No business should be forced to close by vandals

There has been a rash of break-ins in the Mat-Su Valley that is noteworthy for a few reasons.

First, the people committing these crimes aren’t stealing things that can be re-sold to support a drug habit or pay rent. They are leaving behind things of value.

Second, the people committing these crimes are causing greater financial losses getting into the businesses than they are from items stolen once inside.

Three, that the items stolen repeatedly include energy drinks and sodas is unique.

To us, these crimes have all the fingerprints of juvenile offenders. Well, then there’s that series of security shots from one of the shops that was robbed that shows the profile of a teenage boy in the act of burglary. The boy is wearing a nice winter coat and a stocking hat with a bill. He was there with another boy, and they were driving a Suburban.

So moms and dads, this one’s for you. The photo is clear enough for you to easily identify your son’s face. We’re guessing you know his friend in the photo, too.

But here’s the hard part. We think it behooves these parents to drop a dime on their sons and let the heavy hand of the law issue a lasting reminder that “thou shall not steal” is the law of the land.

Why? Often, criminal behavior starts with something small, like nicking a few Red Bulls from a coffee shop or restaurant. Continuing on this path doesn’t lead to anything good.

The idea that local businesses may be forced to close their doors because of a series of bad decisions made by teenagers is reprehensible.

One business owner told us that instead of making planned expansions to her business, she’s spent thousands of dollars replacing the glass in her shop that has been destroyed in four break-ins at her Wasilla eatery. It’s ironic that her business is located adjacent to the Wasilla skate park, a place envisioned, funded and built by local teens clamoring for constructive ways to spend their time. These days, the skate park is a frequent flier in the Police Beat for crimes like drug deals and assaults.

With age comes perspective. We hope “perspective” here means the ability to see beyond your immediate want for an energy drink to how your actions breaking into a shop to steal it will harm that shop owner and your community long-term.

Perhaps we have it all wrong and the person in that security photo is not a teenage boy. But to whomever is responsible for these foolish break-ins we have two words: Grow up. No business in our community should be forced to close because of vandals.

If you have information about the persons responsible for these crimes, contact law enforcement. People can place tips anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 745-3333.