Oh the irony!
Beverly Hills department store bans masks because of rising crime: 'It’s what we have to do to keep the safety of our employees and our assets' One department store in Beverly Hills, California, has recently implemented a new rule: no masks allowed.
Fraser Ross, owner of the Kitson department store located in Beverly Hills, posted signs last Wednesday to inform shoppers that they would not be allowed to wear a mask in the store because of recent spikes in crime.
Ross also issued the following public statement to explain the decision:
At Kitson we prioritize the safety of our staff and customers. We noticed a disturbing trend of individuals wearing masks to avoid identification in various situations including, but not limited to, shoplifting, verbal harassment, and physical assault. The mask mandate may have begun as a health precaution, but we believe it is now being used by some people for nefarious purposes. To that end, we enacted our own mandate of sorts. We do not allow wearing of masks in the Robertson store during regular business hours. Those people who wish to wear masks are free to set up an appointment for a personal shopping experience or visit our website. We also offer curbside pickup.
Ross and other store employees insisted that the move was not motivated by politics or health concerns, but rather by recent instances of violent crime in the area — and in their own store.
NBC4 Los Angeles reported that a Chanel store around the corner from Kitson had been robbed back in July, and CBSLA claimed someone broke into a nearby Neiman Marcus store using a car just a couple weeks ago.
As Ross's statement suggests, Kitson has had its own share of violent criminals, who have allegedly committed "shoplifting, verbal harassment, and physical assault" in the store, all under the relative anonymity of a face mask................
https://www.theblaze.com/news/beverly-hills-department-store-bans-masks-because-of-rising-crime-its-what-we-have-to-do-to-keep-the-safety-of-our-employees-and-our-assets
