Many small businesses are being forced to go “cashless” after a string of robberies that have left them with thousands of dollars swiped by criminals.
Santa Fe’s Rowley Farmhouse Ales was robbed on November 8 of over $2,000 and a safe that costs about $1,000.
“They ripped out our safe and about two grand. Plus the safe cost about a grand,” co-owner Jeffrey Kaplan told the Santa Fe New Mexican. This was the second time the establishment has been robbed, the first robbery also netting the criminals about $2,000. Now, the taproom is forced to go cashless.
The criminals know restaurants have money,” Kaplan said, adding, “We said, ‘Let’s make this less of a target.’ ”
Albuquerque’s Burritos Alinstante restaurants are also cashless now due to crime.
The New Mexican reported, “The reason? Too many robberies where people with guns and wrenches and other weapons or tools came into the restaurants threatening employees and demanding cash,” according to Mary Ellen Chavez, who runs the restaurant chain.
“We had been robbed six or seven times in one of our stores in a very short period of time — six or eight weeks — and my employees were terrified,” Chavez said. “We were trying to figure out how to keep them safe and keep them going [to work]. And our solution helped everyone in that location feel a whole lot better.”
The move results in restaurants and other establishments having to pay three to four percent per transaction to credit card companies. But according to Chavez, after the implementation of the cashless policy, there haven’t been any burglaries as of yet.
Carol Wight of the New Mexico Restaurant Association told the New Mexican that restaurants “are very concerned for their employees and staff, and they don’t want them handling cash and being vulnerable to burglaries,” adding, “We’ve had people held up and shot at gunpoint in restaurants. … You put somebody at risk every time you take money out of the safe and send it to the bank; you put them at risk just by having it on the premises.”
New Mexico has the second-highest violent crime rate in the entire nation, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s statistics. In 2021, for every 100,000 New Mexicans, law enforcement reported 2,189 crimes against persons or affecting 2.92% of the population. The only state with worse overall crime was Arkansas, with 2,276 crimes per 100,000 people.
Just wait until you have your programmable currency in pocket. Oh boy 😱
Or they place a chip in your finger to pay** One down 9 to go! Laughable if it weren’t so true.
yes labguy, fueled by your social credit score. this is all planned and the people have no clue they are being funneled into the pitcher plant of the nwo.
Robberies go hand in hand with poverty. Let’s attack the poverty issue.
Robberies go hand in hand with blue states. Let’s turn blue states red.
Robberies go hand-in-hand with robbers.
No, they are a direct result of lawlessness!
Let’s go for it!
Poverty not the problem. It’s been attacked how many times in NM?? Enforcement of the law and self protection are much more of a deterrent anyday.
So are you implying that poor people do not have an understanding of our state’s laws? Are you saying poor people are not educated properly to grasp our state’s law.
You made a broad and general statement. Criminals are criminals no matter the income level. I think if our laws were fully enforced the crime rate and lawlessness would take a dramatic decrease.
The problems in lawlessness in this state is directly attributed to one political party that has been in control for almost 100 years.
So please stop blaming folks who live in poverty, singles, families and certainly our seniors do not deserve this type of labeling; poverty equates to higher crime rates.
Thank you.
I agree. This state needs to enforce the laws now on the books.
Too many liberal judges let juveniles go with essentially a slap on the wrist.
Actually, robberies go hand-in-hand with prosecutors failing to prosecute, judges failing to convict and, unfortunately, law enforcement apathy as a result of far-left policies. Robberies are not committed to buy food and clothing… they are usually done to purchase drugs and other illicit items.
I believe that the marijuana sales have increased the issues in NM the use has increased their bravery to commit crimes ,so sad NM has gone to HELL !!!!!!!!
judith that is not true. robbery comes from not having proper parents and a society that is moral. allowing the state to raise children for 5 generations has been a disaster as planned by the communist manifesto.
More and more people are being forced to leave New Mexico.
The whole country is in dire straits thanks to the Democratic party !!!
New Mexico Blue
Also makes me feel blue. Wish the high rate of crime would go down.
It appears since the CJustice system is letting the criminals go if they even get caught, right now, crime does pay for the criminals. So they are emboldened right now.
Aaaand the border situation comes home to roost. Interesting how there is no coverage of this problem, at least here in NM, where it could do some good! People don’t know because they aren’t told! I hope all the lefties-elect are ready to do…as little as possible, because it doesn’t directly affect them. I hope it does slap each and every one of them (figuratively) upside the head. This is their fault.
It warms my heart to see the Santa Fe Ring is still ruling our state. Their JustUs system refuses to prosecute the thugs who happen to get caught and the same JustUs “prosecuters” refuse to even look at the liars, thieves, embezzlers, grifters and pedophiles who infest out government. But after stealing the election these crooks are drooling at the prospect of raising our taxes to pay for their Imperial lifestyle.
Our “leaders” have created a system that clothes rascals in robes and the honest people in rags
If I had a business in Santa Fe
Or
Albuquerque
I would move south to a conservative Republican area
This government will not change sadly
I would take control
Leave the criminal homeless low police moral and low paid unprotected areas
Let them have their crime infested cities
PAUL HOYLEN said
“Robberies go hand in hand with blue states. Let’s turn blue states red.” We’ve keep trying, but either the Dems are cheating, or people here are just to ignorant to figure out what is in their own best interest.
I’ve come to realize NM is a lost cause. At this point there is no fixing what ails this state. The corrupted Democrat party and the Sinaloan Cartel own NM. The stupidity and ignorance is deeply ingrained. We are last in education because far to many here are educated by KOAT TV, or what I call BTU, Boob Tube University. Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Las Vegas and Santa Fe have all become sh!tholes. And even among the conservatives there is no unity. I’m a native here but I’ve seen enough. There is writing upon the walls and I have read it. We are leaving this God forsaken state. Hasta La Vista baby. Adios
I agree Sancho.
Look at the big picture, The agenda is to drive us into a centralized digital currency, the elite of the world have been grooming us with this concept by issuing debit cards.
👍yep, you are right
The blue rule everything in Santa Fe and outskirts… look at all the white Millionaires that flood the town. Look at the prices of houses in Las Campanas and Hyde Park.. multi-million dollar houses. Look at all the millionaires there are here research it.They don’t work in Santa Fe and contribute. I frequently service Marketstreet and it’s ridiculous all the out of state plates I see. Mercedes’, BMW, Lexus… rolling around with Prada bags.. Clearing the shelves with pricey stuff. These people aren’t affected by inflation and they sure as hell don’t care about rising crime because that doesn’t happen in there neighborhoods…