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A recent string of robberies in Cibola County, centered in Grants, have begun targeting the Double Six Art Gallery. The gallery was robbed twice in 10 days. Grants Police Department is actively investigating the robberies. Courtesy Photo
GRANTS, N.M. – A string of robberies is hampering the City of Grants. For months, Grants residents have been dealing with petty burglaries, lawbreakers going into residential yards and stealing lawn ornaments and the like. Then, earlier in the month, a city work truck was stolen from Grants Memorial Park. Now, Double Six Art Gallery has been broken into twice. Grants Police Department is, as of press time, operating without a chief. Despite this, the dedicated staff at GPD is working tirelessly to investigate cases and keep the department running while trying to keep the community safe. The department has a low level of manpower, but is still working to keep the community safe.
The Double Six Art Gallery is a nonprofit, they work to bring art and culture to the Cibola Community. They offer local artists an opportunity to showcase their art and even sell it to collectors.
The first time GPD responded to a robbery at the Double Six was on September 9. Several $20 bills, dated computers, and artwork from the walls were stolen from the gallery. The lawbreaker did leave several clear fingerprints on the side door they used to break into the building. Unfortunately, due to a lack of video surveillance both at the gallery and surrounding businesses, there was no photo taken of the assailant. Despite this, police did manage to lift the finger prints for analysis.
The most recent robbery of the gallery occurred on September 19, where the front door was shattered so the burglars could enter. The GPD report for this crime was not ready as of press time.
The Double Six Art Gallery is housed in a building owned by the City of Grants, through their service agreement, the gallery can reside there rent-free so long as they provide the community opportunities to learn art. The gallery offers a lot of chances to the community, especially the youth to learn new art tricks and tips. The gallery also offers free movies for the community, classics, that people can watch for free. These classics teach lessons and skills that are discussed when the films end.
As volunteers of the gallery like to say, art is for everyone. Burglars defacing and stealing the art inside the gallery robs the community of culture.