Pharmacy Burglaries Cause Concern for Police
BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. – A burglary at a Haywood County pharmacy has police warning pharmacists and their patients of thieves. On Sunday, police said Shane Pruett broke out the window of the Brownsville Medical Clinic, stealing an undisclosed amount of Valium. Police said Pruett has a history of drug use. They said people with similar backgrounds are targeting locally-owned pharmacies. “They know what they’re looking for,” said Investigator Chuck Willis of the Brownsville Police Department. Willis said pharmacists aren’t the only ones who need to take precautions. Patients should be careful as well. “Sometimes we’ve seen them stolen from purses,” said Investigator Willis. “It is not wise to tell people that you take them, they will break into your house,” said Leigh Cummings, a Pharmacist at Brownsville Medical Clinic. Cummings said with the increase of illegal prescription drug use, the rise in crime isn’t a shock. Police said the penalties for illegal prescription drug use are becoming just as harsh as other illegal drugs like marijuana.
