After break-in, downtown pharmacy owners wonder where overnight patrols are

Owners of a downtown pharmacy are wondering if the city's promise for overnight security will have an effect after being the target of four break in attempts since December.

In the early morning hours on Thursday the Queenstown I.D.A. Drug Mart on Queen Street was broken into, confirmed staff sgt. Dave West of the Sault police in a phone interview.

West said two men broke the front windows of the store and gained entry, with police being notified at 4:32 a.m. They fled the scene on bicycle with a ‘bag containing numerous items,’ said West.

The break in was the fourth attempted since the store moved to the location from Station Mall in December, and the first attempt where entry was successful, said co-owner Frank Perna.

“They smashed through both doors and made their way in and grabbed some merchandise,” said Perna. 

Items taken included men’s cologne and clothing items, among others, said Perna.

“They went for the cash registers up front but obviously we don’t keep cash in them overnight,” said Perna.

The owners estimate the damage at about $20,000.

“We have break-proof glass on order,” said co-owner Joe Greco, Jr. “But COVID has slowed that down.”

Greco said he is confident when the new doors arrive it will prove much more difficult for would-be thieves.

“It will be like Fort Knox,” he said.

The police have been very responsive when called about the break in, Greco noted.

“They were here, they were looking for the guys. There was blood and they took the samples for DNA testing because the guy was bleeding,” he said. “The cops are doing their best with the tools they are given.”

The owners say they have heard concerns from neighbours that the overnight patrols are simply not enough.

“It’s frustrating for them, too," said Perna.

The new downtown location allows the pharmacy to continue to service its existing clients, just a few streets over from the old location at Station Mall, said Perna.

“For the most part it’s been really positive here. There have just been a couple of isolated incidents that put a damper on things,” said Perna. 

After spending $3 million on renovating the corner building, Greco and Perna were among downtown businesspeople who appealed to city council for help with the issue of overnight break ins and vandalism.

So far, they say, there has been no visible presence of additional police or security in the early morning hours.

“We wanted to stay downtown to support our customers, but we also have a target on our back being down here. I would be nice to have some support,” said Perna. “We don’t whine, but it’s frustrating when we get these guys trying to break in at all hours of the night.”

KC Security has been doing twice-nightly patrol of downtown since May, said Salvatore Marchese, general manager of the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Association.

“They do the streets and they do the alleys,” he said.

“We have had feedback that business owners feel more comfortable knowing there is someone out there checking in,” said Marchese. “It’s not just an issue inherent to the Sault, when I talk to my colleagues across the province it is something that is happening in a lot of places. I think COVID just made it that much more of an issue.”

There have been a number of incidents, said Marchese, in which the security patrols have reported suspicious activity to police or assisted people in need.

Despite the patrols, Perna said more can be done.

“When you have a couple of guys in hoodies on bikes looking into windows at four o’clock in the morning — they’re not window shopping,” he said.