry in preventing thefts.

Kress blamed the issues on local politicians who remain “ignorant” to the problems plaguing their communities. He described the politicians’ accusations that businesses are responsible for their own decline as “embarrassing.” Giant Food faces risky situations in its locations within Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C, and Delaware.

A tragic incident last year highlights the extent of the problem, as a security guard and a woman exchanged gunshots at a Giant Food store in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The woman had attempted to steal, stuffing merchandise into her backpack, and when faced with the security guard, opened fire. Both individuals, sadly, lost their lives in the confrontation.

**Giant Food seeks urgent solutions amid violence and theft crisis as politicians ignore reality**

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