Sheriff Ken Furlong says his department has increased patrols around closed businesses to protect them during the mandatory shut down ordered because of the coronavirus.
“What we expected right from the onset was that residential offenses would probably go down because more homes are occupied 24 hours a day,” he said. “On the business side, we expected businesses were going to be a challenge because we have a lot of businesses that are closed.”
That makes them an inviting target for burglars.
He said they are keeping a close eye not only on closed businesses but the ones that are open 24 hours like gas stations and convenience stores.
As for calls reporting businesses that have refused to close despite the fact they’re not listed as essentials, he said there have been very few.
“In total since Friday, I’ve had to visit about six businesses here in town,” Furlong said.
He said every one of those complaints comes directly to him day and night. Furlong said he is handling those calls personally because he isn’t going to put one of his deputies in that situation. He said all the businesses he has visited are cooperating, although they’re not happy about it.
“I get it,” he said.
Furlong said his troops have also been paying a lot of attention to the drug activity in town: “We believe the market prices are going up because it’s more difficult to get drugs today.”
Since the mandatory closures, he said the only vehicles on the streets at night are “taxis and cops.”
The other surprise, he said, is they are seeing very few homeless out at night.
“It’s different in the daytime but, at night, you can’t find them downtown anymore,” he said.
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