BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
Police officers are following “promising leads” in response to a series of overnight restaurant burglaries that have left owners and employees on edge, Capt. Zach Perron said at a meeting with the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce today (Jan. 6).
Perron, who has worked for the police department since 1998, said he’s never seen a string of restaurant burglaries like this before.
Five downtown restaurants were targeted between Dec. 23 and Dec. 31. Local Union 271 and Nola’s safes were stolen, and Coupa Cafe’s cash register was destroyed, Perron said.
Tamarine’s offices were broken into, and the burglars tried but couldn’t get into 02 Valley, Perron said.
All of the businesses had property damage, like shattered glass and broken doors.
“It’s not just the money itself that was lost, but the pain in the rear end that you guys have with the mess that’s left behind,” Perron told restaurant owners.
Nancy Coupal, owner of Coupa Cafe, said a crew dropped through her skylight on New Year’s Eve and “crawled like cats” to her cash register, which they pried open with a crowbar.
“I wish I would’ve known publicly what had happened to my neighbors,” Coupal said.
No overnight burglaries have happened since then. Detectives have leads and don’t believe the burglaries were limited to Palo Alto, Perron said.
“There are promising leads, and there are regular leads,” Perron said. “And these I would classify as promising leads they’re working on, so that’s very good news.”
Perron gave restaurant owners crime tips: Get an alarm, keep less cash on site and tell employees to keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior.
Police are walking downtown on foot at 3 a.m. and leaving cars out to deter burglars, Perron said.
Megan Kawkab, owner of The Patio, added that she leaves her registers wide open and has her employees take cash home at night.
Manuel Martinez at San Agus Cocina Urbana asked how police would address homeless people harassing his customers. Several other business owners asked how to deal with homeless people living in parking garages and building alcoves.
Perron said officers cited eight homeless people for a public nuisance last night.
“That’s done after they’ve been offered all sorts of resources,” he said.
Vice Mayor Ed Lauing said he would talk to City Attorney Molly Stump about legal options for addressing homelessness.
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