Coin and Jewelry store owner fed up dealing with thieves
Michigan
Posts: 4,942 ✭
After thieves tried to rob Gene Boyd’s store on East Locust Street twice this week, the 43-year veteran of the jewelry business said he is trying hard to resist the temptation to resort to vigilantism.
Boyd’s Fine Jewelry and Rare Coins, 1155 E. Locust St., Davenport, also sells firearms. Boyd said police told him they think the criminals were after his guns, so he removed the weapons and put up a sign warning crooks to stay away.
“No guns in store, only in owner’s hand,” the message reads. The sign was left on a large piece of plywood covering the damaged window.
“I wanted to put at the bottom, ‘Come and get them,’ ” Boyd said, “but my wife wouldn’t let me. At this point I’m ready to deal with them myself.”
Boyd said ADT Security Services alerted him each time thieves tried to break into his store. The first incident happened about 12:15 a.m. Tuesday and the second about 3:15 a.m. Wednesday.
Early Tuesday, witnesses who saw two males break the window and try to get in the building chased them off, he said. A steel barricade behind the window kept out the would-be thieves, he explained. When Boyd and his wife arrived, Davenport police were interviewing one of the witnesses.
After that incident, Boyd put up the plywood to cover the broken window, but someone came by early Wednesday and tore down the wood. They tied a piece of rope to the frame and apparently tried to pull it down, but had to flee before Boyd and the police arrived, the owner said.
Boyd said police told him they have recent reports of several guns stolen in various break-ins around the city. Officers told him the stolen guns have not been showing up on the streets so
far, though.
Police “think they’re stockpiling them,” Boyd said. “I’ve packed up my guns. I don’t want to handle them anymore.”
Davenport Police Chief Mike Bladel said he could not comment on what the officers told Boyd since such information is considered law enforcement intelligence, but he added that investigators do look for crime trends.
“We have a crime-control-strategy program,” he said. “If we do have any type of a trend that tends to be emerging, we respond to it appropriately.”
Boyd said he opened his store on East Locust Street in 1996 and previously owned a jewelry store and gun shop. He hopes to retire in January and is tired of dealing with thieves.
“You work hard all your life and they want to do this,” he said.
Boyd’s Fine Jewelry and Rare Coins, 1155 E. Locust St., Davenport, also sells firearms. Boyd said police told him they think the criminals were after his guns, so he removed the weapons and put up a sign warning crooks to stay away.
“No guns in store, only in owner’s hand,” the message reads. The sign was left on a large piece of plywood covering the damaged window.
“I wanted to put at the bottom, ‘Come and get them,’ ” Boyd said, “but my wife wouldn’t let me. At this point I’m ready to deal with them myself.”
Boyd said ADT Security Services alerted him each time thieves tried to break into his store. The first incident happened about 12:15 a.m. Tuesday and the second about 3:15 a.m. Wednesday.
Early Tuesday, witnesses who saw two males break the window and try to get in the building chased them off, he said. A steel barricade behind the window kept out the would-be thieves, he explained. When Boyd and his wife arrived, Davenport police were interviewing one of the witnesses.
After that incident, Boyd put up the plywood to cover the broken window, but someone came by early Wednesday and tore down the wood. They tied a piece of rope to the frame and apparently tried to pull it down, but had to flee before Boyd and the police arrived, the owner said.
Boyd said police told him they have recent reports of several guns stolen in various break-ins around the city. Officers told him the stolen guns have not been showing up on the streets so
far, though.
Police “think they’re stockpiling them,” Boyd said. “I’ve packed up my guns. I don’t want to handle them anymore.”
Davenport Police Chief Mike Bladel said he could not comment on what the officers told Boyd since such information is considered law enforcement intelligence, but he added that investigators do look for crime trends.
“We have a crime-control-strategy program,” he said. “If we do have any type of a trend that tends to be emerging, we respond to it appropriately.”
Boyd said he opened his store on East Locust Street in 1996 and previously owned a jewelry store and gun shop. He hopes to retire in January and is tired of dealing with thieves.
“You work hard all your life and they want to do this,” he said.
0
Comments
Cartwheel's Showcase Coins
Cartwheel
P.S. Sad to hear about this story!
Cartwheel's Showcase Coins
probably because all the nice folks moved out to the suburbs
and left the city to rot. yet they wish to work there and complain
bitterly about high gas prices. go figure.
the cycle continues.
<< <i>Makes you wonder why store owners desert the bad areas of town. >>
Also makes you wonder why they started there in the first place.
<< <i>
<< <i>Makes you wonder why store owners desert the bad areas of town. >>
Also makes you wonder why they started there in the first place. >>
Sometimes an area can go "bad" over a long period of time and if a merchant has a lot of money invested in the
place can find it difficult to move or places in nicer areas are more expensive. Various factors like that.
Its all a big misunderstanding. Those were obviously ebay employees, working hard all night to protect ebayers from themselves.