In December, the Vine City Walmart, in Atlanta, Georgia, closed down due to what is believed to have been arson.
Now, it has been publicly stated that the store will open again in May 2024 and will have an Atlanta Police Department substation. This will be the first Walmart Neighborhood Market to have a police substation.
“After talking with Merchants Association on MLK and Clark Atlanta University students and other people in the neighborhood, folks were saying that they want to see more police presence. The goal is to keep people safe, but also to make sure shrinkage–the loss of inventory from theft or damage–does not hurt Walmart’s bottom line so “they don’t want to stay here anymore,” stated Andre Dickens, mayor of Atlanta.
It was noted that the substation won’t have officers inside at all times but will be a place for them to file paperwork, attend meetings, and charge their cell phones and body cameras.
