Thieves Hit ‘Ghetto’ Liquor Store Twice After Bulletproof Glass Removed

A Harlem liquor store that removed its bulletproof glass after neighbors complained it looked “ghetto” was broken into twice in the same week by a group of thieves who made off with cash and alcohol, police said.

Freeland Liquor & Wine, at 183 Lenox Ave., was hit about 1 a.m. on March 17, when two men cut the security gate and entered the store, swiping bottles of liquor and cash, the NYPD said.

Then, on Thurs., March 22, three male suspects again busted through the security gate, making off with even more booze and money, police said.

The store, which opened in late 2011, outraged locals who saw its neon sign, riot gates and bulletproof plexiglas intended to encase the alcohol as an “abomination.” The store owner, under pressure from the community, opted to remove the glass cases and sign before its opening.