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Bleecker Street small‑business owner tells CB2 repeated thefts and drug activity are threatening her staff
Summary
The owner of the Pizza Box told CB2 she pays $20,000 a month rent and has recorded multiple thefts, staff safety incidents and drug use on premises, and asked for help from the board and NYPD.
Melanie Weslock, who identified herself as the owner of the Pizza Box on Bleecker Street, told Manhattan Community Board 2 that repeated theft, drug use in the restroom and threats to staff have made running her small business unsustainable.
Weslock said the same individual twice tried to grab the tip jar and that she has video evidence she shared with the Sixth Precinct; she praised local officers for responsiveness but said recurring incidents continue. "I have customers running in off the street, people running in looking for shelter in the pizza box," she said, describing staff as mostly high‑school and college students who she would not want to expose to dangerous incidents.
The business owner said she has installed a bolted tip jar, an alarm that creates a visual and audible alert, and security lighting. She asked the board and the district manager to visit the business and work with the precinct to support small storefronts facing ongoing street incidents.
Why it matters: Small businesses on busy commercial corridors can be vulnerable to repeated petty crime, and owners said police contact and board outreach are critical to prevent closure or staff harm.
What’s next: Chair Valerie Delar Rosa asked the owner to connect with the district manager for follow‑up; Weslock said the Sixth Precinct staff (Lieutenant Tabron and others) had been responsive.
