Police are searching for four robbers who targeted several businesses on East Gun Hill Road in December.

Authorities say the armed suspects held up a gas station, a deli and a clothing store, making off with cash and merchandise. One the perpetrators was caught on a surveillance camera. The suspects are described as men in their late teens and early 20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall.

Although police are linking the four suspects only to the three robberies on Gun Hill Road, merchants in the area say a bank and a pharmacy were also targeted in a similar fashion in recent months.

Storeowners on Gun Hill Road say reduced police presence in the neighborhood may be contributing to the rise in crime. They are hoping the local precincts will flood the area with officers to offset the upswing in robberies. For the time being, retailers are relying on technology and alertness.

?We keep our doors locked and cameras on, so if something happens, we can go back and look at [a] tape,? says Karen Vanderbug, of Eternal Beauty New York.