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Some local business leaders remain confident in the security of their 14th Street locations, but others have concerns after burglars stole $20,000 worth of merchandise from Commonwealth last week.

These owners say the area is generally safe with increased police presence during the crime uptick.

鈥�14th Street is getting a little tough at night, late nights,鈥� Lupo Pizzeria owner Med Lahlou said. 鈥淸Police hanging around] are trying to clean up the mess that鈥檚 happening late at night.鈥�

Three women in their early twenties were after midnight Sept. 10 at 14th and U streets for burglary, resisting arrest and fleeing from law enforcement, according to Metropolitan police. A Commonwealth employee said the streetwear brand is not commenting on the incident.

The burgled store is part of a quarter-square-mile section of D.C. 鈥� bordered by W and 16th streets to the north and west and ending near S and 9th streets to the south and east 鈥� that has had 21 burglaries in the last year, the highest out of any quarter-square-mile area in the District, according to a by the Metropolitan Police Department. Over the last year, the average number of burglaries in a quarter-square-mile area in D.C. is 3.7.聽

Kristi Maiselman, executive director of CulturalDC, said she finds the burglary concerning since it鈥檚 on the same block as the organization鈥檚 headquarters and performance venue, Source Theatre.

鈥淲e certainly took more precautions and let all of our resident organizations and tenants know to be sure that they鈥檙e making sure all the internal doors are locked when they鈥檙e leaving for the day,鈥� Maiselman said.

Businesses on 14th Street have different theft-prevention measures. CulturalDC has monitored security and external cameras. Lou Lou Boutique鈥檚 metal detector is positioned at the front doors. Yoga District encourages its students to keep their belongings near them during class. Georgetown Optician and CityPaws Animal Hospital have security gates. Som Records and Ron the Barber are at ease with just locking their doors at night 鈥� but Som Records has a sign on the door saying staff reports suspicious people and activity to law enforcement.

鈥淚 think if there were additional incidents, then we would certainly have to look at whether or not additional security during events was warranted,鈥� Maiselman said. 鈥淏ut given the timing of some of the events, you know it鈥檚 not happening right now during daylight business hours, which is good, but certainly that can change.鈥�

Maiselman鈥檚 main concern is how the crime affects the public鈥檚 desire to attend shows in the area.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been struggling to get people back to the theater at rates that are on par with before the pandemic, and so all of these events, all of this crime, gives our patrons more reason to not want to come and to not feel safe in what otherwise has been a very safe community for a very long period of time,鈥� she said.

Retired security consultant Chris McGoey, who was qualified to testify as an expert in state and federal courts for 40 years, describes stores as 鈥渂oxes鈥� with doors and windows. Typical security measures, he said, include locks, nightlights and burglar alarms.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the way it鈥檚 always been, and that always seemed to be enough,鈥� McGoey said. 鈥淣ow it doesn鈥檛. It doesn鈥檛 seem to be enough because the perpetrators in these sprees will force entry into the business.鈥�

He suggests business owners buy good insurance and fortify storefronts with plexiglass, commercial doors, high-tech alarms and video systems.聽

鈥淲hat [a burglarized business] was doing before, it didn鈥檛 work,鈥� McGoey said. 鈥淛ust making repairs and bringing it up to the same level, you really haven鈥檛 changed anything. A similar method could occur to you again; you could become a victim again.鈥�

Abigail Koller, manager of Lou Lou Boutique, said increased communication between 14th Street businesses would help each other to stay informed to prevent repeat offenses.

鈥淸I鈥檇 like] if all the stores on the street could come together on some form of forum or website and be like, 鈥楬ey, this person has been going from here to here,鈥欌�� Koller said.

Maiselman said 14th Street retailers work closely with the Logan Circle Main Street Group.

鈥淸Crime] is something that certainly everybody鈥檚 concerned about, and everybody is willing to participate and do what鈥檚 necessary to make sure that our patrons [feel safe],鈥� Maiselman said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been hard enough for everybody since the pandemic, and we don鈥檛 need one more reason for people to not want to come out.鈥�

Lahlou said his pizzeria hasn鈥檛 had any burglaries or security threats in its four years on 14th Street but remains cautious.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e always got to be careful, always watch your back,鈥� Lahlou said. 鈥淵ou never know.鈥