Downtown Albany businesses were destroyed

Albany, Ga. (WALB) – Some downtown Albany businesses still have boarded up windows days after many were damaged.

According to eyewitnesses, a man threw himself against the glass windows and doors. Paisley Painting owner Missy Whitney said she still feels safe downtown despite the incident.

“I feel very safe downtown. I really don’t have any problem,” she says.

Whitney has been a business owner for 3 years. In that time, she said she hasn’t seen much trouble, but this week she called when she was out of town.

“My staff will be here on Wednesday morning. I was in Atlanta. She called me and (she’s sending me pictures of someone walking into the store),” Whitney said.

Whitney said the person who broke the glass did not enter her store. The man who did it also broke the glass in other businesses like Homerun Foods and World Finance.

Whitney said the man who walked in her door wasn’t trying to steal anything. She added that these types of incidents are rare for the downtown area and that the man was “throwing himself through windows and anything else he could find.”

Since then, the glass has been cleaned and the door replaced.

The headquarters of the Albany Police Department is located a short distance from the Whitney store. She said they are always quick to respond.

“There was someone who came in and started some things. I immediately called them. They were here in less than a minute,” Whitney said.

Whitney said she still plans to install more cameras and would like to see the city add more downtown lights. She also believes that it will make the city center more lively and safer.

Copyright 2023 WALB. all rights reserved.