Macon Police Begin ‘Neighborhood Saturation 2011’ Initiative

The Macon Police department rolled up in their mobile command vehicle, to flex their muscles in select Macon neighborhoods, in an effort to deter crime.

The force is specifically targeting residential burglaries and entering autos.

According to Major Robert Grabowski, those two crimes are on the rise in many neighborhoods. He says compared to last year, the two crimes have increased 18% in the first six months of this year.

He says people will notice extra patrols, and a larger show of force.

“Officers will be getting out, knocking on doors, asking citizens to tell them what concerns or problems they may have in their community, so we can address them as well,” Grabowski says.

The extra patrols are not coming from a hiring of more officers. Grabowski says the department is changing officers’ schedules, and rotating their shifts, to free up more than 50 officers for this task. Those officers will be able to focus solely on patrolling neighborhoods that need it most.

Grabowski says people can do a few simple things to keep from being a victim of crimes like these. He urges people to keep valuables out of sight, or out of the car completly, when you are not in the car. If people can see items inside, they are more likely to break in and steal the property.

Also, he says keeping items like lawn mowers and bikes out of the front yard will help keep people from stealing them, or breaking into your house.