Middletown Chamber of Commerce

Before I begin, I would like to state that I do not lock my car and do not like to keep it in the garage.  So please don't tell me I got what was coming.

I did want to inform you of the fact that someone got into my unlocked car that was in my driveway.  They didn't get anything out of my car (except they did leave it in a mess) but did take things from my  husband's car.  The worst part is that they do not close the doors so the dome lights stay on which of course could run down your battery.

Thank you for posting this item.  No, you did not have it coming; someone committed a crime - end of story as far as who is right and who is wrong.  Locked or not, NO ONE has a right to enter your property without an invitation.

Did you report this to the police and to YOUR Neighborhood Watch Captain?  Both LMPD and Neighborhood Watch need to know things like this on an immediate basis so that others can be made aware of a criminal or criminals in the area. 

Don't get me wrong, I am not fussing at you; I am just asking you and others to help the police and to use Neighborhood Watch to make it more difficult for criminals to do these sorts of things. 

Do you know who your Neighborhood Watch Captain is?

As an FYI, at least one other resident in your block had the same thing happen to her car.  It is important to lock vehicles and also to remove the garage door opener.  Additionally, when anyone gets into your car they can get your personal information off of the vehicle registration that we are required to keep in the vehicle.  We have become so complacent living in an area with less crime than other areas that we forget about things like locking cars, stolen garage door openers, identity theft resulting from illegal entry into our cars and homes, stolen keys that we may not even know are missing, etc.

It is very important for the residents in each block to take care of each other.  It is very important to write down specific details about suspicious or illegal activity.  It is very important to call 911 to report any suspicious or illegal activity/behavior.  After you have called 911, it is very important that you notify your block captain so the word can be spread QUICKLY, not only in your block, but throughout the entire city. 

As an example of an effective Neighborhood Watch, several months ago the area of Bellemade within a block or so of the Moorgate entrance experienced numerous incidents of a suspicious behavior by a person in a silver Ford Winstar van.  Thanks to Neighborhood Watch and participating residents alerts were sent out quickly. 

The activity stopped when I and several other residents called the police (911) and reported the activity to NW several times with accurate descriptions and when I used my cell phone to take a picture of the van which I gave to LMPD and to Mayor Odom-Groh who posted the picture on this website.   I know that the driver saw me take the picture; the van had a distinct identifying dent on it; I sent the picture via email to one of the officers while he was in my driveway;  as a result of all of this citizen involvement,  the van has not been seen in this neighborhood since then to my knowledge.  If we don't take care of ourselves, who will?

The ONLY way Neighborhood Watch can be effective is for each block to create THEIR OWN alert plan and for Block Captains to stay in touch with other block captains routinely.  Thanks to those who are participating; encourage your neighbors to join you.