REDMOND, Wash — A Redmond pot shop was targeted in a crash-and-grab burglary early Thursday morning, making it the fifth time in the past year that it has been hit.
Redmond police say officers responded to Hashtag Cannabis on Leary Way around 2:40 a.m. Thursday after a report of a vehicle crashed into the side of the building.
Surveillance video shows two vehicles full of people get out as an SUV backs into the building several times and smashes the window, allowing the suspects to enter. There appear to be 8-9 suspects who all brought trash bags into the pot shop.
The same Hashtag location was hit in a similar crash-and-grab on Aug. 8 that KING 5 covered. In February, it was also targeted in an attempted burglary, although the suspects were unable to gain access to the building in that incident. The owner told KING 5 in August that Hashtag was also targeted in September 2023.
"This has happened so many times at this location, at this point I'm just waiting tonight, wondering when I'll be woken up in the middle of the night and out here sweeping up glass again," said Logan Bowers, owner of Hashtag Cannabis after Thursday morning's burglary.
Bowers said Hashtag's other two locations in Seattle and Everett don't have the same issues with repeated break-ins.
"The reason it happens here is because we can't protect our building from cars without permission from the city and the city repeatedly refuses to give us that permission or let us protect ourselves," Bowers told KING 5's Drew Andre at the scene Thursday.
Bowers told KING 5 the same thing after the August break-in, saying he has continued to request getting a permit for bollards that would deter cars from being able to crash into the building.
City of Redmond Communications Manager Derek Wing also spoke to KING 5 after the August break-in, and said the city has "previously met with the owners to discuss ways to fortify their business and make it safer." Those suggestions included adding concrete masonry to fill gaps near the doors, installing a steel-reinforced door and securely storing cannabis products after closing.
Wing said Redmond did receive a request to install bollards, but cannot let Hashtag Cannabis install the posts due to city code and utility line locations in the area.
Redmond Mayor Angela Birney told KING 5 in August that Hashtag needs to take the city's recommendations for other security measures due to what they say makes installing bollards untenable.
“Bollards have to be attached to the ground and there’s a lot of infrastructure in the sidewalk there. There’s no way we can put it in without causing major damage to fiber and other utilities in the ground. We’ve told them that,” Mayor Birney said. “Part of the solution for them is to follow the advice of the police department. They need to lock up their goods when they're not in the store because it's happening when they're not there and they're not securing their products."
KING 5's Cornelius Hocker contributed to this report.