Home Break-Ins Cut In Half In Parts Of East Charlotte

Police have said it over and over again: Watch out for your neighbors. Report suspicious activity. Don't hesitate to call 911.

It appears the community has finally caught on to how important they are in helping to keep crime down, according to police. At least in the Hickory Grove division in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, home break-ins have dropped 46 percent.

Detective Randall Baker said neighbors are no longer afraid to come forward and that's the main reason residential burglaries have dropped dramatically.

"They're actually flagging us down to give us more information and they stick around and give great statements and they're not scared to stay involved," said Baker.

The community's help has also helped police make 24 arrests for burglaries alone, over the past three weeks. That’s compared to just four arrests during the same three-week period in 2007.

Baker also said police are getting more help from the Mecklenburg County's District Attorney's office.

"We have seen a difference her in the last few months," he said. "Our suspects are staying jail longer. They do have higher bonds."

That's music to Steve Ward's ears. Eyewitness News went to the assistant district attorney in charge of property crimes, who said their office is finally getting more resources.

“As recently as two years ago, it was me and four other prosecutors. Now it’s me and nine other prosecutors doing property crime," said Ward. "We felt overwhelmed at one point. Now we're actually being able to devote some time, some attention."

But that devotion comes with a price. Ward says there are about 10,000 felony arrests each year in Mecklenburg County, but they only have time to prosecute 200 of them.

"If everyone can declare they're case to be a priority, that means nobody's a priority," Ward pointed out. "Over the last several months, we've met with police we've had preliminary meetings with them to help us have some focus."

Ward also told Eyewitness News that property crimes are not as high a priority as violent crime, and that criminals convicted of burglaries and larceny from autos often don't serve time in prison until their third and fourth offense.

"Property crimes are at the very bottom of the prosecutorial scale," said Ward. "The Legislature has made it so if you commit a property crime, by and large, you’re going to get probation the first time."