VIDALIA, La. &045; A string of business burglaries in Concordia Parish is still being investigated, but no arrests have been made so far, law enforcement officials said Thursday.

Sheriff Randy Maxwell said the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office is assisting the Vidalia and Ferriday police departments with the investigation.

Maxwell said business owners should know the burglars are apparently interested in cash.

&uot;I advise everybody to not leave cash in the store whatsoever,&uot; Maxwell said.

Maxwell suggested it might not be a bad idea for business owners to put signs in their windows saying they do not leave cash in the store to help deter the burglars.

In Ferriday, five stores were burglarized from July 16 through July 22, and Ferriday Police Chief Bobby Sheppard said the cases seem to be linked because of the nature of the burglaries &045; entrance through the roof &045; and because they were in close proximity.

Budget Build Lumber and Supply was the most recent case, along with UPak, Citgo, Family Dollar and a building adjacent to the Family Dollar in Ferriday.

In all the cases but the last, Sheppard said money was stolen.

In Vidalia, there have been two attempted burglaries &045; McDonough’s Package Store and the Tobacco Mart.

At the Tobacco Mart last Thursday, the burglar gained entry through the roof and the alarm went off once he was inside. Vidalia Police Chief Billy Hammers said his officers responded within three to four minutes and found no one in the store.

McDonough’s Package store was burglarized Sunday night.

Currently, 11 concrete blocks sit where an auxiliary air conditioning unit once fit in the wall. Owner Bill McDonough said the burglars tried to push the unit out to gain entry but instead wedged it in its opening.

They also tried to gain entrance by disassembling the ductwork, thinking someone could fit through it to get inside. There is also a hole in the wall that was not large enough for a person to fit through.

And, on the back cast iron door, the guard over the lock was bent back as a burglar made his way through that door, only to be stopped by a second door that had a bar on it.

&uot;They did everything they could to get in here but they just couldn’t get in,&uot; McDonough said of the $3,000 to $5,000 worth of damage done to his store.

McDonough said he moved to his current location on Carter Street after being robbed 15 times in his previous store’s last location &045; across the street. He has been in his current location since 1960 and this is the first break-in.

This burglary is being investigated with the others in the parish, including one at the Handy Pak in Ridgecrest, the only burglary that happened outside a city, Maxwell said.

However, Hammers said he is not sure if the McDonough’s burglary is connected because the way the burglar tried to gain entry to the building was different.

At Handy Pak, a burglar bent the tin on the back of the building before burrowing a hole through the wall. After entering, the burglar was seen on the security camera scooting around the store on his stomach, only taking a few cartons of cigarettes.

Sheppard and Hammers said their departments have increased patrols and are working with the Sheriff’s Office to solve the crimes.

Sheppard said it may not be a bad idea for businesses to purchase alarms. If a business has a silent alarm, the owners may want to consider an audible alarm that could scare off potential burglars,

he said.

Hammers agreed, saying the alarm at Tobacco Mart scared off the burglar or burglars.

McDonough has an alarm but said he is not sure it would have helped. The alarm does not go off when a person is trying to gain entry from the outside, only once a person enters the building &045; which, in some cases, may be too late.

Hammers and Sheppard said anyone with tips should call Crime Stoppers.

&uot;We hope to have some leads quick,&uot; Hammers said.