Residents in a Fayetteville neighborhood warned to be vigilant after break-ins
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- Fayetteville police went door-to-door Monday evening warning residents in the Tiffany Pines neighborhood to be on the alert for suspicious people and vehicles.
"We are trying to get out here and inform the community what's going on and trying to help them safeguard themselves," said Fayetteville Police Sgt. Lori Holloway.
Police say they are seeing an uptick in home break-ins in the neighborhood. Brandis Ray, who lives in Tiffany Pines with her mother, said thieves wiped them out a couple of months ago.
"They stole my 50 inch TV, my Xbox, Play Station, and Galaxy," Ray said. "They stole a lot of stuff. They stole my brother's shoes."
Her mom, Gina Murphy, said she does not feel safe.
"It's like any minute... It's like someone could break into the house," said Murphy. "Kick in your door. You have to be careful."
Fayetteville police said the majority of the break-ins occur during the day when many residents are at work.
During their neighborhood walk, officers handed out 150 packets of information on how to spot and report suspicious people and gang signs. Plus, the packets contained information about how to secure personal property and get it back if it's stolen. Police said it's imperative that residents keep an inventory with serial numbers of their belongings.
"A lot of people, they don't all document their serial numbers for any product they have," said Officer Antoine Kincade. "Having that serial number and being able to say 'yes, yes that number matches this number.' [Then] we can give them their property back. We can also track down who sold the item at a store or pawn shop."
Overall, police said all property crime last year in Fayetteville was down 12 percent. Officers hope neighborhood walks like the one Monday night will help keep the number low, and reinforce to resident to keep a close eye on their neighborhood, and report anyone and anything that looks suspicious.
