Waco police host crime prevention event as petty crimes increase

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - The Waco Police Department said instances of some petty crimes are increasing across the city.

The department held a crime prevention summit Saturday to educate the public.

“We decided to put this on because we thought that some awareness needed to be raised as far as some of the things that are out there to help keep ourselves, our businesses and our personal property safe,” said Waco Police Officer Eric Hawkins.

Compared to January 2021 the city this January saw car burglaries increase by 23%.

Waco police say Saturday’s event featuring a wide range of community partners and vendors offering training and tools for personal safety will hopefully reduce the crime rate.

Several families also brought their children to the event to learn safety tips

“I wanted my family especially my kids to come out to learn about crime prevention,” said Anita Gomez, a mom who brought her two children to the summit. “We’ve been having a lot of shootings here lately and that’s one of my biggest concerns and even the burglaries.”

You can find a break down of Waco’s crime statistics here.

Copyright 2022 KWTX. All rights reserved.