Darian Trotter WGNO News

January 26, 2012
METAIRIE—
Neighborhood bars are beefing up security, as Jefferson Parish detectives investigate a string of armed robberies and burglaries.

They are cozy little hot spots where the good times roll.

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"An amazing time," bartender Jen Hale said.

And in Metairie, there's a neighborhood bar on just about every corner.

"It's just such a comfortable place to come and have a good time with all your friends and stuff and enjoy yourself," long-time customer Steven Wood said.

Customers prefer neighborhood bars over larger watering holes because they are more intimate; but Jefferson Parish investigators will tell you neighborhood bars off the beaten path have recently been the choice of thieves.

Detectives are tracking leads in a string of armed robberies and burglaries at bars... Sometimes several in a single night.

"I would have never guessed they went to that many bars in one night and not get caught," Hale said.

"I think it's somebody that passes by and says this might be an easy target," Wood said.

That's why bar owners are now adding layers of security.

Staffers and customers are doing their part too.

"We're all kind of keeping our eye out, if there's any kind of strange behavior or someone, you don't know, you're kind of like who's that,"Hale said.

This long-time customer says parents of suspected offenders need to step up and do their part.

"If they come home with new tennis shoes and new clothes, and he has no job; the mother should know that something is not right with their son," Wood said.

As police focus on catching the bad guy; regulars at neighborhood bars say they won't lose focus on what keeps them coming back again and again.

"We're the turtle, of course not. Of course we have a great time," Hale said.

Police are investigating the rash of crime, and neighborhoods in the targeted area are banding together to help keep watch.