Convenience store workers try to be safe

The Enterprise of Brockton, Mass.
www.enterprisenews.com
Maria Papadopoulos
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
RAYNHAM For weeks, Paul Prakash couldnt get out of his mind the image of the daytime robber pointing a rifle to his chest.
Prakash, a clerk at the Stop n Save convenience store on Route 44 in Raynham, stood at the register when a female robber armed with a rifle walked into the store earlier this year demanding money.

I thought that day, Today is my last day, said Prakash, 40.

He is among the local store clerks who are being extra careful on the job as armed robbers strike more convenience stores, gasoline stations and fast-food restaurants.

Some authorities say drug addiction is fueling a surge in holdups across the region, while at least one store manager pointed to the economy as a reason for the spike in robberies.

Store clerks like Prakash are keeping one eye on the register and customers and another on store mirrors and video surveillance cameras showing pedestrian and motor vehicle activity around the store.

You just have to be more vigilant because, you know, people are all hurting, said Brian Oliver, manager at Tri-Town Variety off Plain Street in West Bridgewater who cited the economic crisis as a factor in the increased robberies.

Theyre coming in here, I notice people are buying cigarettes more with change and quarters, said Oliver, 48.

Located in a residential area in West Bridgewater, the small convenience store relies on interior and exterior surveillance cameras for protection, Oliver said. The store has other security features that Oliver declined to talk about.

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