Help sought against crime

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

Police say block watches can help deter some of the crime.

GIRARD — Theft and general vandalism in the city has one resident upset and asking other neighbors also fed up with crime to unite.

Mike Dibble, his wife and children have lived in the relatively quiet neighborhood around Powers and Highland avenues for several years. The streets are lined with mostly one-story homes with well-manicured lawns and trees sprinkled in some of the yards.

Dibble said his complaint is with what those passing by or visiting don’t see: theft.

Dibble said he has had five instances of car break-ins at his home in the last 10 years. Once, he said, thieves were mere seconds away from stealing his car altogether, and just recently someone ran off with the faceplate from a stereo in his truck.

“I just keep replacing stereos and my cars keep getting broken into. It’s like it’s just people doing stuff to say, ‘Ha, ha, I am here,’” he said.

Dibble said his truck was unlocked in the most recent episode, but he said he is not alone in his frustration. Several neighbors, he said, have also recently experienced break-ins and general theft in his immediate area.

“I would really like for the police to just let people know this is a problem. I know they can’t sit outside of my house 24 hours a day, but let people know this is a problem in this area,” he said.

Dibble feels that once those living in the area are made aware of any problems with crime, the residents will make a concerted effort to report suspicious activity and watch strangers passing through the area. Criminals, he said, will have a hard time operating under such conditions.

Girard police Capt. Jeff Palmer said that he understands Dibble’s frustration and that the department is doing all it can to combat car break-ins and other forms of theft.

Palmer applauds the idea of people in the community keeping an eye out for suspicious behavior and people who do not live in the area.

“It’s just getting back to the days of old when you knew all your neighbors and who is supposed to be in the neighborhood,” he said. “Notify police of anything out of the ordinary.”

Dibble said he already has alarms on his home, alarms on his vehicles and a motion-detecting light above his garage, but he is looking to buy more protection for his home in the form of an electric Taser.

“So, now I am going to become a rogue citizen, camping outside on the weekends, and if I see someone on my property they are going to get Tased. Somebody has to do it,” he said.

Palmer does not suggest camping out for potential criminals. He said a better alternative is a block watch. Block watches, Palmer said, have been very successful in the city and go a long way to addressing some of the problems seen by Dibble and his neighbors.

jgoodwin@vindy.com