Minneapolis is facing a rise in business burglaries

Since Gov. Tim Walz ordered dining rooms and bars to close on March 16, most restaurants have had to grapple with the idea of staying afloat while losing business. Unfortunately, in  Minneapolis, businesses are facing more than lost business. They are facing a rise in crime. Businesses and police in Minneapolis have seen a rise in burglaries after the lockdown order.

In Minneapolis, there were 320 property crimes during the seven-day period ending March 24, up from an average of 285 during the same time period the past two years — mostly due to an increase in auto thefts. Overall, burglaries were down in that span, but burglaries of businesses are making up a greater share of those crimes, the data show. Robberies have also increased.

Minneapolis already has high crime rates, but the current lockdown has made businesses more vulnerable. While most of the burglaries have targeted bars and restaurants, other businesses have also been victims of crime. For instance, burglars broke into a gun shop in Anoka and flew with firearms.

Crime has generally been a big and growing issue in the twin cities in the last couple of years. And it is expected that crime usually goes up during certain crises due to financial stress.  But given the kind of businesses being targeted, the more probable cause for the rise in crime is not economic issues, but rather the fact that robbers may consider closed businesses easy pickings at this particular time.

This calls for action on security and increased safety in the city.