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Residents on alert for break-ins

They say Gulfport is experiencing a crime wave. Not so, police say.

By CRISTINA SILVA
Published December 30, 2006

GULFPORT - It was time to take a stand.

In two months, L.A. Malin's motorbike shop was burglarized five times. Robbers shot her Doberman pinscher - twice. And seven of her bikes were swiped.

So one night last month, she, her husband and their dog spent the night at Xzilr8ing MotorSports, their shop on 49th Street S, armed and ready to pounce.

No one tried to break in that night, but Malin said it was the beginning of her own battle against robbers who she thinks are wreaking havoc on her neighborhood.

"I'm tired of being the punching bag," she said. "There is a problem, and someone needs to do something about it."

Like Malin, a growing number of Gulfport residents and business owners have started an anticrime movement to combat what they see as an increasing number of robberies and burglaries in the area. They have installed video recording systems and alarms in hopes of catching the culprits in the act. They also complained to City Council members about the need for better lighting in commercial districts and more police officers patrolling on foot.

However, Gulfport police said there is no crime wave and urged residents to check out crime statistics on the police Web site before rushing to conclusions.

There were 18 burglaries in the first two weeks of December, a figure that doesn't seem outrageous to Sgt. Richard Lehr, the department's supervisor of detectives.

An average of seven to 10 burglaries a week is normal, he said, adding, "We are not having a problem with burglaries right now."

Through August, there were about 110 burglaries, the most recent year-to-date total available, he said.

In 2005, there were 215 burglaries, down from 244 in 2004.

But crime statistics have done little to soothe the fear of residents, who argue that even one burglary is too many.

Mayor Michael Yakes said he was surprised to hear that police said the burglaries were not a significant problem.

"I don't want to hear of a normal crime rate. I want to hear of a zero," he said. "We need to definitely be more aggressive and have our Police Department much more involved with those neighborhoods where those burglaries occur."

Resident Nancy Kelley is helping to lead the anticrime campaign. At her last monthly crime awareness meeting, 16 people showed up. She asked the police to come but said no one from the department was able to attend.

"That is unacceptable," she said. "We feel we need to get the word out to the citizens of Gulfport that we need more people to take an active interest in the safety of our community."

Kelley said it is not enough for a police officer to occasionally drive down Beach Boulevard and give the area a look over. She is calling for a patrol officer on foot, bicycle or scooter in the downtown business district on weekends.

Malin also wants more streetlights in the alley behind her property.

Since opening Xzilr8ing in 2003, Malin has had 10 break-ins, half of which occurred in the past two months. Arrests were made in many of those cases, she said, but usually only after a month or two.

"This is a lot of crime for a city of this size," she said. "If the police say this is not a problem, I wonder what their priorities are."

Cristina Silva can be reached at 727 893-8846 or csilva@sptimes.com.

[Last modified December 30, 2006, 06:25:08]