Convenient targets for Lynn robberies

LYNN – A recent string of armed robberies at independent convenience stores has police searching for multiple suspects and reminding store owners about a local ordinance regarding surveillance cameras.”We think you see these mom-and-pop stores getting hit, because if somebody goes in Walmart or CVS they know those stores have extensive surveillance systems and security, but the mom-and-pop stores may not,” Lynn Police Lt. Rick Donnelly said Monday. “We are definitely going to have patrol units and detectives going in to speak with store owners about the ordinance and preventative measures.”Lynn Police recorded nine armed robberies at five independent convenience stores between November and Jan. 20. Three individuals have been arrested in connection with two of the alleged incidents, and cases against the individuals are proceeding in Lynn District Court. Suspects made off with between $75 and $400 in the robberies, Donnelly said.Police are seeking one or more suspects in the seven remaining incidents. Police also believe that in at least six of these cases, different persons committed the alleged crime, which is unique. Last year, arresting one individual effectively ended a similar string of armed robberies throughout the city, Donnelly noted.To help prevent and prosecute robberies, the city since 2004 has instituted a variety of regulations governing convenience stores. The ordinances set guidelines on how store owners manage cash, require that doors and windows are kept clear of advertisements so the interior of the store is visible from the street and, per a 2007 update, require stores to maintain video security systems.The city amended the ordinance in 2013, requiring workers at the time of an incident to be able to immediately provide officers with footage of the incident. If the workers on duty cannot, the ordinance requires the store owner or a representative be available within 30 minutes to provide officers with the opportunity to see the requested video.This requirement was enacted after police found the stores often had surveillance systems, but workers could not immediately (or sometimes within days) get the video of the alleged event.But the recent string of robberies reveals another potential problem with surveillance cameras – they don’t guarantee a clear picture.”The key isn’t necessarily having the equipment and the cameras, it’s making sure they are working,” said Ralph Sevinor, founder and president of Wayne Alarm Systems Inc.Sevinor said he has gone to work on surveillance systems on convenience stores and found objects are inadvertently placed in front of cameras, cameras are so dirty they give a fuzzy picture, stores have poor lighting that makes a person in an image hard to identify, and cameras are on, but systems aren’t recording any of the video footage. Store employees also may not know how to locate, retrieve or save an image for police, Sevinor said.There is also a great range in the quality of the systems. A set of four cameras and a recording device can range from a $400 analog system you can purchase at Costco to spending thousands of dollars for a digital system that can zoom in so you can see a person’s eye color.”Some people want to see money being transferred, some people want to see the money denominations, some want to see the money’s serial number,” Sevinor said.Essex Street Market owner Abul Kalam said the costs of such an extensive system can be a deterrent for many convenience store owners. But he also said he and his colleagues are well aware of cameras’ benefits and want to help police capture suspects.In the end, this may require both technology and old-fashioned neighborliness.Kalam said that store owners constantly keep each other aware of robberies and are regularly updating their equipment, particularly when a string of robberies occurs.Meanwhile, Donnelly said police will be visiting stores to remind owners and employees of the ordinance governing cameras and store management