Taking Matters Into His Own Hands: Philly Gas Station Owner Hires Armed Security Because Of Rampant Crime (Video)

According to Blaze, some business owners say that they are fed up with all the violent crime in the city.

The Philadelphia Police Department reports that there have been 478 murders in Philadelphia this year alone. They also say that the odds of being a victim of violent crime in Philadelphia right now stand at 1 in 34.

Neil Patel, who runs Karco gas station at Broad and Clearfield streets, says he has hired his security force.

December 09, 2022

It remains unclear at this time if some of the backgrounds of the hired guards will impact their ability to work for Patel.

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Patel is the owner of 22 gas stations in the area. He has 12 of them in Philadelphia, according to the Blaze.

December 09, 2022

Fox 29 reports that his gas stations have repeatedly been the target of crime. Many criminals have gone after his stations with acts of vandalism and theft. Even Patel's car was targeted at one point. He also had an ATM stolen from one of his locations.

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WPVI reports that one of Patel's gas stations had a shooting occur this Easter Sunday.

Patel insists that the police don't do anything to protect store owners in the city, which is why he has hired private security guards sporting semi-automatic rifles or shotguns and clad in Kevlar vests.

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Andre Boyer, who goes by the nickname "Chief," is one of the guards that Patel has hired. The Blaze reports that he said the following about the situation:

"We wear Kevlar, we are trained, my guards go to training every other week, they're proficient with [their guns] and with their Taser, they know the law."

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Patel has seen a complete drop in crime in his stores since he hired this force. However, some in the community have expressed concerns about having armed men in the neighborhood.

Patel told Fox29 the following about those concerns:

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"I listen to them, but according to some people, violent people, they carry the guns, they're not afraid of them? This is the protection for the neighborhood and the customers."

Philadelphia-based attorney David Thiruselvam spoke with WPVI and said that while the optics of hiring security forces might not look great for these stores, he insists that they have a responsibility to protect their customers.