Bodega owners stay safe using de-escalation techniques.

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Bodegas are, of course, a staple of New York City neighborhoods and the Big Apple's economy

but they are also vulnerable to violence. Well, now there's a new effort underway to help bodega

owners and workers protect themselves and their customers. As Fox News, Kendall Green shows us

it all involves de-escalation role-playing. Jabbar Amantezer tends to stay busy at work

at his bodega in the Bronx, but not too busy to see the violence, sometimes deadly, troubling

bodegas in the headlines, which he admits raises questions. What did he say that had him killed

murdered, or sent to the hospital? Welcome to my training, by the way. But over the weekend

he attended a session of trained, not armed, part of Mayor Adams' $1.6 million initiative aimed at

improving security for the small businesses. They were just telling us how to deescalate situations

and how to keep people from not overreacting. No, I'm not gonna pay for it

Oh, no. How do we deescalate this right here Let see Aaron Jones the co of Community Changing Funds leads the sessions coaching bodega workers through different tense scenarios The trainings are supposed to help bodega owners break language and cultural barriers to ease tension

If you'll be working like how you're working right now, let's try a few things, like say hello to the customers that come in because you ain't even said, ah, yeah

The Yemeni American Merchant Association, which is working with City Hall on the initiative

sent Fox 5 a statement in part saying, quote, Immigrant-owned stores, especially Arab, Latino, and Muslim businesses

deserve to feel safe and supported. This training is about dignity, trust, and building safer communities together

Jabbar tells us he hasn't had any newsworthy incidents in his store, fortunately

but should that happen, after this weekend's training, he says he has a few more tools in the toolbox that he will recommend to other bodega owners

Rather than having to call the police, I'd rather handle it to man-to-man or person-to-person

But Almond Taser does question when this training will get extended to those actually fueling the tension

Why not on the community side? Why not, you know, make an event for the community on how to, you know, not be too harsh or aggressive to business, small businesses

Kendall Green, Fox 5 News