Ohio-based Kroger will close the Fred Meyer on the East Hill in Kent Oct. 17 for reasons the company partially blamed on “a steady rise in theft.”
The actual statistics, however, show a significant decrease in crime incidents and thefts at the store, 10201 SE 240th St., over the last four years.
The number of crime incidents dropped 38% (158 to 98) from 2022 to 2024, according to Kent Police case reports obtained by the Kent Reporter through a public records request. The number of thefts dropped 48% (62 to 32) over the same period…