I’ve always tried to live my life in a way that minimizes contact with authorities. However, managing stores for Woolworths inevitably brought me into contact with local police. In the mid-’80s, there was a bit of a crime problem in the neighborhood where I worked, specifically at the Montview store in Aurora. The area was rough, and long before I arrived, the company had acknowledged the issue. Following advice from security consultants, they placed the store’s safe in the front window, right in plain sight. The thinking was that robbers would be less likely to harm anyone if the safe was visible during a robbery. While I didn’t find much comfort in that logic, I learned to live with it.
During the Christmas season, I had the dubious distinction of being robbed twice in eight days. From the first robbery, I learned there was no real communication between jurisdictions. The robbers left our parking lot, turned right, and within a few blocks were in Denver, no longer in Aurora’s jurisdiction. We called the Aurora police, but it took them about ten minutes to arrive and another fifteen minutes to coordinate with Denver. By that time, the robbers could have been anywhere. I also learned that business doesn’t stop. After the robbery, I went next door to Hunter Beauty Supply, borrowed $100 for change, and kept the store running without missing a beat. A couple of hours later, I was able to return the money and continued as if nothing had happened.
The second robbery taught me something else: the police are relentless when it comes to chasing criminals. This time, the robber was much younger and extremely nervous. As he held a gun to the back of my head, I could feel it shaking so badly it bounced against my skull. My only hope was that he wouldn’t flinch and pull the trigger by accident. Fortunately, when he left, he forgot one of the registers, so we still had enough cash to keep operating. The more important lesson came when I decided to call the Denver police first. They hesitated for a moment, but when I explained the situation, they took action. Then I called Aurora, and they reprimanded me for involving Denver. What happened next proved my point.
The Denver police spotted the robbers and gave chase through the east Denver neighborhoods, showing no signs of letting up. Eventually, they chased them back into Aurora. Communication between the two departments was still a challenge, so Denver continued the pursuit. The robbers attempted a hard left turn onto a small street but misjudged, crashing their car into the front lobby of a bank — ironically, the very bank we used. I joked that they could make the deposit while they were there. The chase ended just a few blocks from the store, so I walked over and watched the arrest unfold.
What surprised me most was the reaction from my district manager. His first question was accusatory: “Was the cash out and easy to see?” I assured him that all our regular precautions had been followed. Then he asked a question that implied I should have fought back: “How big was the gun?” It was the most callous thing anyone has ever said to me. His name was Roach, and he certainly lived up to it. Even the police officer was stunned by the insensitivity. I replied with the only thing that came to mind: “From where I stood, it looked like a Howitzer.” The officer laughed, then realized just how absurd the question was.
I had only one other gun-related incident during my time with Woolworths, but that’s a story for another day.