Athens-Clarke County Police say they've seen an uptick in commercial burglaries since the outbreak of coronavirus in Athens: the burglars are targeting businesses and restaurants, many of which are closed or operating on reduced hours and with cutbacks in staffing.
From the ACCPD…
Recently, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department has noticed a trend in commercial burglaries in our jurisdiction. In particular, the burglars tend to be targeting restaurants, especially those that have drive-throughs. What we have noted is that we have not received alarm activations for these businesses. They have been found by employees returning to work to open, or by our officers on routine patrol. In one of the cases, we were unable to reach a responsible party to come and secure the business after we discovered the break-in.
What the ACCPD is asking for is for is to get the word out to businesses to be vigilant about locking/securing doors, arming or activating alarm systems and making sure their emergency contacts are up to date in the event they are a victim. Please assist in getting the word out any way that you can.