PORTLAND, Maine — Portland police are urging businesses in the area to continue to follow safety measures amid an uptick in commercial burglaries this past week.
Five commercial burglaries were reported in Portland between Jan. 9 and Jan. 17, according to a news release from the Portland Police Department.
The burglaries were reported on Hanover Street, Forest Avenue, Union Street, Warren Avenue, and Washington Avenue.
"Multiple incidents saw perpetrators enter through windows, where a fan or air conditioning unit had been installed," the release said. "Cash has been stolen as well as copper."
In the release, the police department reminded businesses to secure and lock windows, tend to security alarms that may go off, and install security systems if they don't have one.
"In some cases, the wires to the burglar alarms were cut and the crime was discovered when employees arrived to work the following morning," the release stated. "Police are urging business owners to request a police response to any alarm notifications they might receive and to not ignore notifications of issues with their alarm systems."