Business owners in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood are hit by a spate of robberies

CLEVELAND — Pastor Luis Vizcarrondo of Cleveland Refined Church said his church was once again the victim of an attempted break-in, with business owners along the Broadview Road business corridor reporting similar problems. .

Vizcarondo recently beefed up security after News 5 reported on a series of robberies at churches in September 2023. In this case, scammers stole thousands of tools and audio equipment. Vizcarrondo said he worries that any crime will make it difficult for the church to maintain insurance coverage.

“Right now, we’re facing the issue that insurance companies and other insurance companies are seeing this as a high-risk area,” Vizcarrondo said. this. “

Tanning for all seasons

Break-ins were also reported at All Seasons Tanning Salon on Dec. 15 and at Metropolitan Coffee on Dec. 17. Both stores, located on Broadview Road in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood, fell victim to two scammers who forced their way into the stores. The incident was recorded on a security camera during the early morning hours.

metropolitan coffee

Cleveland’s 13th Ward City Councilman Chris Hirsch told News 5 that Cleveland’s continued shortage of police officers is contributing to the recent increase in robberies.

“We’re heartbroken. We’re working hard to get businesses open again and people moving into our neighborhoods and making a living. It’s no secret that Cleveland is short hundreds of police officers. is completely related to that,” Hirsch said. And if we don’t have enough patrol officers working for the city of Cleveland, we won’t be able to make enough promotions to staff these critical units to catch these criminals. ”

Hirsch said state statistics show the impact of the police shortage. In Cleveland, he was issued 117,000 traffic citations in 2013, but in 2023 there will only be 19,100, a decrease of almost 85%.

“When you hear about another break-in, it’s just another setback for someone who is working so hard,” Hirsch said.

Meanwhile, anyone with information about the robbery that occurred along Broadview Road in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood is asked to contact Cleveland Police District 2 Detective Janet Murphy at 216-623-5217. Masu.