VIDEO: Businesses Take Burglary Prevention Measures

LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – As police continue to search for the suspected thieves in the downtown break-ins, business owners learn to protect their property.

For some of these businesses, this is the first time that they have been burglarized, and some of them have been in opened for years.

It can be a scary time for owners and employees, now they take whatever measures necessary to protect their property.

“It’s pretty scary when you walk in and everything is torn up, windows are broken and glass is broken out,” said supervisor for Jerry’s Flowers & Gifts, Carol Miller.

Miller describes the horrifying scene that she walked into at the store.

“You feel violated when that happens to you,” continued Miller.

Just across the street, Billy McNeel’s business was also broken into.

“It happened on a Sunday night, and we didn’t know anything about it until the following Monday morning,” said McNeel.

Across town at Soap and Suds, crooks took off with cash and coins using specific tools.

“Fairly elaborate. They tried to grind through the door and they couldn’t, so they busted through the sheetrock. Somebody crawled in and unlock the door, and then they took the grinder and cut the top out of our safe, peeled it back like an orange,” said Soap and Suds maintenance worker, Ricky Bengs.

Now, businesses are fighting back against the burglars.

They’ll be using hardware and technology to help.

“Well the first thing we did, we changed locks immediately and we got one that’s keyed on both sides now, so if they were to break the window again they won’t be able to turn the knob, so that’s out of the question now. We’re also going to get a security system,” said McNeel.

“We are working on getting a security system and cameras in to hopefully prevent that in the future,” said Miller.

“The owner put in motion dtectors, dead-bolt locks… double tumbler dead-bolt locks on all the doors, put in new cameras,” said Bengs.

While most owners feel safe and the break-ins came a surprise, they do not take their business’ safety for granted.

Store owners and law enforcement say businesses should have some type of security system that keeps thieves away and alerts police.