Jewellery store owner frustrated with yet another break-in

Susan Middaugh has been running Pearls jewellery store for more than 43 years. 

She never imagined her last day of business would finish up this way.  

The store was holding its final closing sale on Saturday but at 6 a.m. on Sunday police responded to an alarm at the store in the 100 block of Main Street.  

Police say the unknown suspects entered the store by breaking a window, adding that several cabinets were broken into and several thousand dollars’ worth of jewellery was stolen.

"I don't know who the people are breaking in but they just ransacked our store and I know they were looking for cash which is something we have never left in the store," said Middaugh. 

"They took anything of value that was left." 

Police have asked their Forensic Identification Unit to help out with the investigation. 

Middaugh says the store has a security system, but that has not stopped robbers from breaking in three times already in 2019.  

"Why would you break into a store on its last day," wonders Middaugh.   

"It is very disheartening after all this time in business and it is very sad to see the decline of Main Street because there is so much potential down there." 

Middaugh says this is another indication of the challenges of running a business in downtown North Bay these days. 

"There is a real problem on Main Street, and people just seem to be ignoring it and I think it really needs to be addressed," said Middaugh.  

"There is a serious drug addiction problem in the downtown core and there are also mental health problems down there. I guess it is such a large problem that they really do not know what to do about it but they certainly have to do something about it because repeatedly we hear from our customers that they are nervous on Main Street, scared because of the people that are hanging around down there." 

Middaugh suggests perhaps the solution is downtown police foot patrols again or a police satellite office set up in the downtown area. 

"Every night when the stores were closing there were police on the street and they would actually check the doors of the stores to make sure they had been locked," Middaugh recalls. 

"There have always been some odd people in the downtown, but nothing like what is down there now." 

Anyone with information that may assist police with this investigation is asked to call the North Bay Police Service at 705-497-5555 and select option 9 to speak to a police officer.

For those who wish to remain anonymous, contact Near North Crime Stoppers, by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by submitting a tip online at nearnorthcrimestoppers.com.