Brazen thieves have been hitting the same Upper East Side Rite Aid for months, forcing it to close 

Now, numerous small businesses in the upscale Manhattan neighborhood, where residents say they are on high alert because of rising crime, are worried they will soon suffer the same fate 

The Rite Aid store at 80th Street and 2nd Avenue will close on February 15  

Sayed Imam, the store manager of nearby Wine Emporium, for 15 years said there is little to no support from the police - and even if they call 911, by the time the cops show up, the thieves are gone 

'For us, every inventory counts,' he said. 'Since the beginning of the pandemic, these thefts just keep happening. And we don't have the support from police' 

Seeing thieves load up with goods is a common occurrence, and people refuse to intervene out of fear they'll be hurt or even killed 

On Tuesday, Michael Rapaport caught footage of a blatant shoplifting incident at a Upper East Side Rite Aid in New York City

The actor and comedian said he was 'disgusted' by seeing a man fill two bags with stolen goods before nonchalantly strolling past security and leaving

Rapaport said he thinks Eric Adams could right the ship and that he hopes the new mayor 'lives up to our expectations'

Rite Aid announced in December 2021 that 63 stores will close in order to save about $25 million per year but workers say that the thefts are part of the reason for the closures as inventory dwindles