Montgomery County police were called to Tobacco & More Mart at 7809 Old Georgetown Road at 5:03 PM on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. A shoplifting incident and a related 2nd-degree assault were reported at the tobacco shop and convenience store. At least six Montgomery County police cruisers responded to the call. Tobacco shops in Bethesda have been increasingly targeted recently by thieves and robbers.
Photos courtesy @MotownMystery
Bethesda's devolving door.
ReplyDeleteI'm coming to believe my initial impressions were correct: these smoke shops pervading the area really are not a welcome addition to the community. It has grown increasingly obvious that some official zoning mods need implementing --fast-- to get these crime magnets barred from Bethesda and forced into limited areas, much as many communities restrict where porn shops or topless bars are allowed to operate.
ReplyDeleteBefore any outraged smokers pipe up with "How dare you equate a tobacco shop with a den of iniquity, sirah," the uncontested fact these smoke shops keep being listed in police reports as crime scenes is sufficient to call for stricter oversight of the businesses. When a product is demonstrated responsible for an inordinate number of accidents or injuries it is recalled from the market until the problem is corrected. Similarly, these businesses are sites of a disproportionate number of crimes, and should be more tightly regulated and zoned to address that problem.
Par for the course.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the post that stated, " these smoke shops pervading the area really are not a welcome addition to the community. It has grown increasingly obvious that some official zoning mods need implementing ... to get these crime magnets barred from Bethesda..."
ReplyDelete6:18 - You ain't lying.
ReplyDeleteThe smoke shops and nike need to go.
ReplyDeleteWhether a crime magnet, or not, Nike's move here from non Redline Georgetown sure looks like a crime statistic inflection point. That corner yesterday had a police cruiser with its lights on, quite a bit of public and personal security and a guy being questioned. We need that kinda attention now, but is a bad but inviting look for many.
ReplyDeleteThe perennial peripatetic prosecutor will pace the perimeter and proudly proclaim:
ReplyDelete"We are not going to lose Bethesda!"
Pretty, pretty good hai ku (sp?)
Delete