CHICAGO (WLS) — Business owners in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood were cleaning up shattered glass and assessing thousands of dollars in damage Sunday after a string of break-ins affected multiple storefronts, according to police and business owners.
Police said at least three businesses were burglarized during the early morning hours, including Bronzeville Soul. Owners of the business said it was the second time their shop had been targeted in roughly the last year.
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“They stole the register, broke our POS system and did some damages to our foods and things like that. Just something super reckless and very costly for us,” said Mario Coleman of Bronzeville Soul.
Business owners along the corridor expressed frustration over the repeated crimes and the impact on local businesses.
“It’s not just us it was up and down 47th so these crimes have been going on for quite some time. We’re hoping the police can step in and catch whoever’s doing it because someone is targeting the black business owners,” said Angie Price of Bronzeville Soul.
The neighboring business, Hair Experts Bronzeville, also was hit during the break-ins. Owner Nicholas Byrd said the damage extended throughout the store.
“They broke through our glass and ransacked the whole place from there,” Byrd said.
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Across the street, Peach’s Restaurant suffered similar damage. Owner Cliff Rome described the incident as a difficult start to the day.
“First of all it’s Sunday no one wants to wake up like this,” Rome said.
Rome said he has spent years investing in the Bronzeville community, including starting a workforce development program aimed at helping prevent crimes like these.
The restaurant is expected to remain closed for the next couple of days while repairs are made and operations resume.
“We’ve been there 25 years, and obviously we’ve seen a significant change in the community. The reality is we have three businesses there so we are intentional about investing in the community,” Rome said.
Police said the investigation is ongoing. No one was in custody as of Sunday.
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Source: abc7chicago.com
