FOLEY — A wave of burglaries in the downtown area of the city over the past weekend has police and business owners vigilant.

As of Monday, Foley Police Department said approximately 15 businesses downtown were "entered and mostly ransacked" by a person or people who appeared to be looking for money.

Entry to the businesses was made by prying open rear doors or breaking glass out of front doors, according to a FPD press release issued Monday.

One of the businesses burglarized had a handgun stolen the release said.

"There are people we found in the past who knew things about a crime that could have helped us if we had only known," said Lt. David White, lead investigator at FPD.

"If anybody has seen anything suspicious call the police department, no matter how petty you think it might be."

Among the precautions FPD has urged business owners to take are the following:

Don't leave cash in a place of business overnight.

Leave blinds open so police patrols can see inside the business.

Leave extra lights on inside.

Make certain personal information, such as employees' Social Security numbers and other vital information, is protected.

Businesses that were burglarized were mostly locally owned shops along Laurel Avenue (U.S. Highway 98) and McKenzie Street (Ala. Highway 59). The businesses were in close proximity to each other the release said.

The cities of Fairhope and Daphne have recently experienced a rash of burglaries similar to what occurred last weekend in Foley.

Police continue to investigate the burglaries and pursue leads, White said on Tuesday.