By Jeff Lehr

jlehr@joplinglobe.com

The darkened streets of Joplin during the current power outage may be inviting break-in attempts at businesses.

A police officer on patrol at 3:12 a.m. Tuesday spotted the glass of the front door shattered at Hall’s Food Mart, 2002 S. Bird Ave. An investigation showed that someone broke the glass with a brick, entered the store and stole an undetermined amount of liquor.

Cpl. Chuck Niess, with the Joplin Police Department, said the break-in apparently took place sometime between the store’s closing at 10:30 p.m. Monday and the officer’s discovery.

A short time before that, at 2:57 a.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a report of an alarm at Alps Liquor, 2602 S. Main St.

Someone broke the glass of the front door with a concrete block, but no entry was believed to have been gained, Niess said.

About four or five people were spotted by an officer about 10:30 p.m. Monday near Discount Smokes & Liquor, 1817 S. Main St., Niess said. The people fled when they spotted the officer’s vehicle, Niess said.

At 5:19 a.m. Tuesday, the glass in the front door of that business was found to have been broken with a brick or rock. But the glass had not fallen out, and no entry to the store was believed to have been gained, Niess said.

Officers found evidence of similarly unsuccessful break-in attempts Tuesday morning at the Fortune East restaurant, 1515 W. 10th St., and at The Store convenience store, 1210 E. 15th St. A drive-through window was pried out of its track at Fortune East, and a handle on the back door of The Store was broken off.