STATESVILLE, N.C. — More business owners in Statesville are reporting burglaries.
So far this year, the police department has responded to 38 such cases. There were seven reported cases in the past two weeks alone, according to the department.
The owner of Rachel's Crafty Corner, Rachel Gaitin, told us her store was broken into Saturday, making her store the sixth break-in within the past two weeks.
"The window was completely broken into," Gaitlin said. "We had things [in the corner]. They had gotten into my register. The sensor above my door was broken and malfunctioned so it didn’t record."
She said thieves stole her register and then broke into her office and stole her safe.
"It’s scary," Madison Myhlhousen, a bartender in the area, said. "I heard just the other day some people broke into the church over there and honestly, I don’t know what to think. Just knowing that happened so close to home is really scary."
In response, the Statesville Police Department is increasing patrols to combat what they describe as an increase in business break-ins. They are also increasing the frequency of business checks during the nighttime hours to "deter potential criminal activity," the department said in a released statement.
The Statesville Police Department is offering business owners the following tips to prevent break-ins:
- Install an alarm system and post warnings in clear view that the business is equipped with an alarm system.
- Install security cameras; opt for cameras with a battery backup to ensure continuous surveillance.
- Increase lighting and add motion detection lights.
- Secure all entry points when leaving the building and ensure that windows are securely locked.
- Install heavy-duty deadbolts and reinforce door jams.
- Evaluate landscaping and outdoor features to ensure that landscaping does not provide cover for criminals.
- Remove expensive items from display windows.
- Always remove cash from registers overnight.
Suspicious activity can be reported to the Statesville Police Department by calling 704-878-3406.
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