String of car break-ins at NW Oklahoma City dog park now has dog owners concerned - OKC, OK - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

Signs warn to not leave valuables in vehicles at the Paw OK Dog Park, but guests need to be even more vigilant after a string of break-ins. The dog park is located on Grand, on the east side of Hwy 74 and east of Lake Hefner.

Article text:

A string of car break-ins at a northwest Oklahoma City dog park now has pet owners on edge.

“I’ve never had any trouble, but I’ve seen a lot of windows busted out,” said Monica Janacek, a volunteer with Paw Park near Lake Hefner.

Janacek said, lately, her work has included sweeping up a lot of glass.

“I’d like to have some kind of security or some cameras, or something like that would be nice,” she said.

Oklahoma City police said, during this time of year, they often see a rise in car burglaries all around the Lake Hefner area. After several reports of windows smashed in at Paw Park, some dog owners are now concerned.

“I’ll definitely be watching out more often. With the baseball field, the park and the dog park, you just wouldn’t expect something where you’ve got to worry about crime here,” said Keith Starr, who has been coming to the park for four years now.

Glass covered many parking spots throughout the lot.

Police said the best way to keep your valuables from being stolen is to not leave them in your car in the first place. But, if you can’t do that, hide those items before you get to the park.

“It doesn’t always do you a lot of good to get out there, and then open your trunk and start moving valuables to it or putting things under a seat because a burglar in the area can simply see you doing this,” said MSgt. Gary Knight, Oklahoma City police.

One victim, who didn’t want to go on camera, said she had her purse hidden under the seat and thieves still busted out her window to find it. Now, those who frequent the park just want the break-ins stop.

“I just wish they’d catch them, teach them a lesson,” dog owner Scott Burns said.

“They will get caught. Because, you can’t go do things without it catching up to you,” Janacek said.

The park is volunteer run, but there have been meetings to discuss putting in a camera system.

Type of publication: Television When was the article reported?: 04/03/2019 Publication: Oklahoma's News 4 Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: local News Category: Crime

Visit Instructions:
Give the date of your visit at the news location along with a description of what you learned or experienced.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   04/24/2019 Max and 99 visited it