The Westbrook police are investigating an attempted robbery at a Main Street secondhand clothing store that is the latest in a rash of robberies they believe are drug-related.

Police have investigated eight robberies of commercial places in the last month and a half, which they believe are by drug-addicted persons attempting to acquire cash to feed their habits.

“We’re looking at all of these robberies in Westbrook and also Portland as being possibly connected,” said Westbrook Police Capt. Tom Roth.

The latest robbery occurred last Friday at approximately 4 p.m. at My Sister’s Closet secondhand clothing store at 917 Main St. According to Roth, two men entered the store and demanded money. He said both men were described as having dark complexions and one was wearing a brown shirt. The two men did not display a weapon during the incident, Roth said.

However, storeowner Madeline Ireland said one of the men, who was wearing a gray shirt, put his hand under his shirt and pointed what might have been a gun at her, although she never saw one.

Ireland said the two men came into the store and came up to the counter, and the one in the gray shirt told her to give her the money in the cash register. Ireland said she thought the man in the gray shirt, who did all the talking, had a foreign accent.

While the men stood there, Ireland said she stalled, asking them again what they wanted. When the one in the gray shirt asked for the money again, she told him that the cash drawer was all locked up for the day.

“I took a chance they didn’t know the procedure,” she said. “I called their bluff.”

Ireland said the man in the gray began punching the keys on the cash register trying to get it open, unsuccessfully. Meanwhile, she said she slunk around the counter and headed for the door. She said she ran out and across the street to the Friendly Discount convenience store. She said the man who hadn’t spoken ran out right after her and headed down Main Street towards CVS.

At the same time, Ireland’s elderly friend Alton Williams was still in the store with the first man who was punching the keys to get the register open. Williams said he grabbed a handful of clothes hangers and was getting ready to hit the man over the head when the man turned and fled.

As Ireland reached Friendly Discount, she said she saw the second man come out of the store and run down Main Street after his partner. She went into Friendly Discount and asked them to call the police.

“It’s a hard thing to put up with,” Ireland said about not giving in to the robbers.

Ireland said the two men were clean-shaven, had dark hair and weren’t wearing sunglasses.

“They didn’t look like criminals,” she said. “They were both pretty good-looking, I thought. I guess you can’t tell a criminal.”

Westbrook police have distributed a number of handouts to local businesses that seem to be the target of this rash of burglaries. The handouts address how employees of these businesses can say safe during robberies and how they can help police by being good witnesses.

“Most of the occurrences of robbery this year have been focused on small businesses ranging from gas stations to variety stores and coffee shops to manicure shops,” said Westbrook Police Chief Paul McCarthy.

Roth said the police are very concerned about the rash of drug-related crimes, which he said are indicative of a larger drug problem in the city.

“We’re very concerned about them,” said Roth. “Any time you have people going into stores and threatening people and asking for money, you have a potentially very bad situation.”

McCarthy said most of the suspects in these crimes tend to be newly addicted males up to the age of 30. He said most of them have turned to crime after borrowing and stealing money from family and friends. After that, they turn to holdups.

McCarthy said most drug users who are older and are seeking treatment have jobs and are making an effort to got their lives back together. Most crimes are by new addicts who haven’t reached a turning point yet.

“The sad part is, over 30 they’re either dead or seen the light and are in treatment of some kind,” said McCarthy.

In cases of holdups, police are encouraging employees to cooperate with the robbers. They said employees should observe the robber as closely as possible for details, then lock the door as soon as they leave, look to see where they go and what kind of vehicle they’re driving and then call the police.

Roth said anyone with any information regarding the incident on Friday or any other attempted robbery should call the Westbrook Police Department’s detective division at 854-2531.

Assistant Editor Mike Higgins contributed to this report

Westbrook police officers talk with the owners of a Main Street business that was the scene of an attempted robbery at approximately 4 p.m. on Friday.Westbrook Police Officer Thomas Haskell removes evidence from a Main Street store that was the scene of an attempted robbery Friday afternoon.

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