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Majority of Montgomery's Crime Drops, Burglaries RiseAs we enter the second month of 2012, Montgomery officials say a 20-year city trend continues: lower crime rates. Thursday morning Mayor Todd Strange released Montgomery's crime statistics for the month of January. The good news: Overall crime rates across the board dropped... all but one. January was a month without murders, a month with lowering crime rates, but according to Mayor Todd Strange there was one area that did in fact go up. “That was burglary,” Strange said. In fact, there were 48 more burglaries last month than January of 2011. Public Safety Director Chris Murphy spoke at the Mayor’s press conference and said rather than waiting until the end of the month, city police are tracking reports of burglaries on a weekly basis. But Murphy says police can not prevent burglaries alone, they need to partner with citizens. "We look out, we take care of each other, but I think sometimes people just hesitate to make that call, bother 9-1-1, I don't want to go question that,” Murphy said. So the police department is encouraging locals to get involved in the neighborhood crime watch program. “We stress to our programs what you put into it is what you get out of it,” said Sgt. George Brooks, Community Policing Bureau Supervisor for the Montgomery Police Department. “If you're not calling and reporting suspicious activity right when you see it then of course things are going to happen,” he said. Sgt. Brooks works with neighborhoods to establish phone trees and plans of action if or when crime happens on their streets. Caserine Bell of Oakland Estates is the block captain for her Collindood Avenue neighborhood watch association. Bell’s neighborhood established a watch program three years ago; she believes crime has gone down since then because homeowners are more aware. “We try to know our neighbors, know who goes in and out, and if we see a strange car, we say, ‘Oh that's a strange car,’ and if we see a truck, ‘Oh my neighbor's not moving,” she said. But don't be fooled, police say the neighborhood watch signs won't stop a criminal from making his or her way into your home. “We always emphasize, look out for your neighbors,” Bell said. She says her neighborhood’s motto is, “If you see something say something.” Ultimately, Montgomery Police officers say its better to be safe than sorry. They want you to be a so-called “nosy neighbor” and call them if you see or hear something suspicious near your home. If you want to join you're neighborhood's crime watch program - or start one up for your community, you can call police at 334-240-4800 for the details. |
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