There’s been a string of smash-and-grab burglaries of gun stores in western Pennsylvania in recent weeks, and with no arrests to date some FFLs are taking steps to increase the security of their stores.
The problem is that if someone is willing to steal a car and ram into into a storefront so they can get access to the arms inside, there are only so many options available for gun store owners. Putting up concrete barriers in front of the doors is an option if they own the property and have the space, but for those FFLs who lease their facility or operate out of a building where balustrades aren’t feasible, more creative measures are necessary.
That’s why one couple who own a gun shop in North Versailles, Pennsylvania have essentially moved in full-time to their retail location.
“I have put too much into it to lose it,” said Brian Stroup, co-owner of Target to Field Precision. “Ain’t nobody going to take it from me or I’m going to go out with them.”
The Stroups said they would be destroyed because they can’t afford the high insurance, and they’ve been sleeping inside their store since January. While they’ve never been hit before, they don’t want to be doing this and feel like they have no choice. They also said they’re prepared to do what they have to do if someone tries.
“I’ll go as far as it takes,” Brian said. “I’m completely prepared, I have things around, I won’t hesitate. I will do what I have to do to defend my business.”
Typically these thieves are hitting gun shops in the dark of night when employees and owners are usually fast asleep in their beds at home. If they go after the Stroups’ store, however, they’re going to get a very unwelcome surprise.
They opened Target to Field Precision on Route 48 in North Versailles four years ago, and amid recent break-ins and attempted break-ins in West Mifflin, Bethel Park, Mercer County, and Marshall Township, they made the decision to sleep in their store. They said they’re willing to sustain it as long as they need to.
“Until we see justice is being served and that people are actually going to jail for the crimes they are committing,” Lisa Stroup said.
The Stroups believe they have been scoped out, and they’re always reassessing security. They have steel doors, metal frames over the windows, panic buttons, and a security system. They’re also always carrying a loaded gun, ready to defend themselves if someone tries to break in.
“I think we’re balancing it really well,” Lisa said. “There are a lot of times on our weekend we consider it our date weekend. We have dinner here. We watch movies here.”
“My life is in this store, everything is in this store,” Brian added. “They take it, I’m done. They ain’t going to take it from me, I won’t let it happen.”
As much as the Stroups try to put a positive spin on things, I’m sure they’d like to resume some semblance of a normal life and restore some work-home balance. But given the threat to their livelihood, I don’t blame them for standing watch at their gun shop. These smash-and-grabs typically cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage to the business, in addition to whatever merchandise is taken during the heists. In less than five minutes, a lifetime of hard work can be left in tatters, and some FFLs simply can’t afford to rebuild, restock, and re-open their doors to customers.
According to CBS Pittsburgh, local police believe teens from Pittsburgh are responsible for the majority of the smash-and-grabs that have taken place in recent weeks, but while they’ve recovered some of the items that have been stolen from the shops that have been hit, so far no arrests have been made in connection with the break-ins.
If juveniles are the ones committing the lion’s share of these burglaries it’s important that prosecutors treat them as adults whenever possible. The reason we’re seeing more of these types of crimes is because the offenders believe they can get away with it, and in the case of teens they’re largely right. A few months of juvenile detention before being released with a GPS tether that may or may not be actively monitored isn’t going to dissuade young offenders from stealing a car and using it to steal as many guns as possible, but a few prosecutions in adult court with stiff sentences handed down would drive home the message that authorities aren’t playing around when it comes to these crimes.
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