Three suspects broke into the beloved dive bar Clooney’s Pub early Monday morning and made off with an ATM, resulting in thousands of dollars in losses, according to the San Francisco Police Department.
The incident took place around 2:45 a.m., according to Dan Lyons, owner of Clooney’s Pub and the building’s manager. “Boy, they hit us pretty hard,” he said. “They came in through the front door, broke the front door. They got the ATM machine. They broke into the office. They broke into the liquor room.”
According to Lyons, a tenant in the building reported the burglary to the police, who responded to the bar at Valencia and 25th streets at about 3:17 a.m. “They were very, very loud. They’re so brazen, they don’t care, because they feel like there’s no consequences and they just keep coming back,” said Lyons.
When the police arrived, one suspect was inside a vehicle and two others were about to exit Clooney’s Pub and enter the vehicle, according to the SFPD. The suspect crashed into a police patrol vehicle while fleeing the scene at a high speed.
The loss was “substantial,” said Lyons, who plans to upgrade the bar to beef up security, including adding more cameras.
He mentioned recent burglaries at other small businesses in the area, including Martha & Brothers Coffee Company at 24th and Sanchez streets, The Peaks at 24th and Castro streets, and Happy Donuts at 24th and Church streets. “All the businesses are getting hurt, and nobody’s here to help us.”
The bar is named after Lyons’ grandfather, Joe Clooney, who opened Clooney’s Pub near Moscone Center in the 1940s. Lyons took over in 1995.
On Tuesday afternoon, the bar was packed with regulars who said the incident was horrible, and pointed out a space against the wall by the doorway, where the ATM once stood. Scratches from the forced entry remained on the front door.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous.
So, the police declined to pursue the thieves who were caught red-handed? Stolen car, no doubt, and damage to a police vehicle notwithstanding. If that’s the case, it sounds like SFPD puts as much into their job as the mayor puts into governing.
Is the SFPD even allowed to pursue criminals? I thought that for “public safety” reasons they weren’t allowed to.
The same thing happened at Jump Start on Guerrero and 24th last week. Same MO. Probably the same outfit.