Rise In Crime Sparks Frustration, Action Among Neighbors

A rise in crime in one metro neighborhood has residents banding together and saying "enough is enough."

It is happening at an Oklahoma City neighborhood just west of Nichols Hills near N.W. 63rd Street and May. Neighbors say, for the most part, it has been quiet. Recently, however, residents have been the targets of burglaries and theft.

"We've had trailers stolen, lawn mowers, people [are] breaking in the front doors," one resident explained.

Other residents recall having their homes ransacked. With story after story, neighbors shared their woes and frustration at a community meeting Wednesday evening.  It's their first meeting calling for the creation of a neighborhood watch.

"We're going to stick together and fight this together," resident Linda Moberly said.

The goals of the meeting were for neighbors to get to know each other, keep an eye on suspicious activity and learn not to be shy about calling 911.

Police say more than 150 incidents were reported in the neighborhood's quarter-square mile area in the past two years.

"In the last couple years, we've really had an increase [in crime]," resident Mick Spocogee said. "My car was stolen out of my garage as I slept."

Spocogee has lived in the neighborhood for 16 years. He says things are changing fast.

Police say residential burglaries in the neighborhood have more than doubled from this time last year. And, on top of that, no suspects have been successfully identified in any of those crimes. That is one of the main reasons why neighbors are coming together, sharing information and becoming nosier.

Community members say new businesses on N.W. 63rd Street and May have brought more traffic and potentially unwanted visitors through the neighborhood.

For information on how to form a neighborhood watch, visit The Neighborhood Alliance of Central Oklahoma at www.nacok.org.