South Bend daycare burglarized is amping up security to keep kids safe

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A new daycare downtown was a target of a burglary over the weekend. Now, the daycare is amping up security after being open for just three weeks.

The suspect smashed a window and managed to get inside to take a TV without setting off any alarms.

“Saturday morning I came to do a tour with a new family and I noticed one of our windows was broken out,” Ramal Winfield, the owner of Bright Beginnings Daycare, said.

She already has 10 security camera installed both inside and outside the building. However, the incident was not caught on camera. The robber entered the daycare from the only part of the outer building that did not have a camera.

There was a security camera near the room where the TV was stolen from but, after hours, the system relies on motion sensors to begin recording when they sense a person inside. There were none in the room, which is why the owner said she will be adding more motion sensors.

“We’re actually getting more security measures installed because of Saturday,” Winfield said. “There’s camera in the entry way, there’s camera in every classroom, there’s motion detectors when we’re not open.”

She is also taking steps to add gates on all the windows on the property so what happened Saturday won’t happen again.

“Some parents may be skeptical of the area being that there is homeless people walking around but we have a lot of safety precautions that we take,” Winfield said.

Parents who bring their children to the daycare said the security features both inside and outside the daycare give them peace of mind.

“I really wouldn’t bring her here if I didn’t feel safe,” Tierra Robinson said. “I think they’re prepared for it because I see people daily checking on the cameras making sure they’re up and running.”

The added security and care from the owners is the reason most parents said they will continue to bring their kids to Bright Beginnings.