BLOOMINGTON - On a recent Saturday night, a Mugsy's Pub employee delivering food was robbed of $427 at gunpoint in northwest Normal. No driver will be carrying that kind of cash around again.

When the business opened the next day, owner Phil Boulds told his drivers to have no more than $20 in change at any one time. He doesn't want any other employees to be targets of robbers.

"These are very desperate times," Boulds said. "There are a lot of people who are not working."

The change helps improve safety and will act to deter crime, according to Normal police.

"I feel it is good policy not to carry much cash," said Normal Police Sgt. Dan Kelley.

"If that is well known in the community, it will be deterrent."

The latest robbery of a food delivery driver was 9 p.m. Sunday when a Monical's Pizza driver was robbed at gunpoint in the 800 block of West Jefferson Street after making a delivery, said Duane Moss, Bloomington police spokesman. The victim described the suspects as two teenage boys with one gun. The two stole cash and personal items from the victim's pockets. While no formal arrests were made as of Monday, Moss said footprints in the snow were helping police. "It's a crime of opportunity," said Moss.

Boulds said his driver was very shaken.

"There were three guys in hoods. One guy had a gun. He pointed a gun to my driver's head," said Boulds. "They told him to lie face down on the ground. He heard a car leave."

Boulds said the driver wasn't able to give a complete description of any of the suspects. Kelley said no arrests have been made in the northwest Normal robbery.

Boulds said arrests in a rash of robberies of pizza delivery drivers in the Twin Cities made some people feel safer. But the robbery of his driver and the one Sunday means police are looking for new suspects.

In October, Normal police cleared the majority of the robberies with one arrest, said Kelley. A 15-year-old boy was arrested Oct. 24 in connection with armed robberies of four pizza delivery drivers earlier that week in Bloomington, two of them within an hour of each other two blocks apart.

The change Mugsy's made, to make sure drivers only carry a small amount of cash, is practiced at other Twin Cities food delivery businesses, too.

Robert Deal, driving manager for Tobin's Pizza at 1513 N. Main St., Bloomington, said his policy is not in response to recent crime, but a long held practice.

Patrick Fruin, owner of Flinger's Pizza, at 608 N. Main St., Bloomington, said his drivers are restricted to carrying no more than $25 in cash. They also don't deliver to motel rooms, but will only meet people in the lobby. They also don't deliver to street corners.

Similarly, Tobin's drivers take extra precautions. They are cautioned to leave and not deliver food if they see anyone or anything suspicious. Tobin's also has to be able to call back phone numbers, or they won't deliver. Also, if there is a history of problems at a particular location, even a particular apartment complex, drivers will make other arrangements, such as delivering the food to a public place like a nearby business.

Mugsy's also follows the call-back rule. The business, at 1310 N. Main St., Bloomington, must be able to verify the number and call it back, or the food won't be delivered.

Before the most recent robbery, the number dialed came back with no number on caller ID, and no one from the business dialed the number. Now, everyone will get a call back and if they don't verify, the order is canceled. Customers also are asked how they will be paying and told the driver won't have more than $20.

"It was definitely a set-up," said Boulds, adding drivers also face other security issues such as poor lighting and poorly-marked apartment buildings.

"They're still extremely hard to find sometimes," said Boulds, especially after dark.