Around 25 Idyllwild business owners and concerned residents met for the second time on Friday, Jan. 11, to devise a coordinated response to recent commercial burglaries.

Organizers discussed a number of possible scenarios, including hiring a private armed response security firm to patrol during the early morning hours these burglaries have occurred.

Patrol advocates say an account would be established at the local BBVA Compass Bank to which merchants could contribute to fund the security patrol.

The fund has already been seeded with a $1,000 dollar contribution. The contribution levels from local merchants would determine how many nights for which the patrol could be hired.

Current discussion also involves augmenting that patrol with private citizen surveillance patrols on the nights the security firm is not working.

Organizers said a patrol presence would keep criminals off guard and help deter more burglaries.

Hemet Station Special Investigations Supervisor Sgt. Wallace Clear spoke to the group about a pattern of burglary attempts every two weeks or so, and always around the same hours, 4 or 5 a.m.

Merchants plan to meet again to finalize arrangements for volunteer patrols and contracting a private security firm.