On Saturday, November 5, on 19th Street near H Street in downtown Bakersfield, Bakersfield Police confirmed at least four cars were broken into.
That number disgusts City Councilman Terry Maxwell, who overlooks the area.
“If our citizens don't feel safe in their homes or don't feel safe coming to the downtown area we don't prosper as a community,” said Maxwell.
Maxwell said this problem isn't something new, a major reason he urges the city council to do more.
“This has been ongoing. People associate it with crime and then you have people that come down for a really good time and they walk out to their car and they find out, yeah they have been a victim of crime,” said Maxwell.
Maxwell is also familiar with this feeling, as his own car has been messed with in the same area. That is why no matter the lighting he recommends parking somewhere with heavy foot traffic.
“To me that is probably the safest place to go because there's a lot of activity there and criminals really don't like to go where there's going to be a lot of bodies,” said Maxwell.
But he says sometimes even that may not work, making change more important.
“Again it all comes back to the fact that when you come down to the downtown area you've got to feel safe and the way you feel safe is when you see a great presence of police officers cruising the area and making sure everybody's cars are not getting broken into and that there is an element of confidence,” said Maxwell.
