Take Simple Steps to Help Prevent Crime

Yesterday wasn't so quiet, unlike most of the summer in Southwood Park. But the things that did happen underline the importance of:1) Locking your vehicles and removing valuables from them.2) Locking your garages and keeping valuables that belong there inside them.3) Calling FWPD WHENEVER something happens that is suspicious. First, we received a message from a resident on Arlington:“2 nights ago (Sunday night) someone got into my husbands car and my neighbors car in the middle of the night, nothing was stolen, but there wasn't anything to steal. Last night around 1am my van alarm was going off and the neighbors security lights were on. I'm pretty sure someone tried getting into my van. Just got a call from another neighbor this morning and she said the neighbor across the street from her had his car stolen last night. All of this is happening in the 4600 and 4700 block of Arlington.”After seeking confirmation about the stolen vehicle from our police liaison officer, and checking the online FWPD activity logs for our neighborhood, these three things come to mind:1) Nobody made a call to FWPD about the two cars that an unknown person “got into” over the weekend. A call should have been made to FWPD.2) Nobody made a call to FWPD about the unknown person that set off security lights and a car alarm. A call should have been made to 911.3) The person who had a car stolen from Arlington LEFT THEIR KEYS IN THE CAR, according to the report from the Bluffton PD when the stolen car was pulled over in Bluffton.None of us would do anything on purpose to harm our neighbors. But when folks don’t call the police when there is reason to do so, it puts neighbors at risk. It is important to MAKE CALLS to FWPD. If we won’t report it, the police won’t know to increase patrols!Three out of the four cars may have been unlocked. We do not live in “Mayberry” on the Andy Griffith Show. We must take away crimes of opportunity by using locks. Even an “empty” unlocked car can still have things like radios, batteries, or other components stolen.Later in the day, three kids’ bikes were stolen from a driveway and open garage on Indiana. This was reported to FWPD, resulting in an arrest of a 13 year old suspect when the owners located one bike outside the neighborhood, and FWPD found two more near Foster Park.Obviously, bikes shouldn’t be left in the drive unattended and garage doors should be closed and locked.We just have to eliminate these kinds of temptations for would-be thieves passing down the street.Nobody was hurt and everything that was stolen was returned yesterday. But the next time may not have as happy an ending. So, please do the following to help prevent crime:1) Locking your vehicles and removing valuables from them.2) Locking your garages and keeping valuables inside them.3) Calling FWPD WHENEVER something happens that is suspicious. 911 or 427-1222.4) Keep those porch lights on at night.5) Report burned out and blinking streetlights to 311.