Ritchie Torres proposes legislation to enhance bodega security against violent crime

U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres wants to protect bodegas from criminals. 

On Tuesday, July 30, Torres introduced the Bodega Owner Defense Enhancement Grant Assistance Act — Get it? —  which would help provide bodegas with panic buttons and surveillance equipment in an attempt to discourge violent crime. 

A bodega, as defined by the city department of health, is a food store with no more than two cash registers, mostly sells food, like candy and meat, and sells milk. 

The legislation would be an amendment to a 1968 act aimed at reducing crime and increasing law enforcement and criminal justice system responses. 

Torres said his legislation is based, in part, on his experience with what is currently happening in the Bronx. 

“There’s an epidemic of violence against bodegas that has been largely ignored,” Torres said. “Bodegas have long been targets for violent crime.” 

Torres said part of the reason bodegas are often targets for these crimes is they are open late, sometimes 24 hours, and are sometimes located in dangerous neighborhoods. 

Money for the security equipment would come out of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, established in 2005, which funds areas like law enforcement, prevention and education, mental health programs, and the improvement of technology. 

Last year, the assistance grant funded reform efforts that included combating hate crimes, community based violence intervention and strategies to reduce crime and violence.

Torres’ proposed legislation falls directly in line with previous projects the grant has funded. He said his push for the legislation spins from the 2018 murder of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, who was initially attacked inside of a bodega before he was dragged outside and killed.

Radhames Rodriguez, president of the United Bodegas of America, endorsed Torres’ legislation.

“Bodegas can have access to funds, which protect businesses and our communities,” Rodriquez said. 

While bodegas that currently have their own surveillance equipment and panic buttons would not be reimbursed for their existing equipment, Torres said he felt it was important for this legislation to have federal backing. He said he is hoping for bipartisan support on this act, as Republicans often say they are in favor of small businesses and this legislation makes available the opportunity to support some of the smallest small businesses the city has to offer. 

The funding for the proposed law would come from the federal justice department, which would ultimately determine how it will be distributed.

A timeline on the legislation is unclear, as the House is currently in recess, but Torres said he plans to lobby his colleagues upon their return in the fall.

With the definition bodegas have as places that sell food and milk, they are often essential stores in communities. Some neighborhoods throughout the city, and specifically the Bronx, have been labeled food deserts, or areas where purchasing affordable and fresh food is difficult, and there is a lack of supermarkets.

That is where bodegas come in handy for the essentials. 

Bodegas fill the gaps between supermarkets, with programs like New York City Healthy Bodegas Initiatives, which began in 2006, attempting to keep bodegas stocked with healthy food options. The stores that participate in the city health initiative are required to stock fresh fruits, vegetables, grain products, low-fat and fat-free milk and prominently displayed nutritious food, as well as use the correct labeling of healthy food items.

There’s another, demographic reason Torres wants to protect bodegas.

“Violence against bodegas has disproportionately impacted Black and brown communities,” he said. 

Bodegas have always been a staple for Black and brown communities. The term bodega originally comes from Spain, meaning wine cellar, but in Cuba the word refers to a convenience store. In New York, the first bodegas popped up in the 1920s and, after World War II, the stores began to service Puerto Rican factory workers, selling them comfort food. 

Though bodegas started small in the annals of New York history, they still serve as the backbone of many communities, offering food essentials into the early hours of the morning and appearing on nearly every other corner throughout the city.