(DCNF)—A Washington, D.C., lawmaker unveiled legislation Monday aiming to shield small businesses from rampant theft.
D.C. Councilwoman Christina Henderson introduced the bill, which would exempt Class C and D alcohol license holders from having to accept cash at their stores in a bid to reduce robberies. Property crime has exploded in D.C. in recent years, with robberies up 67% from 2022 to 2023, burglaries up 4% and other thefts up 23% over the same time frame, according to city data.
“Many businesses, particularly those that sell alcohol, are concerned for their employees’ safety and have shared multiple stories about successful and attempted robberies and burglaries,” Henderson said in a statement announcing the legislation. “Businesses that are cashless are not at risk of robbery in the same way as businesses with cash on hand.”
Class C licenses are held by “restaurants, hotels, taverns, nightclubs, and other entertainment venues” and class D licenses cover the same venues but restrict the sale of liquor, according to the bill. In 2020, D.C. passed a law that went into effect in 2023 prohibiting businesses from not accepting cash, with D.C. City Council Chairman Phil Mendelson saying the bill was about “equity” according to the Washingtonian.
Arrests in D.C. have plummeted, with robbery arrests down 40% from 2019 to 2023 and theft arrests down 49%, according to a Manhattan Institute study in August. Meanwhile, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is struggling to maintain its manpower, with the number of sworn officers declining to a half-century low, according to the study.
In March, D.C. passed a crime bill that increased penalties for theft, expanded pretrial detention for violent offenders and established “drug-free zones” across the city, according to Axios. However, D.C. has a history of passing anti-police legislation, including a 2022 bill blocked by the U.S. senate that would have placed more restrictions on MPD officers’ detainment protocols in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
The city has seen a 15% decrease in property crime generally so far in 2024, according to city data. Robbery is also trending downward so far in the year as well as violent crime.
Henderson’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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Why One Survival Food Company Shines Above the Rest
Let’s be real. “Prepper Food” or “Survival Food” is generally awful. The vast majority of companies that push their cans, bags, or buckets desperately hope that their customers never try them and stick them in the closet or pantry instead. Why? Because if the first time they try them is after the crap hits the fan, they’ll be too shaken to call and complain about the quality.
It’s true. Most long-term storage food is made with the cheapest possible ingredients with limited taste and even less nutritional value. This is why they tout calories so much. Sure, they provide calories but does anyone really want to go into the apocalypse with food their family can’t stand?
This is what prompted the Llewellyns to launch Heaven’s Harvest. They bought survival food from multiple companies and determined they couldn’t imagine being stuck in an extended emergency with such low-quality food. They quickly discovered that freeze drying food for long-term storage doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor, consistency, or nutrition.
Their ingredients are all-American. In fact, they’re locally sourced and all-natural! This allows their products to be the highest quality on the market, so good that their customers often break open a bag in a pinch to eat because they want to, not just because they have to due to an emergency.
At Heaven’s Harvest, their only focus is amazing food. They don’t sell bugout bags, solar chargers, or multitools. They have one mission – feeding Americans in times of crisis.
What they DO offer is the ability for people to thrive in times of greatest need. On top of long-term storage food, they offer seeds to help Americans for the truly long-term. They want them to grow their own food if possible which is why they offer only Heirloom, Non-GMO, Non-Hybrid, Open-Pollinated seeds so their customers can build permanent food security on their own property.
