Amish Targeted Again In Business Break-Ins

Multiple Amish businesses on the border of Holmes and Wayne Counties have been robbed, reports Cleveland’s Fox 8.

Among the businesses are a produce stand, feed mill, and hardware store.

Criminals targeting the Amish is nothing new.

Sometimes it happens on the roads, with Amish confronted in their buggies and robbed, as in recent cases in Geauga County, Ohio, or in Ethridge, Tennessee.

In other cases, Amish shops and stores are seen as easier pickings.

Why do the bad guys go after Amish victims? In our post “Why Do Criminals Target The Amish?“, we looked at several reasons, including:

  • Amish are safer targets.  No personal-protection handguns to worry about
  • Less tech (limited access to phones, cars) makes reaching police harder
  • A belief they won’t involve authorities

This last one is often a mistaken belief, say those in the know.




It’s not true that Amish won’t prosecute or will avoid notifying law enforcement, according to Wayne County Sheriff’s Office Captain Doug Hunter.

“There was a time when they were very reluctant to do so,” explains Hunter, “but more recently, we’ve seen more of our Amish neighbors participate in reporting crime.”

In fact Amish, and the authorities who work with them, have gotten creative at times to thwart crime.

In one case in Lancaster County, a particularly beleaugered Amish shop owner – robbed six times in three months during a rash of multiple break-ins of multiple businesses over several months – used an infrared camera to capture images of the culprit.

In another, a male law enforcement officer went undercover as an Amish woman (with Amish cooperation) to catch a man exposing himself to Amish children.

While some Amish may still be reluctant to involve authorities, that’s clearly not the case for many. It remains to be seen if that knowledge will change the behavior of those thinking of the Amish as easy targets.

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    7 Comments

    1. elaine

      amish business break-ins

      get smarter, take the measures that you need to do so that it doesn’t happen again. inform the authority. and don’t use the choice of the culture of living amish as a reason why this is happening.

      being a victim is only possible if you allow it.

      1. When considering the Amish approach to authority it’s worth revisiting their beliefs on non-resistance. I think it’s safe to say some Amish would be reluctant to get authorities involved because calling the police could be seen as deploying force against another individual.

        It’s a tricky topic – I believe some would consider getting authorities involved part of a nuanced stance, while I’d guess others would call it a sign that Amish nonresistance has eroded.

        But the reality is that today Amish frequently get involved with law enforcement to varying degrees – such as the recent example of asking authorities for help in drug/alcohol education, or the dramatic case of their involvement in the Nickel Mines shooting and aftermath.

        https://amishamerica.com/why-dont-amish-serve-in-the-military/

        http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/09/amish_in_northern_dauphin_reac.html

    2. Break ins

      Maybe a German shepard or other breed of dog in the shop at night would convince the crooks to think twice! Just sayin….

      PS: Erik…We’re still waiting for your trip to Wisc to tour Amish settlements! 😉

      Safe in Christ,
      Terry

      1. A dog like that might do the trick 🙂 Thanks Terry, good to know the offer stands!

        1. I once got bit by an Amish dog when riding past an Amish farm near Centreville MI. The bite didn’t penetrate my shoe, though. The dog had always been hostile to me but not extremely aggressive; definitely not a pacifist, though. Maybe the owners saw what happened; it was the last time I ever saw that dog.

    3. Nancy

      sad and heartbreaking

      It’s such a shame to see something like this. They are such a peaceful people, minding their own business, raising their families, and trying to get along. Only someone under the influence of evil would attack them, rob them, and make trouble for them.

      1. Me

        It is sad

        I have sinned myself. I don’t consider myself evil, but I do feel badly for the stupid things I’ve done. The robbers might not know better. They need to learn it is wrong. The man exposing himself to amish children sounds evil to me but maybe he can learn. Is it possible Amish people have stolen from the stores?