Businesses In Philadelphia Area Begin Boarding Up Storefronts Ahead Of Derek Chauvin Verdict
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Police in the Philadelphia region say there is no known threat of rioting but officers are still urging businesses to protect their exteriors ahead of a verdict in Derek Chauvin's trial. The boards are back up. That includes a Verizon store in South Philadelphia, businesses in North Philly and even places outside the city are adding additional protection, like shops along 69th Street in Upper Darby.
"The advice to businesses is to secure their more valuable inventory. Maybe consider shifting some of that valuable inventory off, making sure their insurance protects them in case of an incident and also to secure their storefronts," West Philadelphia Corridor Collaborative President Jabari Jones said.
But at a Walmart store in Port Richmond, which was also badly hit by looters in October and only recently reopened, there are no boards. Still, it has cameras in the parking lot and security personnel outside.
In Atlantic City, the mayor says businesses have for the most part not boarded up like they did in October and in May when looters ransacked stores. Still, Atlantic City police have a safety plan in place.
"I trust the fine men and women in blue of the Atlantic City Police Department under the leadership of Chief Sarkos. We have been briefed on any possibilities. So far, we are not aware of any intel of Atlantic City," Jones said.
Meantime over in the first state, the Wilmington Police Department sent CBS3 a statement reading, "similar to our partner agencies throughout the region, our department will remain vigilant for any incidents that may arise, and to ensure we mobilize resources as necessary."
Police want to remind people if they see something suspicious to report it.
