Willow Glen is known for its quaint charm and affluent San Jose neighborhoods, but a surge in crime is making local businesses uneasy.
Downtown Willow Glen, a small strip of shops along Lincoln Avenue, has experienced about 30 reports of vandalism and theft since June, according to San Jose Police Department data. Some of those incidents included more serious burglaries. The data includes two incidents at Icicles and Ume Tea early this month, or a break-in at Sushi Arashi last month. Those numbers pale in comparison to other areas like Santa Clara Street in downtown San Jose, with about 70 reports of break-ins and thefts between North Almaden Boulevard and South Eighth Street in the same time frame.
Local Willow Glen business owners said the uptick in vandalism and break-ins has them on alert for property damage. These petty crimes don’t often result in significant theft, a pattern businesses note as odd, but still cause damage…