MARYSVILLE — Boondockers Restaurant on Cedar Avenue wasn’t the only Marysville business hit by an overnight burglary in January.
On State Avenue, El Rinconcito was burglarized sometime after closing at 11:30 p.m. Jan. 16 and before opening Jan. 17, while Pizza Hut was broken into between 2-7 a.m. on Jan. 17. GA Maxwell’s Restaurant on Third Street was hit after closing Jan. 19 and before opening at 5 a.m. Jan. 20, while American Cleaners on Grove Street was burglarized after closing Jan. 23 and before opening Jan. 24.
Add these together with Boondockers being broken into Jan. 9, and Marysville Police Lt. Jeff Goldman sees a pattern.
“They tend to use prying instruments and they always go right to where the money is, either in a cash register or in a safe. This would indicate that they’ve been in these businesses previously, looking around.”
Goldman warned merchants and business owners to keep an eye out for those who walk in and either ask too many questions or else wander around inside of the establishment without any apparent purpose. He explained that it’s not uncommon for one person to ask questions while one or more partners surveys the premises.
Goldman also urged business owners not to leave the “starter money” from their cash registers in their buildings, and advised them to remove their deposits from the premises on a daily basis.
“If you don’t empty your cash register, you could lose anywhere from $60 to $300 in a single night,” Goldman said. “Some businesses leave their money in their safes for two or three days.”
Goldman encouraged business owners keep their security systems in good condition.
“If your surveillance cameras record to DVD, make sure you’re using new DVDs. If they record to tape, make sure you’re using new tapes. If you record over a tape too many times, the images it captures will degrade.”
Goldman also asked the neighbors and passersby of area businesses to be equally watchful for their fellow community members.
“You’ll often have guy in a car while two others are breaking into the building,” Goldman said. “If you see a car parked suspiciously outside of a business that looks closed, call us. If it’s nothing, that’s fine, but if it’s not, that’s how we catch these guys.”
Another way they “catch these guys” is through analysis and Goldman elaborated that Marysville Police have been working with other law enforcement agencies, from Lake Stevens and elsewhere in Snohomish County, since these burglaries have a similar M.O. to burglaries reported elsewhere in north Snohomish County, although he could not confirm yet whether there is actually a connection.
“They will continue,” Goldman said of the burglars. “They’ve put too much time into this. So we need to continue to be diligent.”
