The small business owner, Ryan Baggaley, woke up to a nightmare on Wednesday morning as he received a notification from his Ring security system alerting him of a break-in at his construction and electrical company in Los Angeles. Baggaley rushed to his business, Delta Construction and Electric Co., only to find that at least 10 thieves had smashed through his gate and stolen thousands of dollars worth of equipment and tools.
During an interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles, Baggaley expressed his frustration and anger towards the Democrats he had voted for, including L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and President Joe Biden. He questioned their failure to protect small business owners like himself from the increasing number of break-ins in the city.
“What are we supposed to do? We’re a small construction company. This whole strip has been broken into, our neighbors have been broken into four times, these guys just got broken into two months ago,” Baggaley exclaimed, while pointing to the neighboring businesses. “I’m sick of it. At some point, you have to give me a reason to vote for you again.”
Baggaley’s frustrations are echoed by many business owners and residents in Los Angeles, who have seen a rise in organized thefts carried out by large groups of thieves. In response, the city launched a task force in August dedicated to combatting retail thefts and robberies. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass called these incidents “unacceptable” and assured that the perpetrators will be held accountable.
Another brazen break-in caught on camera. Another L.A. business owner fed up:
“I voted for Karen Bass. I voted for Biden. I voted for Gavin Newsom. I’m sick of it. At some point you have to give me a reason to vote for you again.”@FOXLA pic.twitter.com/EKGtDE5rb6
— MarlaTellez (@MarlaTellez) December 7, 2023
However, the recent break-in at Delta Construction and Electric Co. highlights the failure of this task force and the lack of police response in such situations. According to Baggaley, it took the police two hours to arrive at the scene, despite his repeated calls for help.
“We’re like, ‘Now it’s been 15 minutes, then it’s 20 minutes and they’re not here’…they didn’t respond for two hours,” Baggaley shared in an interview with KTLA 5.
The surveillance footage from Baggaley’s business captured the thieves using a stolen car from an LAPD impound yard to break through his gate and ransack the building. The thieves made off with anything they could get their hands on, including music equipment Baggaley and his brother had stored there.
As a small business owner, Baggaley’s livelihood has been impacted by the break-in. Not only has he lost valuable equipment, but the damage caused to his business will also take time and resources to repair. Baggaley’s disappointment and frustration towards the police and government officials are palpable as he struggles to understand how these incidents continue to occur.
In the face of these challenges, Baggaley remains determined to rebuild his business and continue providing for his employees. But his experience and sentiments serve as a warning for other small business owners in Los Angeles and a call for action from city officials. It is clear that more needs to be done to protect and support those who contribute to the livelihood of the city. The question remains, will the government and law enforcement agencies step up to the challenge? The business owners of Los Angeles are counting on it.