As the holiday season arrives, businesses in downtown Brownsville say they’re on high alert. 

Pedro Alvarez, owner of the store Sportsmania, said his business was broken into last week, and shoes and perfume were stolen.

Alvarez said he believes downtown needs more security, and the lack of it has forced him to shut his business down.

As the co-owner of Dulceria Del Valle & Snacks Shop — located next to Sportsmania — Israel Gamboa said his business has also been affected by recent burglary attempts.

“They have tried to break open our locks, I have bars in our windows and they tried opening our locks,” Gamboa said.

Gamboa said while goods from his shop haven’t been stolen, burglars came close to breaking open the chains in the front of his store.

Brownsville police spokesperson Abril Luna said while burglaries happen year round, there’s an increase around the holiday season.

In August, 27 burglary reports were made in downtown Brownsville. In November, that number jumped to 42, Luna said. A majority of the suspects are locals.

Police said two arrests were made over the weekend in connection to two separate businesses that were burglarized. 

Brownsville police say there are methods people can follow to avoid falling victims

“It's very important, especially for businesses if they purchase new appliances for their restaurant or business, to just get rid of those boxes. Don’t leave anything that might be eye catching,” Luna said. 

Luna said most of these burglaries happen at night, and officers help patrol the area on foot and through patrol vehicles

“We do have surveillance downtown that helps us with maintaining the safety downtown,” Luna said.

The Brownsville Police Department said it's important for businesses to file a police report so they have documentation for their insurance

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