For the owners of a small business in Vernon it is a baffling and expensive crime wave. Their pizza restaurant has been broken into not once, but five times.
They argue the city should be doing more to find a solution.
The trouble started for Nicolas and Marie’s Pizza, Pasta and Donair last November.
“They broke through the front door and they just grabbed my entire cash…and walked out,” owner Nicolas Kynigos said.
The owners thought it was a one time problem. They repaired the glass and moved on.
However, this year they were the victims of four more break-ins.
“This time it was four in a row in less than a months time,” Kynigos said.
“It is only for money. They don’t touch anything. They are very tidy.”
Kynigos believes at least some of the overnight break-ins are related because they follow the same pattern with rocks thrown into the business.
In all two cash registers, a few hundred dollars and a donation box have been taken.
Kynigos said he is tired of it but he’s not letting the incidents stop him from serving up pizzas.
“It is ridiculous to say it is an incident where I should be threatened,” Kynigos said.
However, as they get back to work, the owners would like to see more help from city hall.
The mayor declined an interview request saying solutions to petty crime problems are in the hands of police and the courts and businesses can work with the community policing office to take preventative measures like installing extra lights.
For its part the restaurant plans to put up a screen to protect the window.
The weary business owners are clearly hoping their break-in problem stops here.