You hear about all types of crimes happening every time you turn on the news or talk with friends or neighbors.FOX23’s Abbie Alford reports on how Tulsa Police is giving neighbors the inside scoop.
What started as 75 people on Mingo Valley Division (MVD) Major Matt Kirkland’s weekly “Crime Awareness Bulletin,” has grown to several thousand.
That’s just in one month. MVD patrols mainly East Tulsa and the Woodland Hills area.
"Sometimes the criminal is in the neighborhood so it's nice to know where those criminals are coming from and if there are a lot of break-ins in one area you need to be sure to protect yourself maybe even more than you would,” says West Tulsan Gena Madasen.
The weekly newsletter includes the latest violent crimes and maps of recent home and business break-ins, what’s being stolen and suspect descriptions.
"So they know what car and what bad guy to look out for and what time and day it happened so they can do the best they can to guard themselves as neighbors,” says Kirkland.
Major Kirkland says in most cases they catch the bad guys because of nosey but alert neighbors.
"What I hope is that people will take this information from this bulletin and apply it to make themselves less vulnerable as a victim and to look out for their neighborhoods and strengthen their neighborhoods,” says Kirkland.
On Friday, the Riverside Division-patrolling mainly South and West Tulsa and Midtown launched “Riverside News”.
Madsen is now aware of bandit who hit a West Tulsa bank near her neighborhood on Thursday.
"In the particular neighborhood that I live in there is a high meth problem and to know who is breaking where is very, very cool and then you see if you recognize them on the street,” says Madsen.
You don’t have to live in the police division top receive information on what’s going in that division.
To sign up for the Mingo Valley Division “Crime Awareness Bulletin” e-mail Major Matt Kirkland at mkirkland@cityoftulsa.org. To sign up for “Riverside News” e-mail Tpdriversidenews@cityoftulsa.org.
Police report the latest crime citywide is residential burglaries.
They warn to watch out for door-to-door salesmen, in many cases they want you to open the door to case your home.
If you do hear a knock at the door, police recommend that you let them know that you are home by talking to them through the door but do not open the door.
If the bad guy thinks you are not home they may kick in the front or back door and break into your house.
Always call police about anyone suspicious.
