Tracey Dillard considered the possibility someone might burglarize her business as she shuttered the hair salon last month.
She closed Hairbenders as part of the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
"It crossed my mind," she said of a possible break-in during the closure. "There is no one around."
Dillard drives by the business on Main Street in Gentry every day and goes inside at least twice a week to make sure all is secure.
Law enforcement officials across the region said they checked on closed businesses before the pandemic and continue to do so. None noted an increase in commercial burglaries.
Some agencies have seen a decrease in residential burglaries and traffic accidents, but vandalism can be a problem, they said.
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Gentry Police Chief Clay Stewart said his officers checked businesses at night before the coronavirus outbreak. Officers now check businesses during the day because some are closed. Covid-19 also has impacted patrols at parks and schools because they are closed.
Derek Spicer with the Siloam Springs Police Department said some patrol patterns have been adjusted to check on businesses and city parks that are closed and to pay more attention to neighborhoods. Beyond that, not much has changed, he said.
"We want to be out and be present," Spicer said.
Chief Deputy Jay Cantrell with the Washington County sheriff's office said there hasn't been any directive to police to check closed businesses. He noted most of them are in cities and not in unincorporated parts of the county. If a small-business owner asks for a patrol, his name would be put on the extra patrol log, the same process as usual, he said.
Keith Foster with the Rogers Police Department said officers routinely do area checks as part of a work shift. An area check at night would include making sure business doors are locked, he said.
Minh Huynh, owner of Aloft Nails and Spa on West Pleasant Crossing Drive in Rogers, said she checks on her business at least once a week. The business is equipped with cameras, and no cash has been left there, she said. Besides, "who would want to steal acetone?" she asked.
"We have no income," she said. "I am ready to get back to work."
Jon Simpson, Bentonville Police chief, said many of the department's call service types, especially motor vehicle accidents, have dropped. Officers stay busy with extra patrols of businesses, parks, public areas and closed businesses.
There has been a rise in extra patrol calls in the city the last few weeks, Simpson said.
"We have not had a lot of business requests but have had residents express concerns when they see large groups or situations that don't seem to meet guidelines for social distancing," Simpson said.
Night-shift officers conduct some foot patrols and business door checks when situations call for it, he said.
Springdale police have always done extra patrols of businesses because most aren't open 24 hours a day, Lt. Jeff Taylor said. Officers who work the night shift typically will do more business patrols because most of them are closed.
The large number of people sheltering at home seems to be affecting crime in other ways, both good and bad, spokesmen said.
Sgt. Anthony Murphy with the Fayetteville Police Department said there was an uptick in breaking into vehicle calls when the pandemic first started, but it seems crime in general has trailed off because people are staying home.
But not all people. There were 22 vandalism calls last week compared with 12 in the same time frame last year, he said.
Fayetteville Police also are investigating a graffiti incident that happened about 12:30 a.m. April 14. The suspects spray-painted several buildings around the square causing thousands of dollars in damage, Murphy said.
Cantrell noted a slight dip in burglaries, probably because more people are at home.
Foster said he has seen many people out on trails and in the front yards of neighborhoods in Rogers. Their presence can act as informal police oversight, he said.
"Isn't that the essence of a neighborhood watch?" he said. "Neighbors looking out for each other cuts down on the number of opportunities" for criminals, he said.
Metro on 04/27/2020