Fighting crime on the north side of San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO. Crime is on the rise in San Antonio. Even northern areas, which have historically had low crime rates, are said to be dealing with a high number of burglaries and theft.

“Most things in this area are more real estate related,” said Kim Pettit, president of the North Central Thousand Oaks Neighborhood Association. “Although there is a neighbor two houses away [from me] who was one of those who was shot at a basketball game in a nearby park.”

Pettit says car break-ins, mail and parcel theft are the most common crimes in his area.

Last month, about a dozen cars and houses were broken into in Shady Oaks in one night.

San Antonio City Council member John Courage says crime is the number one complaint in District 9.

“Our neighborhood here is richer than other parts of the city and may be more attractive to property crime,” Courage said.

According to Courage, even closed communities are being targeted. This is why local associations often meet with SAFEE staff. Some also hire their own security guards.

On Monday, Colleen Wagespack of Neighborhoods for Organized Development released the following statement:

“In our single-family neighborhoods, we continue to see mostly property crime. However, violent crime is getting closer. It’s not uncommon to hear gunshots these days. Over the past couple of weeks, there have been several incidents in the neighborhoods of my own home where there was a shootout that resulted in deaths. It is only a matter of time before citizens who lead low-risk lifestyles are targeted or killed in the crossfire, or when the perpetrators escape. We understand that police resources are strained as officers have to deal with the increased demand for services caused by the growth of our city. The courts must do everything possible to keep criminals off the streets so that the people of San Antonio can feel relatively safe.”

Pettit believes that a sense of community is critical in fighting crime.

“Know your neighbors,” Pettit said. “The way to tell if something is out of the ordinary is to find out what is normal. So if you know your neighbors, you should be able to talk to them when something seems out of place, like a car parked in front of someone’s house that you’ve never seen before.”

Burglaries in San Antonio jumped 25% last year. Reports of property theft soared to 214%.

Council member Courage says he’s pushing for more patrols throughout the city to help prevent crime.

“The presence of the police is very important so that people understand that we are looking for, watching and trying to protect the city,” Courage said. “But it’s a challenge because it’s a big community and we keep growing. I believe that the growth of our police protection has not kept up with the growth of population or crime.”