Southlake sees reduction in property crimes

For the second consecutive year, Southlake police saw a reduction in vehicle burglaries, one of the most common crimes in the area.

“Property crimes continue to be the prevalent crime in the region,” Police Chief Steve Mylett said. “What Southlake has done is start to focus our efforts in and around neighborhoods.”

The city had 105 reported vehicle burglaries in 2014, a 23 percent decrease from 137 incidents in 2013. Residential burglaries fell from 24 in 2013 to 17 in 2014. Mylett spoke about other trends in 2014 and efforts the department plans to introduce in 2015.

Mylett said police have increased patrols and residence and business checks where officers will pull on doors to make sure they’re locked.

“It really seems to have contributed to a reduction in our property crimes,” he said.

He also attributed the improvement to the community’s participation.

“More and more people are hiding their property, taking their keys and locking their vehicles,” he said. “The reduction is a direct result of the public’s willingness.”

Mylett also spoke of new initiatives that will improve the Police Department.

This year the department will test its staff in a new scenario-based training program that includes scenarios from traffic stops to active-shooter situations and more. Mylett said this was a goal of his when he joined the department.

“We want to make sure our officers are prepared for every scenario they could encounter,” he said.

The chief said the training will happen regularly and will involve many of the staff and facilities.

“I want this to be meaningful and effective and increase officer experience,” he said.

This story was originally published March 2, 2015 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Southlake sees reduction in property crimes."