Burglaries Down, But Stay Vigilant

Lubbock burglaries down, but keep an eye out

Published in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal: Sunday, May 30, 2010
by Robin Pyle


The good news: Burglaries appear to be dropping this year after a record high in 2009, when cases spiked 20 percent.  There were 261 fewer burglaries during the first four months of the year, according to police records.


The bad news: More than 2,000 Lubbock victims have reported burglaries already this year, so there's still a problem. And police officials say it could get even worse as property crimes generally rise during the summer months.


Residential and vehicle burglaries have become such a problem that neighborhoods and police have made prevention efforts a top priority this year.


Police continue to concentrate patrols in residential areas, but they say the public needs to get involved for widespread impact.


They agree getting to know your neighbors and watching out for suspicious behavior is important, especially during the day when most burglaries occur.


"A lot of it's up to the residents for us to catch burglars in progress," said Sgt. Mark Watkins, adding the vast majority of arrests are a result of residents observing and reporting suspicious behavior.


Burglaries historically have low clearance rates both locally and nationally, partly because they are usually random acts, according to police. The local department said there also is a problem with people not documenting their serial numbers, so police have trouble connecting property believed to be stolen to suspects.


There are several ways to get involved.


Example 1: Community building


Laura Anderson knows firsthand how important it is to know your neighbors. She helped stop a burglary in progress a number of years ago because of it.


When she saw somebody going into a neighbor's backyard, she immediately called police. Lubbock officers caught the burglars and broke up a crime ring, Anderson said.


That's one reason the mother believes her neighborhood's efforts to get its residents involved is so important.


The Tech Terrace neighborhood association is taking a unique approach.


Not only are members hosting more neighborhood events that draw the residents together - such as movie night in the park - they are working to get block captains.


The captains will be responsible for delivering newsletters to all residents in the fall, but Anderson said she hopes they also will be a person neighbors can go to with concerns and questions.


"We're really working to build a community again," said Deanna Pearson, a neighborhood association member. "When you have a community, you're watching out for each other."


One of the challenges of the Tech Terrace area is the transient aspect of many of its college residents, but Pearson said they will work hard in the fall to make students feel a part of the neighborhood.


Example 2: Neighborhood Watch


Many local residents have gotten organized when it comes to watching out for their neighbors by forming neighborhood watch groups.


Sgt. Bill Casey said residents can request that police officers meet with them to help form a watch. The department will offer tips and answer questions.


A watch is not residents on patrol, but neighbors who are home during the day watching out for suspicious activity.


"We don't want them to take any action; we want them to be our eyes and ears," Casey said.

Here are just a few things to watch out for that could indicate suspicious activity, according to the National Neighborhood Watch Institute:


Somebody who is:
• Carrying or concealing something.
• Creating foot traffic to and from a particular place, short visits.
• Loitering around cars or checking out all the cars.
• Creating any type of disturbance.
• Going door to door, especially if someone goes to the back of the residence.
• Offering items for sale at extremely low prices.


For more information, call the neighborhood services unit at 775-2971.


Example 3: National Night Out


Officials say the annual event is a good way for neighbors to get to know each other.


National Night Out is basically a block party held to foster community spirit. The event this year is scheduled for Aug. 3.


Organizers can request that police officers and other city officials attend their event to speak and answer questions.


The Lubbock United Neighborhood Association is holding a registration meeting on Tuesday to help residents organize National Night Out events.


"By residents getting involved, being a part of the solution instead of the problem, they can go a long way to helping reduce things," said Carol Hedrick, with LUNA.


For more information, call LUNA at 749-5862.