Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
$1 million pilot promotes bodega safety in the Bronx, Manhattan
By
Catalina Gonella
Published May 15, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock
By
Catalina Gonella
Published May 15, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A new program is funding security measures at various Bronx and upper Manhattan bodegas in hopes of addressing safety concerns.
The Small Business Security Initiative, funded by the Bronx Community Foundation, will distribute $1 million to bodegas in Harlem, Washington Heights and the Bronx.
“This is really, I think, stepping up to support them because bodegas are such anchors in the community that keeping the bodegas safe means keeping communities safe,” said Assemblymember Amanda Septimo when speaking with Gothamist on Monday.
Septimo, who rolled out the initiative on Monday, said the funds will help bodegas cover the upfront costs of installing security equipment — like panic buttons and high resolution security cameras. The amount of money allocated to each bodega will vary depending on their needs, but is estimated to average around $3,000, Septimo said.
From there, owners would be responsible for paying for monthly costs of those systems, the lawmaker said.
This year to date, citywide robberies are down 2.4% when compared to the same time last year. Burglaries are down 8%, according to NYPD data. But in response to a Gothamist survey in partnership with the Bodega and Small Business Group, around half of the six bodega owners involved said they felt like crime had worsened recently.
“This small business security initiative is essential because it comes to serve small businesses during a time when bodegueros are victims of crime and lack of consequences around the city,” said Francisco Marte, president and founder of the Bodega and Small Business Association, one of the partners of the program.
Several bodega owners mentioned seeing headlines detailing various crime incidents in the news and feeling afraid despite not personally dealing with crime themselves. All six said they worry constantly about being victims of a crime, and store owners and staff said shoplifting had risen dramatically.
“This is about them having peace of mind, but it's also about their workers feeling safe, about members of our community being able to walk into these bodegas and not worry that something's going to happen while they're there,” Septimo said.
Septimo said the program was modeled after a state program that provided funding for security to protect nonprofits from hate crimes. She said she hopes the Small Business Security initiative can act as a pilot, and that a similar program can be folded into the state budget in the future.
The application will open on June 1 through the Septimo’s district office or the Bronx Community Foundation, and will be made available online until funds are exhausted.
Editor’s note: Francisco Marte collaborated with Gothamist on another story titled, “Why bacon, egg and cheese prices have doubled and more convos in Bronx bodegas.”
Tagged
new york city
public safety
Catalina Gonella
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Police searching for student they say brought a gun to Brooklyn high school
The incident happened just a few days before public schools begin on Sept. 10.
By
Walter Wuthmann
Published Sep 5, 2026
Acclaimed NJ distillery is leaving for NY, as the Garden State industry pleads for reform
All Points West Distillery in Newark says a planned move to the Hudson Valley is unavoidable due to regulations strangling the industry.
By
Michael Sol Warren
News
Acclaimed NJ distillery is leaving for NY, as the Garden State industry pleads for reform
All Points West Distillery in Newark says a planned move to the Hudson Valley is unavoidable due to regulations strangling the industry.
By
Michael Sol Warren
Why NY judges oppose bill to make safety top priority in child custody battles
By
Jimmy Vielkind
Federal court dismisses Trump DOJ’s lawsuit over ICE activity in NJ
By
Giulia Heyward
Did violence in Times Square and on the Brooklyn Bridge change how people feel about NYC?
By
Willow Higgins
and
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .