COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – A dangerous crime spree has local business owners banding together to try to stop it in Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs Police are investigating at least 28 robberies this year alone. Police told 11 News they’re working to crack down on crime, but they need help from lawmakers to increase penalties for repeat offenders and those committing crimes underage.
After two more robberies happened Monday night, business owners are banding together to make a change. More than a dozen people have already joined the group, with some telling 11 News the cost of doing business in Colorado Springs is barely worth it anymore.
“I think a lot of stores are on edge. If you’re a retail store, you can’t let your guard down. It could happen to anyone,” said James Howard, owner of Vapor Uprising, one of the stores that was broken into.
Springs police are investigating dozens of similar crimes, and the uptick in recent weeks shows no signs of slowing.
“No matter how many boards you put up or bars on your windows, you’re not going to stop a car that’s coming into your store at high speed,” said John Przbilo, owner of CBD Life, another business that was broken into.
Pribilo is one of more than a dozen business owners who have banded together and said their first stop will be the Colorado Springs City Council.
“We need to be empowered to capture these youth and put them into programs instead of releasing them back into the wild. We also need to push for more police,” Pribilo said.
11News reached out to Mayor Yemi Mobolade, himself a business owner, on Tuesday night, who released the following statement:
“The impacts of theft and vandalism can be devastating to small businesses and I want to assure business owners and residents that we take these incidents very seriously. There are several reasons why we are seeing this increase in burglary patterns. One of the biggest causes of this pattern CSPD is seeing is juvenile crime. Police are doing their best to hold young people who break the law accountable, but the legal component poses a major challenge in keeping many juvenile offenders off our streets. This is a local problem and the solution requires local solutions. My Administration is committed to addressing this issue by advocating for legal changes so we can hold juveniles accountable and is working aggressively to identify upstream prevention measures that will stop this behavior before it begins. This includes building and strengthening partnerships with community-led efforts to prevent juvenile delinquency, and encouraging local businesses to take proactive crime prevention measures to better protect themselves and their investment and create safer neighborhoods.”
While you can pick up the shards of broken glass and replace windows, the impact these crimes have on a single business can be devastating.
“Not only are businesses being hurt, but it’s going to be difficult for us to get our money back, and we never will,” Howard said.
Police also say they encourage businesses to implement safety measures wherever possible, adding that everyone should lobby their lawmakers to change juvenile crime laws.
Copyright 2024 KKTV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
