VICTORIA -- Victoria police say that two similar break-ins and thefts occurred at downtown businesses over the weekend.

The first break-in incident, which police describe as a “smash and grab,” took place at a business in the 900-block of Gordon Street on Friday night.

Investigators say that someone gained entry to the business by smashing open a glass door. Once inside, they stole several hundred dollars in cash from a register in the business.

Police say the break-in was reported Saturday morning and no alarm was triggered overnight. No surveillance video of the incident was available.

The next morning, on Dec. 13, police received a report of a similar smash and grab break-in at a business in the 900-block of Fort Street.

Police believe that someone broke the glass front door of the store and stole from a cash float inside. An alarm in the business was activated around 6 a.m., though no video surveillance captured the incident.

Victoria police recommend that business owners remove all cash from registers overnight and that they have alarms and surveillance cameras installed. The cameras should be facing the front door of the business, say police.

Anyone with information on either incident is asked to call VicPD’s non-emergency line at 250-995-7654 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.