Monday, December 15, 2008

Break-In News: Alma Pita And Agnes Cleaners Hit

Thanks to the readers who let us know that Alma Pita and Agnes Cleaners on Wilson were broken into last night. When people passed there this morning, both doors were smashed and police were present. We hear a few things were taken from the dry cleaners; no information yet on Alma Pita.

This looks like the same thing that happened to Chinese Connection a few days ago, and rumor has it this is the eighth time businesses in Uptown have had their glass smashed in a robbery attempt.

We hope Agnes and Robert, and Alma and Harjit, can clean up the messes quickly, and hope they can reopen soon. What a pity for this to happen to some of our oldest - and best - mom-and-pop Uptown stores.

20 comments:

  1. Walked by the scene this morning. I was concentrating on Alma, that I didn't even notice that the cleaners were hit too. My wife and I plan on going to Alma Pita tonight if they are open.

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  2. That sucks! Well, I wonder if the police cameras picked anything up.

    We should find these people and give them a public beating.

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  3. Alas it's just this sort of thing that leads to those lovely scissor-gate-thingies so prevalent in Uptown yet so scarce in either direction of Broadway. (It must be those "evil condo-owners")

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  4. I too would like to hear if the cameras were effective in capturing these guys. Obviously not much of a deterrent to this kind of crime or the prevalent handshake drugs in the area.

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  5. The cops said the cameras may not have picked anything up because they seem to work on timers.

    The question is what time?

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  6. Wait, so that light just blinks all the time, but the camera only works some of the time, and that some of the time is not between the hours of 11p and 5a?

    Unreal. Ladies and gents, your tax dollars at work.

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  7. "mmmmm...Beacon" -- I don't have any personal knowledge about the cameras and how they're monitored, but I do know that the police department is one area that Daley's cutting back on because the city is broke. No manpower means no one to sit around 24 hours a day to watch the cameras.

    And why is the city broke? A lot has been blamed on the many, many TIFs that are draining away city taxes that used to fund city services. Like the police, for one.

    So, ask why no one is watching what the cameras are recording on Wilson and Magnolia ... while right across the street, $52 million of our taxes are going to build low-income rental units that cost approximately $450,000 each, and Peter Holsten and his network of LLCs keep collecting million-dollar "fees."

    Ask why we're skidding on ice-slicked side streets because the city says it can't afford to salt them ... while right across the street, $52 million of our taxes are going to build low-income rental units that cost approximately $450,000 each, and Peter Holsten and his network of LLCs keep collecting million-dollar "fees."

    It's all one big circle of really bad city management. According to the mayor and alderman, we're all racists and idiots to question it.

    I wonder how the owners of the two businesses that were broken into might feel about that, especially if they're told the city is too broke to afford to have the cameras watched. Tough luck about your break-ins, hope you have insurance, enjoy the prosperity that Wilson Yard is bringing you.

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  8. Terrible news. I'll be bringing them some additional business as well.

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  9. interesting that the city doesn't make it common knowledge that those cameras aren't on all the time - even though they blink all the time.

    someone in our building suggested putting up dummy cameras at the entrance to deter break ins. This idea was quickly shot down as it opened us up to lawsuit from someone who may feel a sense of false security.

    I'm no lawyer, but i wonder if this would also apply to the city in this case? If the community assumes they are protected by a watchful eye, and not, does it not open them up to a false sense of security.

    Better cameras than nothing, but as stated, i'd rather have beat cops.

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  10. I had a guest in from out of town this weekend. They commented on the blue light at Wilson and Magnolia and asked how it effects everyone's property value. I replied that it was badly needed in that area to act as a deterrent to crime and the installation was requested by area residents. I didn't think it would have too much of a negative impact on property value in the long run.

    Now we find out they aren't monitored 24 hrs a day?!?!? What good are they then?

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  11. *someone in our building suggested putting up dummy cameras at the entrance to deter break ins. This idea was quickly shot down as it opened us up to lawsuit from someone who may feel a sense of false security.*

    WHAT? A sense of false security? What duty would your building have violated?

    Well, I am a lawyer and I find that just plain silly. Just because people can sue doesn't mean they will win.

    I could just read the complaint now, "The parties failed to abide by they're duty to make me feel secure in my person, by provided me a false sense of security."

    Do you have a fence around your building? Uh oh, better take that down also, because if that doesn't work, you gave me a false sense of security.

    Or how about this, "There were locks on the door, so I felt falsely secure..."

    Any police presence on the streets? Well, if that doesn't work I can sue for feeling 'falsely secure.'

    I am sure I could write something pretty funny about this if I had more time....

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  12. What were they looking to steal? Pitas? Other people's clothes? Surely these two business weren't keeping money on the premises after hours. I guess if you some stranger tries to sell you pack of pita bread or some random article of clothing in a plastic bag, the might be a suspect.

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  13. Yeah, Jason, it sounded weird to me too, but that's what the management company told us and I didn't know enough to disagree.

    Thanks for a legal point of view.

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  14. Sounds like your management co is full of BS. But I have been wrong before.

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  15. Most of the police cameras work on gunshots as I have understood it. They have microphones to hear gunshots and pinpoint what direction the shot came from, and then take pictures. Breaking a window would not set that off

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  16. Miss Kitty-----it's my understanding that these blue light cameras are on all the time. It would be impossible to monitor them 24hrs a day. They are serving a purpose and I'm 'thinkin that the police and the OEMC don't want to advertise when they might or might not be viewing live. Make sense?

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  17. Thanks for the clarification ernie. Of course that makes sense, but I can bet all the neighbors who clamored for them didn't know that. Begs the question of just how effective they are (I am not saying they are or are not, just wondering).

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  18. Miss Kitty-----Some folks who are clamoring for these lights do understand their limitations but you are probably right. Most don't. That is always the challenge, to educate and inform our neighbors. The blue lights are another tool we have to use but they don't replace the eyes and ears of the community.

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  19. Good point ernie - nothing's perfect!

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