Crime Wave, Security Issues Frustrating Residents

By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY – A recent crime wave has a neighborhood at the breaking point.

Thieves are striking again in a metro neighborhood near NW 164th Street and MacArthur Boulevard already victimized by burglars and bandits.

These families say they pay big bucks every month to keep their property protected but they say the neighborhood association is refusing to help.

In January, thieves hit nearly 30 homes and cars in the Still Meadows neighborhood. Security cameras caught several of the crimes on tape.

Rhenda Wilkerson came to NEWS 9 for the second time this year to get help with the rash of crimes in her neighborhood.

Just last week, cameras caught another man attempting to break into Rhenda Wilkerson's house while she was home.

“I got a really good look at him. And he looked in my house, he looked like he was looking for something that wasn't there. It was weird,” Wilkerson said.

Minutes later, her neighbor's home was broken-into. Todd Moser said when he came home, he noticed several things missing.

“I've been on the phone with the alarm company to get extra security,” Todd Moser said.

But it may not be enough. Over time, these neighbors have added their own security by installing additional cameras and even arming themselves, but the criminals keep coming. The worst part is they say their homeowners association isn't offering to help.

“At this point we need to get gates or we need to get some kind of security system in this neighborhood to protect us all,” Wilkerson said.

Moser said when his family moved here from Minnesota, he was told gates would be installed at neighborhood entrances. But that hasn't happened and demands for additional security cameras, signs and even more lighting have fallen on deaf ears.

“What is going to have to happen for our homeowners association or our developers to say ‘We made a commitment to these people, when are we going to fulfill it?’” Moser said.

Police are investigating the recent crimes and the developers of that neighborhood say they can't put up gates because those are public, not private streets. Calls to the homeowner's association were not returned.