Battle Creek neighborhood on edge

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – Police in Battle Creek are warning residents to lock up their homes and keep an eye out for anything suspicious after someone broke into several homes and cars.

Police say the thieves are breaking into homes in the Lakeview neighborhood around Harold Street and John R. Street.

Residents in the neighborhood are alarmed over the increasing number of reported break-ins happening in their neighborhood.

“It makes you wonder, that I'm not safe as I thought I was,” said local resident Lawrence McCarty.

Over the past several months, the generally quiet neighborhood in Battle Creek has seen its fair share of police activity.

“We had a few of them around here with K-9 units, and was wondering why,” said McCarty.

The increased police activity has come because several homes and cars in the area of Harold Street and Leitch Court have been reportedly broken into by burglars in the middle of the night. Residents say the activity has put them on edge.

Lonnie Little has lived on the block for over four years. He tells Newschannel 3 that his sense of security has been taken from him. He adds that he saw a few people he considered suspicious wandering the neighborhood recently.

“We've seen a few people three or four days ago,” said Little.

While Little hasn't been targeted by the recent break-ins, it has gotten him and his neighbors talking about how to crack down on the intruders, even if that means taking the law into their own hands.

“First thing I want to do is go out and get a gun, but that probably won't do any good,” said Little.

Others say they'll be beefing up security around their homes.

“We've been talking about outside motion detector lights, I guess it's something we have to look closer into now,” said McCarty.

Meanwhile, Battle Creek Police tell Newschannel 3 they are still counting the numbers of break-ins that have occurred recently. They're also looking for help from the public, asking that anyone with information give them a call.