Philadelphia gas station owner divides city by hiring heavily armed guards

‘We are tired of this nonsense; robbery, drug trafficking, hanging around, gangs’

The owner of a Philadelphia gas station chain hired private security guards with semi-automatic weapons to guard his properties after several cases of burglary, carjackings and vandalism — a move that has divided the residents.

Neil Patel, who operates 22 gas stations around Philadelphia, told local media that he was sick of the crimes being committed in the city and decided to hire security personnel who can now be seen around his gas station in Kevlar vests and semi-automatic guns.

He reasoned that he wanted to keep his customers safe.

He told Fox 29: “They are forcing us to hire the security, high-level security, state level. We are tired of this nonsense; robbery, drug trafficking, hanging around, gangs.”

WTXF-TV reported that Mr Patel hired private security from a group called “PA SITE Agency Security” and that within the last few weeks, the ATM at his store had been burgled twice. He said that vandalism was also common, as were carjackings.

One of the members of PA SITE Agency Security, Andre Boyer, quoting data from FBI and Philadelphia police stations, wrote in a post on Instagram that carjackings at gas stations in Philadelphia are up by more than 300 per cent.

Mr Boyer posted a picture of Mr Patel’s gas station in north Philadelphia with the caption: “Citizens now realise Philadelphia law enforcement and city council leaders as well as the mayor’s office. [sic] Just don’t have a clue or the answers to combat this growing ticking bomb that’s just increasing along with the shootings and homicides in Philadelphia.

“Make no mistake folks, it’s dangerous out here. It’s the wild wild west In Killadelphia.”

“We’re Pennsylvania State Agents and we’re not security,” Mr Boyer told WHYY-FM. “Basically, what we do is security details when the public calls upon us when the police can’t be there.”

“My guards go to training every other week, they’re proficient with [their guns] and with their taser, they know the law,” he was quoted as saying by Fox29.

Residents have divided opinion about the armed guards at the gas stations. Some users praised Mr Patel for taking the step, with one user commenting on Twitter: “Armed guards are the way of the future. Law enforcement and the government cannot be trusted.”

Others sounded the alarm, saying this was “uncomfortable”.

One user wrote: “Of course I’m uncomfortable with it because it got to the point that a business owner was forced to take these measures to protect his customers and store. This is a failure of the Philadelphia PD, the governor @TomWolfPA and the Biden administration.

Mr Patel said: “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.”