Greg Freeman: Crime Is Scary And Frustrating, But It Knows No Boundaries. StL P-D 3/31/2002

Headline: CRIME IS SCARY AND FRUSTRATING, BUT IT KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES
Reporter: By Greg Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed: Sun., Mar. 31, 2002
Section: METRO, Page: C3, Edition: FIVE STAR LIFT

Car smarts
   Not too long ago, I received several letters from people who had attended an event at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in the Central West End.
   I don't know what the event was, but it apparently was something that drew a lot of people, many of whom chose to park on the street near the Chase. While people were inside attending the function, thieves were outside, breaking car windows and stealing various items.
   "Maybe you can help me understand this, " one woman wrote to me. "I read your column and you're often inviting people to live in the city. But, frankly, why would anyone want to? It's clearly a dangerous place. I should be able to leave my purse on my car seat without worrying about someone breaking in and stealing it."
   She was also upset with the St. Louis police. When officers arrived to take her report, she said, they didn't seem that excited about it, and she saw no indication that they were going to try to find the burglar.
   She went on to tell me that she lived in West County, in a neighborhood where people never worry about locking their doors. Car break-ins are unheard of there, she said.
   Another writer was similarly shocked because he had apparently attended the same function and had left his briefcase on the passenger seat of his car, only to find it stolen when he returned. "This is why people don't live in the city, " he wrote. "Why should anyone have to put up with this kind of thing?"

Their letters reminded me of my own neighborhood. I live near Washington University, and students often rent apartments during the school year. These kids come from all over the country. While some are from big cities, others are from well-to-do suburbs. Every year, the neighborhood organization works with the city police and the Washington University campus police to hold a safety program for students.
Students often leave cameras, laptops, cell phones - you name it - on the seats of their cars, and then are shocked when someone breaks in and steals those items.

I don't mean to seem unsympathetic, but I say the same thing to them that I said to those who attended the function at the Chase: Folks, it's a city.
Unfortunately, the police get reports of car break-ins every day. When they often have to deal with murders and drug dealers and other such matters, I can understand why they may not have been that excited about a car break-in.
In a city - any city - you've got to be smart. Being smart means not leaving valuables in your car in plain sight. It's like leaving your keys in your ignition while it's parked on the street overnight: You take a chance every time you do that.

It's important to realize that this isn't just St. Louis. In any city, you're taking a chance when you leave valuables on your car seat.
My son has told me about various incidents with students in Chicago who left cameras, Palm Pilots, expensive gifts on their car seats and then found their cars broken into.
I remember friends from New York telling me stories about removing their car radios and putting them in the trunk before parking anywhere in that city because car radios are an easy target for thieves.

Of course, people sometimes tend to magnify problems when they're in the city, without realizing that those problems occur in their own back yards.
Last fall, for instance, there were stories about cars parked at churches, schools and fitness clubs in West County becoming targets for burglars who smashed windows to grab valuables left in plain view. Police reported break-ins in Chesterfield, Creve Coeur, Maryland Heights, Ladue, University City, Wildwood and Town and Country. They said burglars broke into cars while the drivers were parked at activities that usually take some time, such as sporting events or other activities. Most of the vehicles were hit on weekends, day and night.
I spoke with a gentleman recently who told me about a rash of car break-ins at a private West County school. Apparently, a ring would wait until parents stopped by the school to pick up their kids in the afternoon. If the men emerged from the car without a briefcase, or if women emerged without a purse, they would target the car, breaking in and stealing those items while the parents ran inside.

That said, it's true that cities are different from suburbs, and St. Louis is hardly unique. Just as New Rochelle, N.Y., is different from New York City, Wildwood is different from St. Louis.
   There are trade-offs, no matter where you live. Those who choose to live in some suburbs often don't have to worry quite as much about crime as do city dwellers. But they're often far from the amenities that provide distinction to the region: the Art Museum, the History Museum, the ballpark, the Edward Jones Dome, the Black Rep, the Muny Opera, the Arch, to name but a few. That often means being tied up in traffic jams regularly, battling everyone else who is trying to get back and forth.
   Those who choose to live in the city generally don't have to deal with traffic headaches, and they can usually get to the amenities that I mentioned in minutes. But crime is a greater concern in the city.
   While I prefer city living, I acknowledge that where one lives is clearly a personal choice.

But one point should be underscored: Crime, unfortunately, has no boundaries.

Daniel Schesch - Webweaver

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