Hyde Park Crime Report
This is a very difficult crime for APD to solve. It takes only moments to commit and little, if any, evidence is left other than ruined tires. One of the most important things you can do if your tires or the tires on other cars in your area are slashed, make a report to the police. The more data APD gets, the more they have to work with. There are things you can do to help keep yourself from becoming a victim.
Whenever possible, avoid parking in the street. The vast majority of the cars that fall victim to the tire slashers are parked in the street. If you must park in the street, park in a well lighted, heavily trafficked area. The best place to park is in a well-lit driveway. If you cannot park in one, a parking lot is the next best thing. Whatever you do, park in an area that is lighted, and in visible to the casual observer.
Lock Your Doors
I recently learned of two thefts from two separate homes. In
the first incident, a burglar entered a home on Ave. G at
approximately 1:00am. Entry was made through an unlocked screen
door on the side of the home. The burglar stole a computer and
two sets of car keys. Funny thing, once a set of keys is stolen
it is very easy for thieves to take other things. In this case,
a Lexus was taken also. Lessons here: lock your doors and
windows at night (and during the day when possible), check them
before going to bed, and donÕt leave keys and other valuables
right next to your outer doors (the closer a valuable item is
to an outside door, the more likely it will be taken by a
burglar).
In another instance, a man walking through Hyde Park and saw a
group of workmen working on a home. The man approached the
workers and ask for a job. When he was told there was no more
work, he told the workmen, "I know the owners of this home. They
let me borrow their bicycle. Can you let me in the garage so I
can get it?" Well, you guessed it. The workmen were more than
happy to comply. Apparently the thief in this case had pretty
good balance. In addition to riding the bicycle, he also carried
a string grass trimmer and an automotive battery charger he found
in the garage. Make it clear to any workers in your home that
your belongings are not to be distributed to anyone without your
knowledge.
Conclusion
Incidents like this, as well as the duplex threat described
elsewhere, support this conclusion: Despite all of Hyde ParkÕs
charm, we arenÕt living in a small town. We may like to think
that we are, or even brag to our friends and relatives about the
open, care-free attitude here. Just donÕt be lulled into a false
sense of security. We donÕt need to have bars on all of our
windows and doors (I have a relative who has built her home into
this sort of fortress -- it really scares me to go there), we just
need to use some good common sense and look out for ourselves as
well as our neighbors.
