Kirsten Larsen
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 26/99) - The owners of Giorgio's Italian Restaurant are not leaving anything to chance after two windows were recently smashed out of the building by thieves who stole only a few bottles of liquor.

The thieves broke in during the early morning hours Saturday, Feb. 13, smashing two front windows, but neither damaged nor took anything else from inside the restaurant besides eight or 10 bottles of hard liquor.

Rocco Meraglia, co-owner of the family business, is appalled at the senseless disregard the thieves had and said he is not going to let the business become a target for future break-ins. He is planing on having shutters installed on the outside of the windows to protect the building from any future incidents.

The two front windows which were smashed out during the break-in are expected to cost $1,000 to replace, which Meraglia thinks is disappointing considering the amount of liquor the thieves took.

"The amount of damage done as compared to the amount of product taken...it's hardly worth it," said Meraglia. "A couple of bottles of Scotch we were missing -- about eight to 10 bottles. The till was untouched the TV and VCR and stereo untouched."

Cpl. Phil Guspodarchuck of the RCMP said that alcohol is commonly the motivation in break and enters involving Yellowknife businesses.

"Most of the break- ins are alcohol related," said Cpl. Guspodarchuck. "It's usually alcohol they are after and money if it's around. It's fairly common, but not so much lately as before. Years ago it used to be a great problem."

Cpl. Guspodarchuck said that the break-ins in past years were normally found to have been connected and were often committed by interconnected groups of people.

"It's usually groups of active criminals that get into that," said Guspodarchuck.

"It's usually the same culprits. Usually when we catch up to them they've got two or three (break and enters) under their belt."

The RCMP have identified one suspect in regards to the break-in of Giorgio's restaurant, but Cpl. Guspodarchuck said the individual has not been questioned yet. Cpl. Guspodarchuck did not say whether the suspect or the incident is being investigated in connection with any of the three break and enters which occurred at the Bistro on Jan. 3 1999, and Dec. 22 and Oct. 31, 1998. The three break-ins at the Bistro were alcohol related with only small amounts of money and bottles of alcohol stolen in each incident.

Meraglia said that although Giorgio's has only experienced one break-in, the building, which is owned by his family, has had its share of break ins while other restaurants were in operation there.

"We've had a couple of break ins before," said Meraglia. "Twice in '95 and once about '87.

"The thing is I don't know why they're not catching these guys. They are seeing how easy it is (to break into restaurants). It's becoming copy cat."

Cpl. Guspodarchuck said that catching the criminals responsible for break and enters is usually accomplished through investigating and interviewing people, and getting people who may know something about the crime to talk.

"Fingerprints are fairly difficult because it's a bar, unless they (the fingerprints) are really fresh it's not likely to (reveal anything concrete)," said Cpl. Guspodarchuck. "These things are usually solved through information and investigations on the street."