Stuttgart Crime Crackdown

After a series of break-in's over the last few months now there's a crime crackdown in one town, in Arkansas County.

Stuttgart is seeing a rise in break-ins all over the area, but neighbors are banning together to take back their community.

Some of the people on that street have lived their more than 20 years.

However, instead of letting crime force them out, they are working together to keep their streets safe.

Most of the homes on South Maple are laced with beautiful flowers.

Joellen Jackson has called this home for five years, moving here from the big city, Houston, when her mother got sick.

But there's that something about a small town home.

"I like that it's a one way street.  And I like that all the neighbors know each other. We kind of take up for each other and watch out for each other."

That's helped curb crime on this street.

Since March 1^st, there has been ten residential break-ins.

Don Mccaskill didn't experience a break-in but something else.

My wife looked up and noticed it had like a bee bee hole in it.  And cracks going here and there."

And the alley behind his home.

"We noticed a lot of traffic back in the alley, it's troublesome, they throw things into the yard."

Luckily no one has tried to steal anything, unlike some of his neighbors.

"We haven't had any break-ins, but people in the neighborhood have though."

Some of those people took their concerns to City Council.

Jim Craig, City Alderman in Ward 3 says they were very open to hear what the people had to say.

"They were concerned about some of the high crime in the area. We've had three vacant homes

broken into in about a three week period, all within a block and a half of where we are standing right now."

The Chief of Police, Michael Smith, says he sees this same problem around this time every year.

And his team has a pretty good idea of who it is.

"We have arrested several juveniles, at least six, not all are children because we have arrested some adults also."

But since the meeting three weeks ago, only two residential break-ins.

Neighbors say the key to their success is watching out for each other.

"It is because if you notice anything out of the ordinary you know to call somebody."

Also Stuttgart police say it's imperative that people call and report suspicious activity.

If you feel retaliation will be a problem, you can always call the tip line.

Police say tips from everyday people are a big factor when it comes to keeping crime down.