KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: An Up-tick in NLR Thefts Prompts Door-to-Door Crime Fighting Campaign

An uptick in the number of thefts in a North Little Rock neighborhood is spurring a door-to-door crime prevention campaign by North Little Rock police. But, police aren't just knocking on doors, they're showing residents how "not" to become victims and urging them to get involved. 

 Residents in the Levy community were surprised when they got a knock on their door Monday, only to open it and come face to face with police. 

Patrol cars lined the street with a team of officers, not there to investigate crime, but to prevent it, as they went door-to-door. 

"Hello.  I'm an officer with NLRPD," one officer announced as he knocked on resident, Jan Mead's door. "We're out informing the public we've had an increase in break-in in vehicles," he said. Break-ins that he suggested might have been prevented altogether or at the very least deterred.   

"It's been on the increase and most of it has been people that have left their cars unlocked, and just leaving valuable property in their cars," he added.   

Officers were surprised at how many car doors they found unlocked Monday. Another officer pointed out that example to a male resident whose car he had just checked.   

"We'll just walk up here and I'll show you," the officer said. "Before I made contact with you at the door, I just came by and opened your vehicle."

 "About 85% of the breaking and entering calls we get are people are leaving the doors unsecured," said Sergeant Brian Dedrick, the officer in charge of the operation.   

In addition to offering crime-fighting tips, police also handed out flyers and attached to those flyers, forms for recording information about personal property and serial numbers.  "All the information the community needs in case they were to become victims of burglary," explained Dedrick.   

"I'm so grateful he gave it to us because it was like a light bulb going off, boy I should have been doing this.  So I was grateful for that," Mead said. 

 "We have a property room full of stuff, TV's electronics, that we can't get back to the rightful owner," Dedrick said.

 Officers spent eight-hours canvassing neighborhoods urging citizens to do their part, while reminding them, they're available for residents.  

"This strictly came from officers who want to get out in the community and make a difference," said Dedrick.   With a new anonymous service, officers can now be only a text message away. 

"Alright, I appreciate that," said the resident whose vehicle was found unlocked. 

 Any North Little Rock resident can get a form for recording serial numbers; they're available on the police department's website, nlrpolice.org

In addition to these proactive efforts, police will bring in extra manpower, use surveillance techniques where suspects live; conduct undercover operations and use bait cars, if necessary.