'That Walgreens Was Essential'

This month, Walgreens closed 5 stores in 5 different San Francisco neighborhoods. The company claims it was because of “organized, rampant retail theft,” although available information doesn't quite back that up. These Walgreens locations also got national attention, and became part of heated local debates about policing and a fear of increased crime. And all the while, many San Francisco residents — especially older people and lower-income families — have lost an essential resource in their neighborhoods. Guest: Abené Clayton, lead reporter of The Guardian’s Guns and Lies in America series This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Raquel Maria Dillon, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. More Reading: 'Walgreens fed my family': inside the San Francisco stores closing over 'retail theft' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices