CHICOPEE – Described as “one of the highest crime Walmarts in the country,” Walmart on 591 Memorial Dr. is under the microscope of city councilors who want to decrease the area’s criminal activity.

Car accidents, larceny and personal disturbances reflect some of the frequent criminal activity occurring at the Memorial Drive location, which draws roughly 8,000 to 12,000 visitors a day. The City Council initially discussed the location during their March 15 meeting, with Ward 6 City Councilor Derek Dobosz and Ward 7 City Councilor William Courchesne requesting a joint License and Public Safety subcommittee meeting to work on solutions for the problem property.

One idea Dobosz proposed is for Walmart to work with the city and hire police support. While Walmart implemented their own security measures a few years prior, Dobosz stressed that the issues are still commonplace.

“We’ve given Walmart a chance to implement the new security system. It’s not working…There’s assaults, there’s serious crime there. It’s a major, major problem,” said Dobosz, who cited a recent incident where an elderly couple was assaulted in the parking lot.

The Ward 6 city councilor also discussed the location’s unkempt litter. “The trash bags get in the trees and get everywhere. The trash is ridiculous, and it happens multiple times a year every year. Walmart has made steps to improve, and it has gotten a little bit better, but it is still consistently a problem,” said Dobosz, who suggested Walmart could commit to a regular cleaning schedule.

Additionally, Dobosz noted issues with traffic. “There’s major traffic flow problems. At one point, the Chicopee Fire Department said that the back part behind Walmart, from Sheridan Street to going around the 99 Restaurant, is one of the most dangerous places to drive in Chicopee. There’s been many, many accidents,” said Dobosz.

In a Chicopee Police Department site analysis report from June 2020 to March 2022, the police concluded that the department responded to 142 traffic accidents, 132 shoplifting complaints and 94 disturbances. Twenty-nine arrests occurred during that time at the location, according to the report.

Walmart also incurred more emergency responses in comparison to other retail centers. Walmart was the site of 939 police, fire and emergency service responses during that two-year period, while Home Depot on 655 Memorial Dr. had 296 responses, Big Y on 650 Memorial Dr. had 224 responses and BJ’s Wholesale on 650 Memorial Dr. had 243 responses.

In an interview with Reminder Publishing, Dobosz, who oversees the location as a part of his ward, said that Walmart has been an issue since he was elected in 2017. “Walmart was one of the issues that I ran on. Even back then, it was one of the top issues within the ward,” said Dobosz, who shared that the Memorial Drive Walmart is considered the retailer’s second most active location in New England based on sales.

The councilor advocated in 2019 for the retailer to hire police support during peak operating hours. While the item did not receive enough support from the council at that time, Dobosz continued to monitor the location.

Due to the location’s recent incidents, Dobosz shared that he and Courchesne wanted to ensure accountability with Walmart. “I called City Councilor Courchesne, and we agreed that we would make a push to make Walmart accountable for crime, litter, and some other issues as well,” said Dobosz.

Dobosz said he and Courchesne are planning to negotiate with Walmart by potentially adding restrictions to Walmart’s special permits. The councilor aspires for the retailer to work with the city in subcommittee meetings and develop an improved police presence.

“I understand that they are a big business, but they have to make conditions better on their property…I do want to work with Walmart, but I want this to go to a public hearing,” said Dobosz.

Walmart’s Response

Walmart Spokesperson Tyler Thomason said that city needs to address issues with the property owner, not Walmart. “That’s a property we do not own, so a lot of those questions will have to be addressed by the property owner,” said Thomason.

Thomason also theorized that problems within the Walmart area could stem from nearby locations “That property encompasses several other retail businesses…When you have a shopping center, there’s a lot of customer traffic for all of these retailers.

It’s not just one in that vicinity,” said Thomason.

The Walmart spokesperson said the retailer continues to be open to communications with the City Council “We stay in constant contact with the city and local officials. That’s something we continuously have,” said Thomason.