NEW ORLEANS — Imagine you're going shopping and a robbery happens inside the store. You call 911, they say police are on their way, but no one shows up.
Some shop owners on Magazine Street say something similar is happening and it's leaving them worried that the lack of response could affect anyone in New Orleans.
Last Wednesday, The Village Anthology owner Sydney Hinds says she witnessed a pair of thieves in action.
"When the second individual was over here on the racks she was knocking stuff down going through it very quickly, and I was like man, they're being very disrespectful," Hinds said.
She soon saw empty hangers.
"I was just trying to play it safe, and call NOPD as soon as they walk out," she said.
Hinds called them as soon as they left. She said she even walked out of the store to get a license plate.
"The dispatcher said, 'ma'am, we need you to go back to your store an officer is on their way.'"
Hinds said she waited, but no one ever showed up that night.
She wasn't the only one. She said three other shops on her block were also hit.
"Grabbing random sizes, the small size, and the biggest size," Stephanie Davidson said.
Davidson works at Jean Therapy further down Magazine Street. She said her manager saw the same women.
"And then she accused my manager of following her around the store," Davidson recalled.
She said her manager called police after she saw them taking clothes.
"She didn't want to try and grab them back because you don't want to put yourself in danger," she said.
"I'm just really upset right now like you know with the complacency of NOPD," Hinds said. She said an officer finally came by Sunday evening and reviewed surveillance video.
Eyewitness News contacted the New Orleans Police Department about this, and a spokesperson said the following:
"As far as the incident itself, we were informed by the Orleans Parish Communications District. It was assigned to the Alternative Police Response (APR) Unit, but was not able to be cleared as the day progressed for unknown reasons and was returned to Pending status."
Eyewitness News then asked the Orleans Parish Communications District why there was no response, however, and a spokesperson said this:
"Unfortunately, we cannot answer particular questions about calls for service. Those questions will need to be directed to NOPD. I can tell you that all of the calls you have asked us to review were found to have been processed in compliance with standard operating procedures."
Hinds said she wants to be clear she's thankful for the work of the NOPD, but she's worried.
"I know things can happen anywhere but the assumption is the police are going to show up if something does happen," Hinds said.
Ed. Note: A previous version of this story misidentified the owner of the Village Anthology. Her name is Sydney Hinds. The previous version also misidentified the name of the story she owns is the Village Anthology, not Anthology Village.