Residents form neighborhood watch to counter crime wave in SW Lubbock

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - More residents in Southwest Lubbock are voicing their concern about what they say is an uptick in crime in their neighborhoods.

Specifically, residents in the Quincy Park neighborhood near 82nd and Quincy Avenue say car break ins have been happening multiple times a week across the area.

"It went from, a few vehicles here and there to...my neighbors got broke into or, this car got broke into."

Quincy Park resident Jason Jones says the recent string of car break ins is flooding the neighborhood Facebook page.

He's not alone when he says that.

"About late August is when I really started to notice the Next Door app and Facebook group start to take off," Jordan Daniels said.

Jordan's roommate at 93rd and Rochester experienced this first hand just one week ago.

"They climbed in the back of the jeep and crawled all the way to the front to unlock the doors," Daniels said.

Concern is growing as neighbors try to watch out for each other.

"It's starting to escalate a lot. It's every night people are seeing somebody out that shouldn't be out there," Jones said.

"It's all opportunity. They're coming through, they'll come in off 93rd and they'll come down our street and they're just pulling on handles. If your car is open they're going to clean it out," Daniels said.

Lt. Ray Mendoza says Lubbock Police have noticed the increase of car burglaries in Southwest Lubbock.

"As the city grows what you're going to see is not only does the population grow, crime rates are going to grow," Lt. Mendoza said. "The best way to combat that, the best way to stay safe is to be aware of what's going on in your community, in your neighborhood."

Some neighbors have even installed security cameras to try and keep an eye on the criminal activity.

"We've gotten several videos that people think they may be the people that are doing these," Lt. Mendoza said. "If we can get them committing more than one burglary, for example, then that's going to help in how long they get put away."

But until police can catch these thieves, neighbors have started a nighttime patrol they hope will lead to some answers.

"We're wanting to formulate a neighborhood watch. We're pairing up as people who are just going to go drive the neighborhood at night," Daniels said.

"I just hope the police get a good beat on it, because it's getting bad," Jones said.

Lubbock Police encourage anyone with security camera footage to report these incidents as soon as possible.

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