"Nine break-ins in the past eleven months," said Jim Gerardi, owner of Jim's Maintenance. "I try not to take it personally. If I did, then I'd just be an emotional wreck."
Gerardi said a razor-wire fence, a chain-link fence and clearly mounted security cameras have not prevented burglars from hitting his company again and again. The burglars have climbed under the fence, cut through the fence and thrown rocks through windows.
"They break into all the buildings," Gerardi said. "None of them are scared."
Gerardi also said he had a security system. But the burglars busted the door panel to the system and ripped the entire system out.
About a month ago, Gerardi replaced the security system with surveillance cameras.
The cameras recently caught a burglar kicking through a door and stealing two chainsaws.
"The saws range anywhere from $500 to $1,200 each," Gerardi said.
Gerardi said he reinforced the doors to his building this weekend, and his next security measure would be a guard dog.
He added that he has had his business on the same property for 14 years, and never had a problem until this past year.
He said he thinks the location of his business made it an easy target because it sits at the end of a dead-end street and is surrounded by a cemetery and vacant lots.
Gerardi said repairing the damage the burglars caused has been easy. But, replacing the stolen equipment has been difficult.
He said the financial toll of the stolen items reached into the tens of thousands of dollars.
"I would like for them to give me a break," Gerardi said. "I could use a break."
If you have any information about the burglaries, please contact Raleigh CrimeStoppers at
(919)226-2746
.
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