SEATTLE — A brazen burglary involving a Seattle legend, his small business, and the “Jaws of Life.”
Normally reserved for firefighters and first responders, the lifesaving device was used to break into Kemp’s Cannabis in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood early Saturday morning, resulting in thousands of dollars of property damage and stolen merchandise.
It’s something Tran Du had always anticipated, just not like this.
“In the back of my mind, I always knew it wasn’t a matter of if, but when somebody would try and target us. I didn’t expect it to be this way,” said Du, Kemp’s co-owner and general manager.
Du says the thief clearly knew what he was after, disabling cameras and heading directly for the ATMs once inside. The aftermath of the damage was still evident in the doorway the following week.
It’s nothing new for thieves to use a stolen car for a smash-and-grab, but what’s more alarming for Du, is seeing professional tools used to target his shop.
“Everyone I talked to said this is a completely new MO, where they’re using stolen government property to break in, and that’s a cause for concern,” he asserts.
Du says what’s even more disheartening than the shop being targeted is the police response, particularly the lack of concern for property damage. This incident provides an opportunity to beef up security and reassess how the shop operates.
“This has definitely highlighted some flaws that we had,” acknowledged Du. “So, we definitely are spending a lot more money now than we had to in the past. This is going to happen again. So, we’re increasing our security measures.”
Du says he’s lucky it’s just property damage, and that even though the shop was empty at the time, he feels for his employees. He doesn’t want to see them in harm’s way.
Workers like Johnmicko Ward, who has dealt with a wave of crime around the community. That includes his car being broken into in the shop’s parking lot, just a few days before the shop was burglarized.
“Shawn Kemp’s a staple for this community. For this to happen is bizarre,” said the SODO shop employee. “I just hope all the burglaries and stuff stop.”
Meanwhile, Du says the shop will install rolldown barriers on both of its doors. He also recognizes that product prices and the cost of labor will likely increase as a result of the attack ― all of which is a saddening reality as authorities continue to search for the culprit.
It should be noted that this is the first such incident or break-in between this SODO shop and Kemp’s Cannabis Belltown location, which has been open for about six years.
They are open and operating as usual. However, this burglary will cost the shop an estimated $25,000 to $30,000 in property damage and stolen products, and it will take some time to rebuild the trust between Kemp’s Cannabis and the community.
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