CAMERON, Texas (KRHD) — The Cameron VFW Post 2010 was broken into Thursday, marking the second break-in in less than a year.
- Suspects pried open a door with a crowbar and tried to steal money from slot machines and the ATM but fled when the alarm went off
- This is the second break-in at the VFW Post; the first occurred in December
- Cameron Police Department Chief Carlton Scott encourages residents and business owners to reinforce doors, bar windows, install alarms, more lighting or fencing or gates to try to prevent break-ins
- The department says they have an idea of who's responsible, but encourages anyone with information or anyone wanting to report an incident to contact the department at (254) 697-6574
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“Anybody would steal from people that have served and protected this country does not have a real high moral standard,” Lorton said.
Commander Jerry Lorton was left to pick up the pieces after a break-in at the VFW Post.
“As you can see, they put a crowbar in here and pop this lock, got this open, and broke in here,” he said.
Though the burglars escaped with nothing —
“They tried to pry these dart machines open right in here, and we had a big footprint, along here they were trying to kick it,” Lorton said.
They didn’t leave without causing damage.
“It takes more from our budget. It takes away what we can do for the veterans,” he said.
Including the $5,000 worth of repairs from a burglary less than a year ago in December.
“The last break-in, we had a door here that had a window in it, and they took this flag base, and they threw it through that window busted in that way,” he said.
I talked to Cameron Police Chief Carlton Scott who tells me the eleventh burglary so far this year.
“A lot of the burglaries are going to be will happen late at night or early in the morning and this one occurred about 4:30 in the morning," Scott said.
And for tips to prevent a burglary, Chief recommends neighbors stick to the three L’s.
“I like to think of it as three things, lights, locks and limits,” Scott said.
Reinforcing doors with locks, barring windows or setting up alarms, installing lights and fencing or gates, and if you see anything suspicious, report it.
“We put dead bolts on top and bottom to prevent that from happening again, plus we have bars in these windows,” Lorton said.
So far, it’s what Lorton has been doing at the Post.
“Nobody's going to get into it this time, but it's sad that you have to go to that length,” he said.
And for those who were responsible —
“Don't do it again and turn yourself in,” he said.
