Qisa Coffee was one of 9 businesses burglarized on the same night within the Broadway corridor.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nine businesses were broken into over the weekend in Sacramento’s Land Park and Curtis Park neighborhoods, prompting concern from owners and business leaders who say more resources are needed to curb the problem.
Sacramento police say the businesses were targeted in a string of burglaries along the Broadway corridor early Tuesday morning. There have been no arrests or identified suspects as the investigation continues.
Qisa Coffee in Curtis Park was among the nine businesses hit. Owner Abdul Aziz said people broke into his shop around 3 a.m. Tuesday.
“They came straight to take away the cash register and then went to the back, some cash in the bag that they run away with,” said Abdul Aziz.
Aziz said the total damage and losses amount to $1,200. He said a similar incident happened around the same time last year and warned that repeated break-ins could threaten his ability to keep the business open.
“That’s one of the major things for small business owners. If they don’t generate any revenue, or if they’re getting a financial hit, that means that business is losing money. And when a business is losing money, that means that business is going out of business,” Aziz said.
In the Tower District, New Station Seafood was also broken into Tuesday morning. As police continue investigating, the district says it is working to support business owners.
Joan Borucki with the Tower District said the organization has added security cameras that connect to its headquarters security team and the Sacramento Police Department’s real-time crime center. She said the district is seeking a grant to install more cameras.
“We have actually added additional cameras that tie in both to our HQ security team as well as the Sacramento PD into their real-time crime center,” said Joan Borucki. “We very much would like to get a grant to add some more cameras. It does allow for a faster response, but it also allows for better prosecution.”
Borucki said many businesses are operating on tight margins and are struggling to stay afloat.
“All my businesses are operating on very, very tight margins, right? It’s not like they’re making beaucoup profits out of their restaurants, and so it would just be nice to be able to help them lower some of their costs that they have,” she said.
Because of the break-in, Aziz said he has implemented a no-cash policy at Qisa Coffee. He is also calling on city leaders to prioritize safety for small businesses.
“We all together work on it, especially the city leaders, to make this place more safer for all small businesses,” Aziz said.
Sacramento police urge anyone with information about the burglaries to contact them as the investigation continues.
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