Police Offer Security Tips After Multiple Business Burglaries
WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (CBS4) - Businesses in Wheat Ridge have been alerted to take extra security precautions after several burglaries occurred in the past few days, possibly by the same suspect.
In many of the cases, the thief gets in through the glass, by breaking a window or door.
Tuesday before 2 a.m., the burglar broke into a store that sells fireplaces and stoves through a hole made in the window.
"Please don't come back, it's our livelihood," said the owner, Ronald Florez.
Another store nearby had $50 stolen the cash register busted open, which will cost more money to replace.
"This month we've had more than eleven burglaries at businesses," said Maureen Harper from the Wheat Ridge Police Department.
Wheat Ridge police have increased patrols and they're encouraging store owners to re-examine how they can protect their property.
"Make sure officers on patrol can see into your facility, so making sure windows aren't covered up, make sure there's a line of sight into the business," Harper said.
Another smart move is to keep businesses well-lit at all times, and avoid leaving money overnight.
"One of the things you can do is leave your cash register open and empty so if somebody does break in or look in through your windows they can see there's no money for the easy take," said Harper.
"It's personal because you spend all your time working," said Florez.
As for the fireplace supply store, the owner is not happy about having to spend hundreds to replace his window.
"Sometimes you've got 16-hour days and then you have somebody come in and take away those extra hours, your overtime, that you don't get paid for," Florez said.
In this incident, the burglar left a few seconds later empty handed. Most, however, will examine the store ahead of time, so police say employees should be trained to watch out for suspicious characters.
Most police departments will also do a security assessment when asked.
