PACOIMA : Shop Entrance Is Reinforced

After looters took hundreds of dollars worth of stereos and televisions from Halls Furniture & Appliance store in Pacoima last year, store managers installed security measures aimed at deterring future incidents.

The windows were covered with stucco, and steel posts were placed in front of the store entrance, which had been destroyed after a stolen pickup truck was driven through the double doors, store supervisor Terry Smith said.

“We secured the building as much as it could be secured,” Smith said. “We had to remodel after the riot anyway. We just decided to reinforce the store.”

If unrest ever occurs again, Smith said employees have been instructed to close up the store and go home. “We’re not going to risk people’s lives to try to protect merchandise,” he said. “We’re insured.”