In-N-Out Burger is closing its first and only location in Oakland, California, due to a drastic increase in crime.

“Our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies,” said Denny Warnick, In-N-Out’s chief operating officer, in a statement. (RELATED: America’s ‘Social Justice’ Nightmares Have Only Intensified)

Not only is this increase in crime a problem in Oakland, but it’s affecting citizens across the state.

From 2021 to 2022, “California’s violent crime rate increased by 5.7%,” reports the Public Policy Institute of California. 

Violent crime began to trend upward during COVID, increasing 13.5 percent from 2019 to 2022. Counts of homicides, aggravated assaults, and robberies with the use of a firearm rose the highest.

In-N-Out Pulls Out

According to Warnick, In-N-Out had taken “repeated steps” to ensure customer and employee safety but saw no real change.

The last day of operation for the restaurant will be on March 24th. 

Executives decided to close the store despite the location remaining a “busy and profitable one for the company.”

“Our top priority must be the safety and well-being of our Customers and Associates — we cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment,” the statement read.

Since the announcement, accounts on X have posted videos allegedly showing smash-and-grab robberies occurring in the parking lot of the Oakland location. 

Crime Epidemic

The closure has sparked widespread outrage, with many pointing to lax Democratic policies as the cause of the increase in crime.

In-N-Out is not the first business to close locations in unsafe areas. Violent crime also isn’t only affecting large metropolitan areas —  it’s a national problem.

Huntington Bank recently announced its plan to close a branch in Cleveland, Ohio, in February due to “an increase in crime.”

CVS, Target, and Nike are all also closing locations across the nation, while the stores that remain open have increased security and other safety measures in efforts to prevent theft and other crimes.

Many researchers and businesses are concerned about the “retail violence epidemic” that has come to life during COVID and has only escalated since.

Elyse Apel is the Social Media Coordinator for The American Spectator.

READ MORE from Elyse Apel:

More Women Are Watching Porn Than Ever Before

The Satanic Temple Attempts to Bring Abortion to Pro-Life States