Neighbors want more patrols after Third Ward spot Kaffeine Coffee gets burglarized for 7th time
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A popular Third Ward coffee shop had about $2,500 worth of equipment stolen from their business during an early morning break-in on Monday.
Owner of Kaffeine Coffee, Orgena Keener, said she received a phone call from a friend when she was on her way to work.
The friend told her the front window of her storefront was shattered. When Keener arrived, she found her cash register and audio equipment had been stolen.
This isn't the first time Keener has come across this issue.
In the eight years Kaffeine Coffee has been open, the coffee shop has been broken into seven times.
Thieves have gotten away with multiple items, including a few that were purchased to help the community.
"We had laptops that we would allow customers and students to come in and use, and that really broke our heart because we had just gotten some new ones in," Keener recalled.
The coffee shop is one of many that has been hit along the Almeda corridor.
Since the most recent break-in, Keener's son has started a petition to get more Houston police officers to patrol the area.
Keener said she has a great relationship with the Houston Police Department and believes the break-ins are more of a crime of opportunity.
"I have always encouraged the patrols to come park and sit and have coffee and things like that," she said. "I do know if someone sees a police officer over at Kaffeine Coffee all the time, they might have second thoughts."
Police told Eyewitness News anyone who wishes to have more patrols in their area should contact their local substation to schedule a meeting about their concerns.
HPD also suggests attending the department's Positive Interaction Program meetings and voicing concerns there.
