Washington DC CVS only shows pictures of toilet paper products on shelves due to rising theft

CVS’s ‘conscious inclusion workshop’ strives to teach employees accountability for ‘non-inclusive behaviors.’ FOX Business’ Ashley Webster with more.

A CVS store in Washington, D.C., isn’t making toilet paper available on shelves, and customers are now forced to ask an employee to get the product from the store’s backroom.

The CVS store on H Street NE in the nation’s capital took the measure because homeless people were stealing toilet paper, sources told WTOP news.

Pictures obtained by FOX Business show framed pictures of paper towels and toilet paper not readily available on the store shelves.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % CVS CVS HEALTH CORP. 67.69 +0.97 +1.45%

To get the product, customers are asked to press a customer service button for assistance.

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The CVS store on H Street NE in the nation’s capitol took the measure because homeless people were stealing toilet paper, sources told WTOP news. (Sophie Rychalski  / Fox News)

On a year-to-date basis, reports of robbery are up by 68% in 2023 vs. 2022. Just over 3,000 robberies have taken place so far in 2023, versus 1,791 at this point in 2022, Metropolitan Police Department data shows.

Reports show 2,046 robberies occurred in 2021.

Ben Atanga, owner of a wellness studio in Maryland, told the outlet that it’s a nationwide issue.

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A CVS store in Washington, D.C., isn’t making toilet paper available on shelves, and customers are now forced to ask an employee to get the product from the store’s backroom. (Sophie Rychalski  / Fox News)

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“First, I want to say this: this is not just an H street or a D.C. problem — this is something that’s going on all over the country, right?” Atanga said. “The economy is going up, cost of living is going up … If people are stealing … items, necessities, you know, I think maybe we should take a look at that.

“Maybe those are things that we don’t increase or maybe as a community we provide that … ‘Hey look, you can come pick up toiletries and stuff like that, so that you can take care of yourself.’ H Street has always had a huge homeless population,” he added.

CVS did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.