By Katy Stech for The Post and Courier
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Vandals squeeze glue into locks of King Street businesses
Groups outside King Street stores early Friday morning weren't waiting for Black Friday sales to start. They were waiting for locksmiths.
Vandals squeezed glue into the front door keyholes of 70 downtown Charleston stores overnight, delaying some business openings and rattling already stressed store managers.
The vandalism didn't deter downtown shoppers, who usually start their bargain-hunting later in the day, but the incident added an unexpected twist to one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
As the downtown commercial district livened during the morning hours, clusters of shut-out sales employees commiserated over losing precious preparation time for the coming Black Friday crowd. Some managers said they were awaiting overnight instructions from corporate headquarters on things like pricing and display arrangement.
Meanwhile, a handful of locksmiths darted from one storefront to the next. They drilled into the keyholes, leaving a dusting of shiny metal shavings.
While the clerks outside retailers like Juicy Couture, Williams-Sonoma and Steve Madden politely awaited their turn, the owner of M. Dumas and Sons clothier decided to take matters into his own hands.
Shortly before the store's special 6 a.m. opening, eight groups of shoppers had lined up outside the store's entrance, eager to take advantage of its three-hour, 35 percent storewide discount. With the front door lock sealed and business at stake during these tough economic times, owner David Dumas made a critical decision.
"I said there was no way we were going to lose 1 1/2 to two hours of business when we had people waiting to get in," he said, noting that last year's Black Friday was the biggest sales day in the company's 88-year history.
So with Dumas' permission, a sales clerk swung a cinderblock through the glass front door, shattering it.
"We were open for business five minutes later," he said.
Dumas' store was one of the few retailers on King Street that opened early for Black Friday, a somewhat suburban holiday that is typically dominated by large retail chains.
Bleary-eyed downtown boutique employees, in the absence of the harsh fluorescent lighting found in big box stores, usually see business pick up in early afternoon. (It didn't help that the vandals glued the lock on Starbucks Coffee shop, too.)
"They'll come in after they get their electronics fix," said Nora Innis, who manages Affordables, a women's clothing shop. While only a few customers shopped early at the downtown store, Innis said that the chain's West Ashley and Mount Pleasant locations buzzed with bargain hunters.
Activity was even quiet outside the popular Apple Store. About 30 minutes before the store's 9 a.m. opening, West Ashley resident Norm Shea was the only potential customers who peered through its glass window exterior.
Shea, who admitted he was more a Black Friday spectator than shopper, jokingly suggested the overnight vandals were trying to send an anti- capitalism message.
"I feel bad for the businesses, but I think it was kind of clever," he said.
State Rep. Chip Limehouse, R-Charleston, took the vandalism a little more seriously, calling it a "systematic assault" on the local business community.
"This is the time when we all need to be pulling together to make our economy better, and for some person to commit a crime of this nature — this is a lowdown trick," he said.
He added that he'd consider proposing legislation that would toughen penalties for those who commit property damage. Currently, a vandalism conviction is considered a misdemeanor and carries a maximum of five years in prison and possible fine if the amount of damage is between $1,000 and $5,000.
Charleston police public information officer Charles Francis estimated the glue caused several thousand dollars worth of damage. His department is reviewing a handful of surveillance tapes but didn't have any suspects Friday night.
The vandals also damaged at least one downtown home. Rob Concannon, who lives on King Street, came back from walking his dogs Thursday evening to find the lock to his condominium glued shut. He said the incident shows how the downtown commercial district, a gleaming shopping mecca during the day, can become an unsafe, unfriendly place at night.
"There's no police presence out here whatsoever," said Concannon, who owns Trio Club on Calhoun Street. "The police need to do a better job between the homeless guys, the graffiti and now this."
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