Milwaukee business says they've been broken into twice in 1 month, lack of lighting in area causing issues
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- In Milwaukee's Silver City neighborhood, a convenience store with a boarded-up window has a handwritten message, barely visible from the street. It says, "Yes, we're open."
The owners of the 38th Street Mart and Silver City Smoke Shop on 38th and National want their neighbors to know that two break-ins in July will not shut them down.
"They emptied our lottery display. They took a lot of our food. We sell a lot of personal hygiene products and cleaning products; they took a lot of that."
Co-owner Jessica Jimenez is talking about two burglaries that happened about two weeks apart.
The robbers, seen on security video from July 10, took boxes of food and merchandise, and in one of the break-ins, they smashed a window.
The second break-in happened around two weeks later, both costing the business thousands of dollars. The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) says they are investigating both and looking for the suspects.
This is a small, family-run business and the losses are tough to overcome. But since the break-ins, the owners have increased their security, and they want people to know they're staying open.
"I know online a lot of people are saying, 'just move,' but we really enjoy our community, we enjoy our neighbors and our customers, so that's not even an option for us," Jimenez said. "We just want to figure out and solve the problems that we have."
Jimenez says she's owned the business for several years and never had issues until the construction on National Avenue started. She says the lack of lighting in the area is becoming a huge problem.
"After 8 p.m., if you go down 38th, its completely pitch black," said Jimenez. "All the streetlights are off, so you can't even go for a walk around here if you wanted to because it's pitch black."
Earlier in July, surveillance video from an auto shop on 37th and National shows a person blowing up a porta potty on the construction site.
"All of us in Silver City area have been really on pins and needles, just trying to get through this construction without losing too much money and being victims to crimes like this," said Jimenez.
The recent incidents are causing concerns for business owners, some who say they are staying at their businesses overnight to make sure they're safe.
"I have a lot of neighbors that are also business owners that have been camping out at their businesses, that have been having to move equipment around at night in this darkness because they are scared to leave it at their business," said Jimenez.
JoCasta Zamarripa, the alder for the district, says in the past week she has spoken with the Department of Public Works and the state Department of Transportation about crime concerns through the area. She says MPD has been asked to have more patrols in the area.
As for the lack of lighting, Ald. Zamarripa says if people see any streetlights out, they should report it here.
Anyone with information about the break-ins is asked to contact Milwaukee police, or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS.