Oakes addresses concerns over city crime

Oakes addresses concerns over city crime

Residents show up in droves to hear from West Memphis police chief at community gathering

ralphhardin@gmail.com When the Chief of Police for the City of West Memphis has something to say, it’s apparently something the residents of the city want to hear.

With more than 100 concerned citizens on hand at the Richland Elementary School cafeteria, Oakes offered a rundown on recent efforts by police to crack a string of break-ins on the west end of the city last Thursday night.

After more than a dozen homes were broken into in the area, social media had become a sounding board for residents fed up with the burglaries. Ultimately, a number of arrests were made taking what was reportedly a ring of teenaged criminals off the streets.

Oakes was open to hearing the residents’ concerns and outlined the steps that the police department had taken in regards to the break-ins, but the chief was quick to note that statistically, crime in the northwest part of town is minuscule compared to crime in other parts of the city “I’ve gotten more phone calls, more complaints, and more concerns over the 16 burglaries you all have had in the northwest than I’ve had over six homicides and 52 shootings,” Oakes told the audience.

The chief made note that he was not making that remarks as a complaint. The police department has advocated an “If you see something, say something” approach to keeping residents in the loop and an active part of helping confront crime in the city.

That kind of proactive thinking police and residents are advocating has stirred up talk of a Neighborhood Watch or some similar civilian organization that can take an “observe and report” approach to helping law enforcement.

Oakes expressed his support for those suggestions.

He also offered recommendations homeowners could take to thwart or discourage criminal activity, including installing alarms and burglar- resistant doors, as well as and making sure to record serial numbers on valuable items such as firearms and high-end electronics.

By Ralph Hardin