Kosy Korner owner Ann Gordon said the community “doesn’t feel safe anymore” after her restaurant was broken into Dec. 26.
In a press release, Haliburton Highlands OPP said they responded that night and discovered the front door glass was smashed. The surveillance video showed a hooded suspect entered and stole a tip jar with approximately $40. Police are still investigating.
Gordon said the perpetrator also tipped over the cash drawer trying to get more money, to no avail. She said the repair costs are still uncertain but the damage is in the thousands.
“I’m disappointed. Disappointing that Haliburton has got now a crime rate,” Gordon said. “Got called from other business owners trying to compare notes.”
She said it is the first time since 2005 that someone has broken into the place.
“It’s just the whole feeling of violation,” Gordon said. “We were here from midnight to 4 a.m. … Just a long, disappointing night.”
The Kosy Korner is not the only business to fall victim to break-ins. The Parkside Laundry suffered thousands in damages Dec. 29 after someone broke into the facility to try to steal from the change machine – the second time it has happened in two months.
“It’s just a very frustrating thing,” owner Craig Gordon said. “They’re never going to get any money out of it but they can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage I have to replace.”
He said he expects to pay the damages out of pocket, for fear of having their insurance cancelled through multiple claims in a short timeframe. He added the systemic issues behind crime need to be addressed, whatever they are.
“If the motive behind them is drug problems, we need to fix that,” he said. “The crime is never going to go away until we can get to the root of why the crime happens in the first place.”
Co-owner Colby Marcellus posted pictures of the suspect from security footage on Facebook, wearing a dark coat with his face covered.
Ann Gordon said breaking in was ridiculous and few businesses keep much cash on site.
“If you get that desperate, there are always people you can talk to,” she said. “There are agencies, there are people, there are small communities. People care. Forty bucks is not worth going to jail.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Haliburton Highlands OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
OPP search for stolen cache of guns
The OPP is searching for a cache of 12 firearms stolen from Glamor Lake Road sometime between Nov. 1-8.
In a Jan. 2 press release, OPP said there were both restricted and non-restricted weapons taken from the residence. OPP continue to investigate.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the City of Kawartha Lakes OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or anonymously at Crime Stoppers.
Charges for breaking into school
Police charged a Highlands East woman with breaking and entering after allegedly discovering her inside a Bancroft school.
Bancroft OPP responded to a call Dec. 31 around 2:30 p.m. They found the school was forcibly entered and located the suspect inside the building.
The woman is also charged with possession of a banned substance, suspected fentanyl. She is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Bancroft Jan. 28.
