By Blake Haas
BLOOMINGTON – After break-ins to several businesses lead to the arrest of 16 looters, three of the city’s top officials expect the looting to end.
“I would think so when people understand that there are consequences to their actions that that is a deterrent. I think that’s a general deterrent for most people committing crimes,” Dan Donath Bloomington Police Chief said in a zoom conference call. “I wouldn’t see this any different as understanding that there are consequences to my actions, which we are all responsible for our own actions and myself and everyone else in the community, so I would think (the looting will end).”
Joining Donath was Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason and Bloomington Fire Chief Brian Mohr. As the city views the looting as a all-hands on deck situation, Gleason said the extra staff and overtime would come at a cost.
“That’s not something that we are able to completely assess at this point, but it has been a part of internal discussions because we know that we’ve had to step-up staffing for not only the police department but the fire department. It’s just one of those things that you accept. But the actual number, that’s not something that we know yet.”
Donath said he has not talked to the alleged looters to discover a motive.
“I think it would be improper for me to say what their motives are. I haven’t spoken to the individuals and asked them specifically what their motivations are. I can certainly speculate, but that would certainly be speculation, so I don’t know that for a fact, what their motivations were.”
For small businesses afraid of having their businesses broken into, Donath has a message.
“I would say just try to barricade your business the best you can, that’s your best way to ensure that people don’t make an entry…I’ve seen some businesses do some barricading type things whether it’s boarding up windows or stacking a lot of items in front of doors, but again an alarm system is another way to be able to alert us if someone is trying to do something criminal.”
Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].
