Burglaries and thefts are rising in one section of Mesa and police plan to meet with residents about the crime wave.
While the number of property crimes didn’t fluctuate citywide from Aug. 20, they rose 6 percent in the 13.6 square mile Dobson Patrol District, with most of the crimes taking place in the area bordered by Price Road to Horne and Broadway Road to U.S. 60.
“At this point we don’t know who or how many (criminals) there are,” said Detective Steve Berry, Mesa police spokesman.
What police do know is that many unlocked cars and open garages were burglarized in September.
They are crimes of opportunity and often thieves will search neighborhoods for open garages. “They can run in and out of a garage in 45 to 40 seconds,” Berry said.
Police plan to meet with residents and business owners Wednesday at Powell Junior High School to provide more information on the crimes and give them crime prevention tips. Berry said that besides closing garage doors and locking cars, other crime prevention measures include keeping your homes well lit and shrubs well trimmed.
The area is a mix of high-density housing and residential neighborhoods and includes Mesa Community College’s main campus, which has 29,000 students, Banner Desert Medical Center and Fiesta Mall.
Police held a similar forum last summer when crime spiked in an area of central Mesa bordered by Broadway and Guadalupe roads and Extension Road to Center Street. Police also sent out a special squad to hunt down criminals in the area.
Crime wave meeting
What: Mesa police will host a community forum on a crime wave in an area bordered by Price Road to Horne and Broadway Road to U.S. 60.
When: Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Powell Junior High auditorium, 855 W. Eighth Ave.
