BROWNSVILLE – Merchants in downtown Brownsville say they’ve struggled to attract customers because of ongoing petty crimes.

Café owner Laura Focerrada tells CHANNEL 5 NEWS her vehicle has been broken into at least three times while parked downtown.

She says her customers have also been victims of break-ins, which has negatively impacted her business.

City commissioners recently voted to invest over $498,000 in video surveillance.

KRGV’s Daisy Martinez spoke to one city commissioner who voted against the security measure.

Watch the video above for the full story.