David Duncan of Ridgeline Glass estimated the cost of repairs to Healesville Newsagency at around $1400.By Kath Gannaway
THREE Healesville businesses are out of pocket by potentially thousands of dollars following a window-breaking spree on Friday morning and a break-in and theft on Saturday morning.
Windows at Healesville Newsagency and the Grind ‘N’ Groove cafe were targetted some time between 4am and 5am on Friday and the Mobil service station was broken into at just after 4am on Saturday.
The Mobil service station had a window smashed three weeks ago, about the same time as a Healesville real estate business.
Dennis Cherry of Mobil said 50 packets of cigarettes were stolen, valued at around $500.
Security raised the alarm and Lilydale police, who were in the area at the time, attended.
A spokesperson for Healesville Newsagency said details of a person who was seen in the area at the time had been passed on to police.
Jemma Pitcher, manager of the Grind ‘N’ Groove, told the Mail they learned of the damage when they were contacted by Yarra Ranges Council at about 10am on Friday.
“It looks like someone has thrown something through the window but there is nothing inside, so it appears someone has probably kicked the window in.”
Ms Pitcher said they were checking security cameras.
She said with a high insurance excess and the possibility of premiums increasing because of the vandalism, the business would bear the total cost of repairs.
Sergeant Terry Avery of Healesville Police said it was vital for businesses to notify police of any incidents of vandalism or theft.
“If we don’t know about it, we can’t do anything,” he said.
Sgt Avery said reports are compiled and police are able to allocate resources to tackle particular problems.
“If we see that there are burglaries or window breakings happening regularly at particular times, we can task police to work in that area.
“We can’t do that if we’re not being told,” he said.
