SPOKANE, Wash—The owner of Ladder Coffee Roasters, Aaron Rivkin, said on Wednesday that a man came in and stole several items before making his way to the neighboring small business, Fern Plant Shop.
“It’s terrible that we have to get familiarized with this situation in our city,” said Rivkin.
Rivkin told NonStop Local that small businesses are used to seeing their fair share of crime in this area: “It’s unfortunate that these people are just getting away with whatever they want to in our city.”
On Wednesday around 1:30 p.m., he said someone came into the Ladder location on Riverside Avenue, stole the tip jar, iPads, and coffee, and then left.
“It doesn’t feel like we are in a position to be able to do anything about it,” said Rivkin.
He added that this situation isn’t about the monetary loss; it’s much more significant. “The fact that crime is happening in our city is the problem.”
This wasn’t the first time the local business had been hit. Rivkin said they have dealt with four robberies, “once was enough …. that first time felt like a complete violation.”
Andrea Marvin works at Fern Plant Shop, next to Ladder Coffee Roasters. She said the same person made his way into the store and sat on the floor. “It took a hot minute to convince him he had to leave.”
Marvin described the experience as nerve-wracking.
After she asked him to leave, she said it appeared the man was trying to get into two parked cars.
Rivkin said he tried to find him but had no luck. He added that he had called 911, and they had advised him to call Crime Check.
“In the past six years of running this business, when I’ve called Crime Check, no one officer has come out when we’ve called.”
Rivkin said what happened at his business is a microcosm of what is happening in the city, “there’s a lot of work to be done in Spokane for the rehabilitation of the homeless population in the drug population.”
Rivkin added that the employee who was there at the time of the incident is shaken but doing well. He also said they will be doing a safety session following Wednesday’s incident.
