Reports of break-ins away from Brooklyn Center in Minneapolis and St Paul in the nights of unrest following Daunte Wright’s death, business owners, particularly in precious damaged parts of the Twin Cities when George Floyd died, are banding together.
Robert Rice, the owner of Pow Wow Grounds Coffee in south Minneapolis says he anticipates those protesters in front of the Brooklyn Center Police Headquarters to disperse to other areas in the city after the cities curfew in enforced.
"When they break up the protests over there, people are going to scatter so they might end up over in this area."
Since Sunday night, about 60 community members and small business owners have made Pow Wow Grounds a hub as they patrol neighborhood business corridors throughout Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center communicating and providing an alluding deterrent. Rice says, by simply being around.
"I think having a presence is what dissuades people from trying to get into the buildings. I mean, we're here."
Rice says some of about 60 community members communicating with him on these nights are licensed to carry concealed firearms, but that many of them hope just being present, will be enough to deter any potential looters.
"You're going to come here to loot when there's people standing around that are watching stuff. Or are you going to find a place that there's nobody around."