United Bodega Workers call for ‘life-saving’ panic buttons in every bodega after two deadly deli incidents
The United Bodegas Workers of America are renewing urgent calls for “life-saving” panic buttons and real-time NYPD monitoring in every corner store across the city after two violent incidents inside Bronx bodegas in just 48 hours have left workers rattled.
Standing in front of Ameer Deli at 4966 Broadway — where a violent fight left one man dead and two hospitalized Wednesday evening — UBA leaders gathered to call for mandatory panic buttons inside city bodegas.
The panic buttons would connect panic alerts directly to the NYPD’s central command center, bypassing traditional 911 dispatchers to reduce response times, the union said.
Three men drew knives during a verbal dispute inside Ameer Deli on Wednesday, leaving one 24-year-old man with a fatal stab wound to his neck, and two other men, 20 and 21, in the hospital with nonfatal stab wounds, sources say.
The bloody skirmish unfolded without the presence of a panic button in the bodega, something UBA spokesperson Fernando Mateo says could have saved a life.
“How many more people have to die before the city acts?” Mateo told reporters at the Friday press conference.
“This bodega didn’t have a panic button, and one life was lost. Panic buttons should be in every store, and the NYPD must track them in real time. This isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity,” he said.
A pilot program launched in June by the UBA and public safety tech company SaferWatch installed 50 panic buttons in bodegas in designated high-crime areas.
But response time has been inconsistent due to poor integration with police headquarters, according to Mateo.
“Yes, we’ve seen results. We’ve installed 50 of them. But this is a city that has 25,000-30,000 bodegas. So they are drops in the bucket. But those 50 that have the panic buttons are in critically needed hotspots of the city,” Mateo said.
“Police response has been very slow, if any, and it’s only because we’re not connected directly to NYPD’s command center, when where there’s a button pressed boom, the cameras of the bodega pop up and they [NYPD] see what’s happening in real time,” he said.
The deadly stabbing at Ameer Deli came just one day before a separate shooting inside a bodega in the Williamsbridge neighborhood of the Bronx that left a 20-year-old dead.
The owners of both stores are now fearful and desperate for better security measures, Mateo said.
“They’re scared. They’re nervous. They want a panic button. They know that could be a life-saving tool for them,” he said.
UBA President Radahmes Rodriguez echoed the statement, saying the urgency for panic buttons has escalated into a “life-or-death” ordeal.
“Our stores are not safe. We’re under attack — again and again. The time for discussion is over. Every bodega must have a panic button, and the NYPD must treat these alerts like the life-or-death emergencies they are.”
The UBA voiced that Mayor Eric Adams has been a supporter of the panic button initiative, but directed outrage at other state and city officials for not fulfilling promises.
In May, Gov. Kathy Hochul passed new protections aimed at helping frontline retail workers and small-business owners combat theft — including a $5 million tax credit for added security measures.
The union said that lip service was not enough.
“We were offered $5 million from Governor Hochul. We’ve never seen those $5 million for panic buttons. We were offered by Councilman [Oswald] Felix, who came to one of our press conferences and said that he would get us a few million dollars to store panic buttons inside of bodegas. That never happened. Assemblymember George Alvarez just introduced a bill in Albany to make it law, mandatory, that bodegas have a panic button,” Mateo said.
“We need for our legislators, we need for our governor to govern and to do what’s right for these small businesses in New York City. If you promise $5 million, don’t say it’s tax breaks. We don’t need tax breaks. We need cash. We need cash to save lives, to save the lives of the people who vote you into office.” he said.
