Burglars hit 2 S. Tahoe Y businesses
South Lake Tahoe police officers are looking for the people who burglarized two businesses at the Y this week.
Cash was taken from the register at Bert’s Café on Monday night. The next night two laptops were stolen from Barton University. While the businesses are across the street from each other on Emerald Bay Road, police Lt. Brian Williams told Lake Tahoe News, “We have no specific information which connects the two burglaries.”
Williams offered the following advice to help prevent a business from being the victim of theft:
• Lock your business doors and windows. This sounds obvious, but this is often overlooked.
• Burglars frequently commit their crimes close to their own residence … even if that may be a tent in a field. Business owners and employees should remain alert and observant to their surroundings; what is normal and what is not.
• Take note of suspicious persons or vehicles around the business, especially at opening and closing time.
• Take note of people wearing inappropriate clothing for the weather, such as heavy coats during warm weather.
• Be aware of people carrying duffel bags or similar items to collect and flee with stolen property.
• Be prepared to take brief mental descriptive notes about people and/or their vehicles.
• Equip your business with an alarm and video surveillance and periodically test this equipment to verify it is in proper working order.
• Ensure employees are trained in how to operate any surveillance recording gear in order to quickly provide officers with video recordings of the suspect.
• Establish good relationships with neighboring businesses to help watch out for one another.
• Try to keep the inside of your business well lighted, with unobstructed windows so that a clear view from the street or parking will assist police officers to see inside as they patrol the area.
• Use of lighting and video recording gear is particularly helpful at all entrances and exits to the business.
• Some businesses find it beneficial to leave the cash register drawer open and visible from windows to deter a burglar.
• Keep cash at a minimum, and post notices in the doorway of this fact.
• Keep the telephone number of the police department near the phone. (911 for an emergency, 530.542.6100 for nonemergency.)
• Develop and train employees in a plan of what to do in case a burglary is discovered. This should include — alert authorities quickly, do not search through the business before police arrive because the suspect may be hiding inside, protect the crime scene by not disturbing evidence, including unintentionally contaminating any remaining scent at the scene which may enable a police canine an opportunity to track a suspect’s path of escape, and position and identify yourself in such a way that responding officers will not mistake you for a possible suspect.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Robbing Bert’s seems like the very last resort on the “Really Mean List” for criminals. Everyone at Bert’s Cafe are the very nicest, and provide the happiest, most cheerful atmosphere……just saying, that who ever did this now has such terrible Karma waiting to bite ’em in the butt. I seriously don’t know anyone who would not be happy to hand this person in on a plate!
I know rents in Tahoe are ridiculously high, but…tents in a field?
Years ago when Bert’s was Ernie’s I lived across the street behind Hamilton’s. Ernie’s was then run by Connie and Lou Wiser. Connie was the Daughter of Ernie who the place was named after.
They were having frequent break-ins. Lou put bigger locks on the back door. Chained up the front door and still break-ins were happening.
I had big dog at the time and one day Lou asked if Babushka could spend the night in the restaurant so as to detour the hungry robbers.
I urged Lou that having Babushka in his store was a bad idea, but he offered up weeks of free cheese burgers, and pints of Olympia beer for just a night of protection from my dog.
He wore me down and one evening I met Lou at the coffee shop door, and I assigned my dog to guard duty.
Money could have been left on the counter, and the doors could have been left unlocked that night as my dog opened every sugar container on every table and what he didn’t eat he spread all around.
Babushka was on an extreme sugar high when Lou went to open early in the morning. The dog was not letting him in.
Rousted out of bed very early in the morning I got the dog out of the café.
Enjoyed my burgers and beer, and when I ride though Tahoe again for a burger and a beer I have some security tips for ya all….