‘Makes your skin crawl’: Brookside businesses clean up after weekend of break-ins
Signs at the Brookside Barkery and Bath location on Oak Street make the the pet store’s new payment policy clear, both for customers and anyone who might attempt to break into the store.
“No cash kept on the premises.”
After a series of break-ins, both at the store and at neighboring businesses in the area of Oak Street and East 63rd Street in Kansas City’s Brookside neighborhood over the weekend, the store shifted away from cash. The store’s owners understand the push-back some customers have given, but they’re also hoping to deter any further incursions into the store.
The shop was first broken into in August, and around $1,600 in cash was stolen then, said Jennifer Murphy, one of the owners of the chain of local pet stores.
Then came the break-in this weekend, early Saturday morning. While nothing was taken, glass in the store’s back door was broken out and those around the business were left to deal with feelings of frustration and unease.
“We’ve been here for 21 years in the community. We have the best job in the world, we get to hang out with dogs and pet dogs all day. It’s a pretty happy place to work every day,” Murphy said. “To come in to that is just a sad situation, that this is where we’re at in our community.”
Then, after a weekend of break-ins in the area, on Monday around noon, customers at the store bathing their dog had around $1,000 in cash and a computer stolen from their vehicle in the store’s rear parking lot, Murphy said.
“We’d just like to have a trust in our community, and the trust has kind of been broken over the last six months,” said Cooper Murphy, Jennifer’s son and the director of sales and marketing with the business. “It’s kind of tough.”
“It kind of makes your skin crawl a little bit. You always want to feel that you have a sense of safety, especially when you’re at work. You spend a lot of time there.”
Property damage charge
Kansas City police linked a 25-year-old Kansas City man to five burglaries early Saturday involving a stolen Jeep. In an interview with police, Javaune Tucker allegedly admitted to knowing the vehicle was stolen and said he had committed the burglaries.
Prosecutors charged Tucker with a count of first-degree property damage in Jackson County Circuit Court on Sunday.
In a statement, Jazzlyn Johnson, a spokeswoman for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, said police were investigating the incidents and said prosecutors anticipated additional charges would be filed.
“As our expanded Crime Strategies Unit launches next week, we will be able to strengthen our ability to identify crime patterns and trends, target high-impact offenders, and find more ways to better protect Jackson County,” she said. “Protecting our business community is a top priority and we will prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law.”
‘Remain vigilant’
Katy Hamilton, who owns the local clothing store Shopgirls, just down Oak Street from Brookside Barkery, was alerted early Sunday morning that her business had been broken into. Her shop’s front glass door was smashed and her point of sale system, electronics and some merchandise were taken.
Just the morning before, Brookside Guitars, in the storefront adjacent to her space, was broken into as well.
Hamilton was forced to call a locksmith at 5 a.m. Sunday to secure her business. She paid $2,800 for the emergency service, she said.
“I think that all we can do is remain vigilant and aware and positive,” she said. “I don’t think that our community needs more negativity. I don’t want to contribute to fear, but I also think we can’t ignore what’s happening, because there is a lot happening.”
Against the backdrop of an armed robbery at Earl’s Premier in late December and the killing of well-known Kansas City chef Shaun Brady in August, Hamilton said she is hoping to find a forum to meet with other business owners to talk about concerns and work on solutions. She has prioritized meeting people associated with businesses around hers.
“I kind of can’t shake his feeling that this year is going to be hard,” she said.
Brookside Guitars owner Ryan Wurtz said his business doesn’t keep cash on hand, and nothing was stolen during the break-in at his storefront. It won’t be worth making an insurance claim, and he’ll pay for new glass out of pocket, he said.
“We can’t afford to have permanent security 24/7 or whatever,” he said. “No one wants to camp out at their business with a gun to prevent some kids from being stupid.
“It’s bad for everybody. It’s bad for businesses, it’s bad for home values, it’s bad for neighborhoods. It’s bad for everything to have such a problem with this.”
