PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia police are warning Center City businesses about a recent spike in commercial burglaries, thefts and vandalism. They want business owners to bolster security on their properties.
“Five days before our grand opening, someone broke the window. We had a robbery already. Someone broke in through the door,” said LaToya Brown, who owns the colorful Made With Love Juicery in Fairmount.
She said they have had flower pots toppled, and dog poop left at their door.
Brown started her small business during the COVID-19 pandemic, first carrying her juice with a small cart, until she found a storefront near 20th and Spring Garden streets.
“We work hard,” Brown said. “I don’t think it’s fair that criminals get to just come in and burglarize us.”
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“What we are seeing is a lot of broken windows,” said Police Capt. Christopher Bradshaw, who heads the Ninth Police District.
“They are stealing money from cash registers, and they are stealing a lot of liquor from restaurants and bars.”
District police are now going business-to-business, checking in with owners and offering suggestions on how they can better safeguard their stores.
Bradshaw suggests owners with glass storefronts like Brown’s should reinforce the glass, and make sure there isn’t any debris laying around for burglars to use.
“Also reinforce the doors, and the back of the business,” he said. “If you have a wood door, maybe you can put up a steel door, and you can improve lighting because criminals don’t like lighting. They don’t want to be seen, so improve your lighting.”
Bradshaw also said to empty the cash register every night.
“You can leave the register open, so if someone looks in, they can see there is no cash in the register,” said Bradshaw.
“Always try and have two people at the business, so you have somebody watching your back when you are finishing up for the night. Instead of you being there by yourself, concentrate on how you count the money, or however businesses close. You have someone watching the door just to make sure no one comes in — kind of like a backup.”
He added that having an up-to-date surveillance system, with stickers warning of that video system on the windows, can deter those who want to break in.
