Weather Does Not Deter Robbers

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Restaurant incidents may be related
Posted: 8:22 AM Jan 13, 2009
Last Updated: 1:57 PM Jan 13, 2009
Reporter: WOWT
Email Address: sixonline@wowt.com

23 comments

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Omaha Police are investigating whether two robberies Monday night may have been the work of the same two men.

Two armed men entered the Popeye's restaurant at 61st and Ames around 8:15 p.m. When employees saw them come in they ran out the back door. The men left without taking any money.

The suspects were described as being dressed in black and wearing red bandanas over their faces.

About 15 minutes later, two men entered the McDonald's restaurant at 90th and Military, pulled a gun and demanded money. They took an undetermined amount of cash and ran off.

Again, the suspects were described as wearing all black with red bandanas over their faces.

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Posted by: To 959 on Jan 15, 2009 at 10:36 AM
2 wrongs may not make a right, but maybe it will DETER criminals...What they do isn't right, why should we handle them with kid gloves? Maybe if the justice system starts stooping to the criminals ways of "thinking" there would be less crime! What real deterrent do these people have NOT to commit crime?? None! It's time to show them some real punishment! Not necessarily with "cutting their hands off" but maybe some serious jail time...I'd rather use my taxmoney to pay for them to be there and STAY there than to keep seeing all these senseless killings and robberies!

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 14, 2009 at 02:28 PM
9:35, if you do not beleive in sin, what is it when someone steals, murders, etc? We would only lower ourselves to the criminals level if we returned tit for tat. let them know we are better...incarcerate them and make them work for the state.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 14, 2009 at 12:47 PM
9:35, Here's the deal. The gang bangers have more weapons than our police. The gang bangers have more money than our prison system. How would you pound them into the dirt when noone can identify or catch them? How about we stop their source of income, by ending the war on drugs. No income, no motive for violence, no gang initiation, no organized crime. It's easy to talk tough till you've been the one with the gun in your face. What if the next victim of a gang initiation is someone you care about? Will you think the war on drugs is worth it then? Noone has stopped drugs yet, but we can take away the power to distribute them to our children and terrorize us all by ending the drug war. Think about it because the alternative has only made things worse.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 14, 2009 at 09:35 AM
Well, 5:59, being a pro-responsibility atheist, I don't believe in sin, but I do believe in pounding scumbag violent criminals into the dirt where they belong - six feet under. Only a fool would not.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 14, 2009 at 05:50 AM
Your daily crime brought to you by the drug war. Did I say daily crime? Maybe I should have said hourly crime. Cut off the suspects hands? Put a bullet in their heads? We can't even find the suspects in the vast majority of these cases. One thing we can be pretty certain of. Most of these robberies are gang initiations. Gangs that are fueled and perpetuated by the drug war. Much like gang violence was perpetuated by prohibition in the 1920's. In the 1920's alcohol was illegal and most other drugs were legal. So during prohibition most of the gang violence was over the illegal distribution of alcohol. When prohibition was lifted this motivation for violence disappeared. Likewise, if the war on drugs were ended the motivation for the current wave of violence would be gone. Some may not like this idea, but drugs are not going away. We might as well get rid of most of the violence associated with drugs as well as the gangs the drug war has spawned.

Posted by: ann2 on Jan 14, 2009 at 05:25 AM
To Steve- anonyomous means the "good" people that carry guns that have permits etc... follow the signs no guns allowed signs... if the store allowed the people who are trained to use guns and respect the law could protect themselves and others from the hot headed robbers. One never knows how a situation will play out. If someone else is there with a gun it could get worse or it could help. Maybe catch the robber so he/she doesn't rob for awhile and the police have a little less searching to do.

Posted by: To OmahaAnnie & Funnygal on Jan 13, 2009 at 05:59 PM
Where do you stop? I saw a graphic video of a person who stole getting his hands cut off. It was barbaric. You may get angry about thievery but you had better not sin. The Holy Bible has the words- Be ye angry but sin not. You had better not be self-righteous when it comes to judging others. Plus, I really don't think that laughter is appropiate- FUNNYGAL. Christians are not suppose to take pleasure in the death of the wicked. It really is a very sad thing. There is a difference in rejoicing & taking pleasure. But being extreme & thinking it is funny? You stand in danger of being a fool. And I think you know what happens to fools. There are many many reason & excuses why people young & old resort to stealing. There is a system in life & it is not always right nor perfect. You must first catch the thief, get the full story & THEN perhaps decide to either judge the person yourself OR leave it up to smarter/wiser people. Keep in mind, Some things ARE JUSTIFIABLE, but 2 wrongs aren't right!

