In an effort to reduce crime in convenience stores across New York City, a Bronx state lawmaker has introduced the Bodega Act of 2025, a measure that would provide grants to small businesses for panic buttons and surveillance equipment.
The New York State Bodega Act of 2025, introduced by Bronx Assemblymember George Alvarez last month, would direct the Division of Criminal Justice Services to establish a grant program supporting security upgrades for bodegas, food marts, and similar small retail establishments.
The proposed legislation aims to enhance protections for these businesses by covering the costs of installing emergency alert systems and other safety infrastructure. The legislation does not specify a funding amount.
The state bill mirrors and expands upon Mayor Eric Adams’ recent $1.6 million “SilentShields” initiative, which will outfit approximately 500 city bodegas with panic buttons directly linked to the NYPD. Together, both efforts reflect a growing push to address violent crime impacting neighborhood businesses.
The urgency behind these safety initiatives has been amplified by recent fatal attacks. On April 16, 24-year-old Anthony Diaz was fatally stabbed inside a bodega in Inwood, Manhattan. That same evening, 38-year-old Preston White was shot and killed inside a Bronx bodega in Belmont.
“Many bodegas serve their communities 24/7-365,” said Alvarez. “Leaving them vulnerable to, and placing them on the front lines of violent crime. Crime that originates both inside the store, but also on the street that spills over into the store.”
Alvarez believes the proposed funding will help store owners protect themselves and their customers, fostering a greater sense of stability and safety in local communities.
For years, the United Bodegas of America (UBA) has urged the city to implement stronger safety measures in convenience stores. Advocates have repeatedly cited lack of funding and legal mechanisms as the primary barriers to protecting business owners.
The Bodega Act of 2025 would directly address those gaps by guaranteeing financial support for panic buttons and other security features. Mayor Adams has separately allocated $5 million for small business security upgrades citywide, including funding for panic button systems.
“Violent crime jeopardizes the ability of such small businesses to stay afloat,” Alvarez said. “Ensuring and enhancing the security of these businesses from violent crime will allow these businesses, which often serve needs critical to community residents, to both survive and thrive. The enhanced security will also result in faster response times by the NYPD to such incidents.”
The bill has already received bipartisan backing in Albany. Alvarez said he is hopeful it will pass “sooner rather than later,” noting that his office has collaborated closely with bodega owners, NYPD officials, and constituents to shape the legislation.
The effort has also drawn endorsements from key stakeholders, including the United Bodegas of America, the Bronx Economic Development Corporation, and the Bronx Chamber of Commerce.
“We have no choice,” Alvarez said. “It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of men and women, and families of our communities.”
Representing the 78th Assembly District in the Bronx, Alvarez said the legislation is intended to create a future where tragic incidents become far less common — or are prevented altogether — through better protective measures.
“Aside from what we’ve seen make the headlines,” Alvarez said, “I’ve heard from countless bodegas, small businesses, and customers, about the risks and dangers they face. And for the business owners, it’s not a matter of safety, but also a matter of their abilities to earn an honest living. Oftentimes, these businesses are their livelihoods, and really, all that they have.”
