Police See Dramatic Rise in Car Break-Ins

It is surprising that people living in the heart of a metro area of nearly 300,000 people still leave their car doors unlocked. This isn't Mayberry.

I blame global warming!

Lowell wrote:

It is surprising that people living in the heart of a metro area of nearly 300,000 people still leave their car doors unlocked. This isn't Mayberry.

This might not be Mayberry, but it does still have a small town feel. I blame the influx of Katrina refugees and all the illegal Mexicans around here.

I blame Anon and George Bush.

Strange, Anon, as I lived in Fort Smith from 1982 to 1996 and there were waves of car break-ins back then too, long before any "illegals" or Katrina. My car was broken into twice while attending the U of A in Fayetteville -- that was 1997-2000. Must have been because of Katrina.

This has nothing to do with Mayberry. It's the economy stupid! To Lowell, if you will recall the early eighties in the metro area....(if you were really here) there were Cuban refugees that were pushed out of Cuba because they were criminals, that had no where to go, and little opportunity. Further, the economy was down then as well. I don't know how many Katrina refugees are still here, but most of the Mexican fellas I know would rather work. Perhaps the sad call of addiction is one source. Andy Taylor would have just said to lock your car.

john wrote:

To Lowell, if you will recall the early eighties in the metro area....(if you were really here) there were Cuban refugees that were pushed out of Cuba because they were criminals, that had no where to go, and little opportunity.

Yes, John, I was really there. Unlike my Vietnamese and Laotian neighbors, most of the Cubans you mention immediately left the area.

The frequency of crime almost certainly increases when times are bad, but crimes of opportunity such as car break-ins occur even when times are generally good. Just lock your car doors.

As for illegal drugs, it is a problem both rural and urban thanks to the scourge of meth.

I simply find it odd that "Anon" would blame "illegal Mexicans" when the article details the crimes committed by a guy down on his luck by the name of Dustin Swenson - doesn't sound like the name of an illegal immigrant, yet Anon is quick to blame specific groups of people for an uptick in what is a not-so-uncommon crime.

If the cops would get out of the donut shops and get their butts on the street, then they would catch these criminals.

In Fort Smith, the only way a robber would get arrested would be of they robbed a donut shop AND then handcuffed themselfs and surrendered. They the cops would have to call for backup maybe SWAT.