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Shoals pharmacies taking precautions against criminals

By Josh Ault  bio|e-mail

MUSCLE SHOALS, AL (WAFF)  Some pharmacy owners are on edge after a recent increase in break-ins.  They are now taking special precautions to avoid being hit next.

The recent pharmacy break-ins include the one September 12th at Phil Campbell Drugs.  A suspect shot at an officer, then fled.  Then Wednesday, a suspect was shot in the parking lot of Concord Baptist Church in Russellville.  He is accused of trying to break into the Hometown Pharmacy, located across the street.

"The drug trafficking in the community has become a highlight of a lot of burglaries of pharmacies," said Kevin Arnold, the pharmacist at Village Discount Drugs in Muscle Shoals, "It is a concern."

Arnold has thought a lot about keeping burglars out.

"We of course have an alarm system, and motion censors if glass breaks," said Arnold, "Good doors."

An advantage this pharmacy has is location, they are directly across from the Muscle Shoals Police Department.

"That's a good deterrent as any I would say," said Arnold.

"A lot of times these people are going to case these places out to see what the normal everyday routine is," said Chris Hargett, Russellville Police Chief.

Hargett said pharmacy owners need to be on the look out for customers who come in and do not buy anything. 

He said the key is for residents to be on the look out of suspicious behavior around a pharmacy when they are closed.

Even though, Village Discount Drugs is located directly across from the police department, they have been broken into.  Someone came in through their drive-thru window.  That suspect was caught.

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