According to a Fox News report, a Home Depot in a New York City suburb has employed security guards to prevent aggressive migrants from harassing shoppers and to stop thieves from breaking into cars.
Security Deployment at New Rochelle
The New York Post reported on Tuesday that two security personnel wearing MSA Security caps and bulletproof vests, accompanied by a German shepherd, were observed monitoring a store's parking lot in New Rochelle.
Series of Alarming Situations at The Home Depot
One guard explained that the company was contracted a few weeks ago, emphasizing it is more about omnipresence, clarifying, "It's not like we let them go bite anyone or anything." The company was hired not solely due to migrants but was influenced by several factors, including car break-ins.
While the guards patrolled the parking lot, it was calm, with no migrants seen loitering. However, the newspaper noted that at another Home Depot just seven miles away in the Bronx, more than two dozen migrants were observed hanging around outside the store.
A worker described instances where women, upon exiting alone, find themselves approached for assistance, which can be unsettling when followed to their cars. Additionally, a female supervisor observed a man washing his privates with a water bottle in the lot. At the same time, several women have lodged complaints with customer service about migrants stealing their purses or phones. She has noticed a rise in the number of individuals soliciting in the lot as the migrant population in New York City expands.
According to customers at the Bronx store, some migrants are day laborers seeking work, while others approach customers to sell items like bootleg Apple Airpods. In contrast, others follow customers and attempt to remove items from their carts to assist with loading into cars, hoping for a tip.
Raising The Flag for Help
One customer recounted how she had to resort to using pepper spray when a migrant persisted even after her husband informed him they did not require assistance. After contacting Home Depot's Atlanta headquarters to voice her concerns, she expressed feeling dismissed, with a regional manager informing her of plans to introduce security dogs to two Bronx stores.
LaurieAnn Masciocco, a member of the store's customer service team, noted that customers frequently express frustration with the influx of migrants. She described instances of migrants invading personal space, touching belongings, and engaging in harassment. She acknowledged their need to earn money but emphasized the problem when their behavior becomes aggressive and harassing. Masciocco also mentioned that her husband encountered similar issues at the Pelham Gardens location in The Bronx earlier this month, where he got mobbed, too.
The Unfair Implications for Migrant Laborers
A man, who identified himself as a migrant from Senegal, claimed that he could earn up to $300 a day by charging $10 to assist shoppers with pushing carts and loading items into their cars.
A 52-year-old Mexican national, Jimeno, who has lived in The Bronx for 20 years, was at the Throggs Neck store looking for construction jobs or offering assistance with projects. Jimeno noted that recent arrivals aggressively seeking tips have made it harder for day laborers to find work. He expressed that this situation greatly affects them because people are now reluctant to communicate with them out of fear, often confusing them with others.
