the neighborhood, with the last 30 days seeing 12 separate offenses recorded. To help in this effort, the Austin Police Department is offering signs to owners of apartments and commercial establishments in an effort to remind patrons to take precautions when it comes to their vehicles.

    Made possible by a grant from the Insurance Coun- cil of Texas, the boldly-lettered signs read "LOCK YOUR CARS, TAKE YOUR KEYS, HIDE YOUR BELONGINGS." The 12x18 colored signs are visible in areas hard hit by thieves.

    Lakeline Mall, Mount Bonnell and trendy shopping districts in Dallas have already posted such signs. Soon these will be positioned in the parking area underneath the MoPac Bridge, which is heavily used by joggers accessing the Hike and Bike Trail and visitors to the Austin Nature Center.

    Use precautions when parking, says APD Officer Ricardo Vargas. Do not leave laptops, purses or merchandise visible for others to see. He advised joggers not to hide keys under the car's bumper or by the tires thinking no one sees them doing it. Unfortunately, these hiding places are commonly known to many, he said, and some- one may even be watching.

    Of the dozen burglaries of vehicles reported, four occurred in Duval, three on Avenue F and two on Caswell Avenue. The two on Caswell Avenue occurred on March 4, while Duval reported two incidents on March 8. Eight of the vehicles burglarized were parked on the street, two on a parking lot and two at individual homes.

    Criminal mischief comes in second with nine sepa- rate offenses listed. Two locations were targeted each at Avenue A, Avenue G and Duval Street. Other occurrences were at Towne Park Trail, Avenue C and 42nd Street.

    Officer Vargas suspects that more sightings of graffiti will occur as the days and evenings become warmer. "It comes and goes with the weather," he said. The City's Graffiti Abatement program can help property owners with this nuisance. Call 974-1028 to report graffiti or to seek help in removing it. (See related letter in this issue.)

    Theft was reported in six separate locations, with four occurring in homes. The following properties had things stolen: Avenue B, Speedway, 45th Street, Avenue A and 39th Street. The address for the sixth location was omitted from the APD website. Also two bicycles were snatched at residences located on Avenue G.