WINDSOR—Windsor police at 2:30 a.m. Sunday believe they prevented an attempted looting of the Southern Food Store after Hurricane Irene left the town without power.

Police spotted four males looking in the windows of the convenience store at 1 East Windsor Blvd. and approached them, said Police Chief Vic Reynolds.

“Their excuses were they were wondering if the store was open,” Reynolds said. “We’re pretty sure their intention was to commit a crime. We had to release them because there was no criminal action.”

The police department had eight paid and volunteer officers on patrol during the storm, which dumped 12 inches of rain and left most of Western Tidewater in the dark.

“Literally almost every street in Windsor was being patrolled for the entire 24-hour period,” he said. “We knew we would lose power and we believed there would be some damage. The town didn’t suffer as bad as we expected.”