- Video showing the break-in at Sugar Daddy Women's Boutique and new security improvements implemented to keep the business and employees safe.
- After two break-ins in the same week, Sugar Daddy Women's Boutique owner Heidi Shubin installed additional security measures at her store. At the time of the incident, she was not in the designated area and was therefore unable to receive assistance from the Business Security Grant Program, but now she is eligible.
Over the past few years, we have reported on multiple news stories about robberies in neighborhoods throughout Kern County.
Sugar Daddy's has experienced multiple break-ins on its property, but because it's not located downtown, it couldn't take advantage of the city's business security grant program, but now it can. .
The security camera footage shows a man breaking into the Sugar Daddy Women's Boutique on Stockdale Highway in early September.
“We don't even know what's going on. We don't have a good camera system so we can't check the cameras and they're both at different times, one window, the next. one door and the other window,” said store owner Heidi Shubin.
Now, as an added safety measure at her store, she locks the doors during business hours and uses a clicker to let customers in.
Shubin said the man broke into the store twice in the same week and was not eligible for assistance from the city at that time.
“We weren't in their area when this happened to me in September,” she said of the grant program's previous boundaries.
Thanks to community support, Shubin worked with West Coast Security Screens to add extra protection to her windows, but she says it wasn't enough.
“And yet, you know, it wasn't enough to replace our horrible cameras and security systems,” she said.
The City of Bakersfield announced at the end of March that it would expand its Business Security Grant Program to cover more areas of Bakersfield.
“I think what I hope is that people will feel more comfortable leaving work at night,” said Jenny Byers, economic and community development director for the city of Bakersfield. “I can't stand still.” one day. ”
The city used ARPA funds in the original program to help support 71 businesses, but funding was limited to targeted census tracts.
Now, Byers says the city has used crime heat maps to identify boundaries that will help more businesses.
This would require applicants to file police reports, which would allow the police department to better understand where crime is occurring in Bakersfield.
“It’s amazing that 142 businesses will feel more secure if we can help 71 more businesses,” Byers added.
Byers said seven people have already applied and there is also an interest list of about 20 people, including Shubin, who plans to apply for camera and security system upgrades.
“There's a lot of blind sports out there and the visibility is terrible, so we'd like to upgrade that,” she said.
If you would like to apply for the program, learn more here.
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