Northside business owners worried about uptick in crime
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Small business owners and employees worry that crime is increasing in the area of a northside shopping center at FM 1960 and Ella Blvd.
A man swiped a laptop from the Quality Systems counter on Wednesday, right as the customer who owns it stepped outside to make a phone call. Owner Tehmoor Qureshi says this is at least the third theft -- and he says enough is enough.
"When it's family owned, you put 110 percent of your time, you know. It hurts," he said. "I'm tired of being a victim every time. And no results."
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An older surveillance video shows a man taking a tablet right out of a store employee's hands last June and leaving the store, with a woman following closely behind.
"My mom always says, 'At least you're alive. At least you're not hurt.' She looks at the bigger picture. She's thankful no one got hurt," Qureshi said.
A nail salon employee two doors down says customers keep walking out without paying and an employee's purse was stolen while she worked.
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"No result, no solution for us. So that's scary," said the woman, who did not want to be identified.
A Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesperson could not say if crime is increasing, but said they will increase visibility in the area and put additional crime control units on the streets.
