DC Supermarkets Implement High-Tech Security Gates Amid Crime Surge

Supermarkets across Washington, D.C. have started installing high-tech security gates in an effort to prevent retail theft amid rising crime in the city.

Safeway grocery stores in Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan have installed security gates that open once a customer scans their receipt.

The move comes after one of the Safeways recently experienced an overnight theft in which thieves broke into the ATM to steal the cash and ordered the employees to get on the ground.

Police are allegedly still looking for the suspect involved.

According to Metropolitan Police Department data, Washington, D.C. has surpassed a 20-year record-high in homicides with 274 homicides recorded by the end of the year, while robberies are up 67% from 2022.