New Albany car burglaries

NEW ALBANY, Ind (WDRB) - A New Albany neighborhood is seeing a string of car burglaries that is only getting worse.

Those who live in the Chartres Neighborhood say dozens of vehicles have been broken into over the last several weeks. They believe teens are responsible for the crimes.

"They are very inexperienced. They don’t know what they are going for. They are just going for something of opportunity…what they do know they can get money for," said Brian Perry, who has lived in the area for four years.

The latest incidents happened early Saturday morning on Chartres Street near Vincennes Street. In surveillance video, a man in a hooded sweatshirt and backpack can be seen riding a bicycle up to cars and checking the driver’s door to see if it's unlocked.

Perry said he's had tools, including drills and saws, stolen recently.

"They’ve broken into my truck four or five times," Perry said. "As a matter of fact the woman across the street caught him peeking through my windows," said Duane McCowan who lives in the area. "It just keeps getting worse. They just keep stealing."

Several months ago the area had an issue with home break-ins and harassment from about a dozen men on bikes the neighbors called "The bicycle bandits."

New Albany Police received nearly 50 calls of theft, vandalism, and burglary in just a matter of days.

Since then, the presence of law enforcement has increased in the neighborhood -- but the burglaries continue. 

"When they say they are going to do increased patrols, they do," Perry said. "Three times as much - if not more sometimes. So yeah, it has definitely increased."

In most cases, windows are not smashed or broken -- something McCowan has been trying to avoid.

"That’s the only thing. I started locking it, but I didn’t want to because I figured they would knock my windows out," said McCowan.

Neighbors tell WDRB News they all are starting to know each other more since the crimes have increased. They often meet to discuss the criminal activity and ways to prevent it from happening.

If you live around the area and see any suspicious activity, you're urged to call New Albany Police at 812-949-NAPD.

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