Help Police Track Crime Patterns

Commander Mark Austin addresses concerns at a meeting of the Newman Park Neighborhood Association Board.

Commander Mark Austin of the EPPD Central Regional Command visited with members of the Newman Park Neighborhood Association Board during their regular meeting last Saturday. Commander Austin was accompanied by Neighborhood Relations Coordinator, Leslie Canada.

Addressing several recent concerns voiced by Association members, Austin stressed the need for neighbors to help police identify crime patterns. Even if someone takes a small item from the yard (a flower pot, a solar light), it should be reported so that police can track the pattern or trail of the thief. He mentioned that storage sheds have been a recent target of thieves and asked that people keep their sheds locked. He also said that suspicious persons or situations should be reported - vehicles parked in alley ways or persons or cars not normally "belonging" to the neighborhood were two examples. He emphasized that neighbors should talk to their neighbors and know what is happening.