Bucyrus crime spree affects area businesses

Just days after is reporting that nine city employees, including two police officers and two police dispatchers, are being laid off effective April 1, the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum is reporting that local businesses are experiencing a rash of break-ins.

From the story:

In the past week, six local businesses have been broken into after hours. In some instances, the doors were forced open or glass was broken out of windows. In all cases, an undetermined amount of cash was taken.

"They're killing us," Bucyrus Police Chief Ken Teets said referring to the break-ins and other vandalism done to vehicles and properties recently.

The rash of crime comes as the city prepared to lay off two police officers because of budget problems. The department is already two officers short and starting Friday will be short two more.

"It's not Chief Teets' or the police department's fault that these burglaries happened," Midwest Furniture store owner Doug Godwin told the newspaper, adding, "We don't need less police officers, we need more."

According to the Telegraph-Forum, Godwin is attributing the rash of break-ins to the fact Crawford County Sheriff Ronny Shawber released 30 in-county prisoners from the county jail last week to make room for out-of-town paying "guests" from Mahoning County, where the prison is overcrowded.

"It was wrong to let these people out and bring in people from other counties. It jeopardizes people's safety," Godwin said.

Other Bucyrus residents have also showed concern recently about the law enforcement layoffs and area crime wave.