Constable Patrol: May 2016

Newsletter readers: To view charts of crime stats please visit this article on the WHCA website.

The Constable Patrol operates on a fiscal year ending March 31. Membership renewals have lagged this year — approximately 120 members from last year have not renewed as of late June. Presently, we have approximately 355 subscribers, and 460 are needed to make two shifts sustainable long-term. If you have not renewed, please do. If membership does not increase, at some point in late 2016/early 2017 we will no longer have the available funds to support two patrols. You can also find information for membership on the Woodland Heights webpage. Please support the Constable Patrol.

WHCA Crime Report

Theft from vehicles was largely in and around commercial areas and is as likely to occur at lunchtime as at night. While property theft was down, it is the time of year where we start to see an increase in theft of yard equipment and other crimes of opportunity involving things taken from yards, porches and open garages. Don’t leave valuable items unattended for even a brief period of time.

You may have seen news coverage of an increase in burglaries of restaurants and businesses. In May, four of our six burglaries were of non-habitat property (“buildings” but not habitations, according to the crime stats).

While not in the neighborhood, most months we see one or more assaults or robberies in the 3600 block of North Main. There was one in May, and an auto theft — please be aware of your surroundings when in that area.

While not reflected in the above statistics, the Constables made four arrests in the neighborhood in May — two for DWI (1000 block Highland 1:40 am, 1700 block White Oak 9:40 pm), one for drug possession (1100 E. 6 ½ 11:06 pm), and one resulting from a vehicle stop (1000 block of Studewood 11:53 pm).

Burglaries: residences 100 block of Vieux Carre and 800 block of Teetshorn, buildings (non-habitation) 2600 and 2300 blocks of White Oak, 800 block of Usener, 900 block Woodland.

Number	Activity
17	Traffic stops, resulting in 17 citations. The deputies have radar and use it to monitor speeds in areas where there are complaints, and they pay particular attention to speeds in school zones;
9	Suspicious person call responses (we average about 10 per month – please do not hesitate to call about something that does not look right)
3	Drug/alcohol-related arrests: two DWI arrests and one drug possession; all occurring on the night shift.
9	Suspicious vehicle call responses
13	Number of times they stopped to check something in the parks (mostly along White Oak, Stude and Usener).
206	Number of times they stopped to check something in the neighborhood (not otherwise included in these statistics).
5	House alarm responses.
6	Miscellaneous: responses to traffic issues, various disturbances/loud noise, gunshots, mischief (?)
23	“Meet the Citizen” – this is a conversation with a member of the neighborhood in a fashion that’s not covered above, (e.g. to introduce themselves or to answer a question). Our deputies are very service oriented, so if you see a deputy and have a question, or just want to say hello please flag them down.

— Steve Howard, WHCA, VP of Security