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Rash Of Home Burglaries In West Austin Neighborhood

Updated: Monday, August 27 2012, 05:41 PM CDT

In just one week, four homes in Tarrytown were broken into, all between the hours of midnight and 2 a.m., according to Austin Police.

Mary Furse was a little startled when we stopped her on her morning walk to ask her about break-ins in her neighborhood in West Austin. “I didn't even know about it,” said Furse, surprised. “Four in a week! That gets my attention.”

Now knowing that there is a trend of crime right in her neighborhood, Furse says she’ll put her guard up. “I'm pretty good about it,” said Furse of locking her doors. “But I'll probably be a little more diligent, now.”

Worrying about break-ins is something life-long Tarrytown resident Clint Heinen says he's never really had to think about in the past. “This is not something common around here, especially not growing up. I don't think we ever had problems with break-ins, at least not that I can remember growing up on a consistent basis,” said Heinen. “This is definitely something new to the area that needs to be addressed, I'd say.”

Austin Police say a cluster of crimes in one area raises a red flag. “We pass out images and even make BOLO (Be On the Look Out) when we do get images and even sometimes include a vehicle,” said APD Detective Scott Kittleman. “And we pass that out to patrol officers that work that area.”

And for Furse, knowing about the crime is the first step to staying safe. “I'm awfully glad you told me, because I wasn't paying attention. I'm glad to know there's kind of hot spot right now.”

Another trend in crime is theft from rent drop boxes. Police say they’ve gotten several calls of rent-checks being stolen from apartment complexes/landlords.

Just how safe is your neighborhood?  If there's a crime near your house, do you always know about it? KEYE TV is launching a new initiative to help you fight back and keep your family safe. It’s called “Fighting Back” and it’s an interactive crime-mapping website.

The site tracks what type of crime is happening and where it’s happening. You can sign up to receive email alerts to keep you instantly informed about the crime in your neighborhood.

You can track the crime happening in your neighborhood on KEYE’s new Fighting Back website. To learn more, go to http://www.weareaustin.com/news/features/fighting-back/index.shtml.

By Karen Kiley.Rash Of Home Burglaries In West Austin Neighborhood