Posted by: Sick of all this crime! on Jan 13, 2009 at 05:29 PM
Satan is desperately trying to "drag down" as many souls with him as he can..and he seems to be doing a good job here in Omaha.

Posted by: ToddM on Jan 13, 2009 at 05:00 PM
Joshua - What are you talking about? That Obama's going to magically going to fix things with the wave of his hand? I hope you're being fecitious? It's nice to think that, but it almost sounds dillusional. What fixes this is to get the problems off the streets so that people, who actually obey the law, can live their lives.

Posted by: Dave on Jan 13, 2009 at 04:54 PM
A bullet to the head of a criminal will deter crime I bet. Or When caught brand them on the forehead when released from jail so everyone knows they are a criminal

Posted by: working in retail on Jan 13, 2009 at 04:27 PM
I agree that after dark people should have to be buzzed into a convenient store. Especially if only one person is on duty. Kwik Shop needs to take the lead and show that they care about employees by doing something for them now. Let's form citizen groups and start patroling the streets to make them safer. I'd be willing to drive around on my days off. The robbers would have no idea who we are or what we're doing, but we're watching you. We'll take you off the streets and then a lot of people will breathe easier.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 13, 2009 at 03:36 PM
Maybe eventually we won't be able to even use cash anymore. I mean, if it wasn't there to take, what would the robbers do then?

Posted by: Joshua on Jan 13, 2009 at 01:50 PM
Remember hopes and dreams thats how we can fix it... Just ask Pres-elect.. it will be fine hopes and dreams are better than 100's of years of normality of poor area's in American cities...

Posted by: ToddM on Jan 13, 2009 at 01:48 PM
I'm with OmahaAnnie and funnygal! Catch these guys and make it very painful, one way or another. The vast majority of people in Omaha are law abiding citizens. The losers, and they are, and people who don't want to get up in the morning and EARN their living are putting everyone else on edge. Do what you can, and I mean anything, to protect yourselves and possibly take another of lifes losers off the streets.

Posted by: steve on Jan 13, 2009 at 01:10 PM
to anonymous...I really doubt that no firearms allowed signs are gonna keep guns out of the building so I doubt that has anything to do with the places getting robbed. Its not like there is someone at the door checking or metal detectors in place!

Posted by: Kathy on Jan 13, 2009 at 12:49 PM
I bank at a credit union that has been robbed a couple of times. They now have to let you in by buzzing the door open. Why can't the Kwik Shops use this method - say from 10 pm to 5 am?

Posted by: LLR on Jan 13, 2009 at 10:54 AM
I'm surprised that McDonald's was even open in last night's weather, since they closed down one night last winter under similar conditions.

Posted by: funnygal on Jan 13, 2009 at 10:45 AM
haha cut off their hands. i wonder if all ofthese are being done y the same few people? not worth spending 10 yrs in prision mate.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 13, 2009 at 10:33 AM
As long as they keep robbing places with "no guns allowed" signs on the front door, they won't have to worry about legally armed customers, and as long as they hit places either with a policy against their employees carrying firearms like Kwik Shop (or places that employ mostly minors), they won't have to worry about legally armed employees. There are an awful lot of businesses in Omaha that fit those descriptions, tons and tons of them.

Posted by: Concerned Retail Worker on Jan 13, 2009 at 09:35 AM
I hate that all of this is going on. It is all very scary for me cause I work in retail. Let's all hope that they catch all of these people that think they are so bad off that they have to sink so low!

Posted by: JS on Jan 13, 2009 at 09:09 AM
I live near 90th and Military and have a daughter that works at a fast food restaurant in the area, I'm tempted to make her quit, it's just not worth it. There should be laws passed that when someone robs a "fast food" restaurant that primarily employees teens, tougher penalties should be addressed. Not to take away from the Kwik shops, but come on, what kind of people rob McDonalds? GET A JOB!

Posted by: OmahaAnnie on Jan 13, 2009 at 09:09 AM
Let's start cutting off the hands of those that steal. That may be the best defense.

Posted by: Jeff on Jan 13, 2009 at 08:41 AM
Smart on their part, but one of these days they're gonna get it from a store employee.