The Sisters Ice Cream Shop in Northeast Lincoln has been open for about three months. But Bernard Jones says his business has already been burglarized twice.

"We're no longer doing things as we did before," Jones says. "We have to be more security conscious."

Police say sometime during the overnight hours of November 5th to November 6th, someone broke into The Sisters Ice Cream Shop by busting out a window. Once they got inside, they stole cash and cigarettes. The total theft loss was around $3,600, and that's not counting the $400 in damage left behind.

A similar crime was reported on October 25th. Police say again, someone broke a window to get into the store, and stole money and cigarettes to the tune of about $6,300. Authorities are now asking for the public's help to identify the suspects.

"The total theft loss is about $10,000 when you add these up, and even the damage is approaching $1,000, so it's pretty significant," LPD officer Matt Tangen says.

For their part, Bernard Jones and co-worker Darrell Robinson hope to keep the business going. Their future goal is to use the store as a place where recovering female drug abusers can find work while they make the transition from prison to the real world. For now, though, they hope someone is held responsible for the recent break-ins.

"I'm hoping these people will look inside themselves and see that what they are doing could ultimately hurt a lot of people," Jones says.