Tulsa Neighborhood Fed Up With Crime, Wants To Erect Wall

Lori Fullbright, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Neighbors who live near East Young Place and Wheeling Avenue are tired of the break-ins, stolen cars and assaults.

They've asked the Tulsa Housing Authority to build a wall between their homes and a housing apartment complex. It's been done in another high crime area and did help.

Regina Tyler has had to replace her back door two times because burglars pried it open and got inside her home, first in July, then last month.

"Went through my jewelry, left a little trail and went through my drawers. Didn't tumble anything out, but took two credit cards," Regina said.

A check of Regina's address in the News On 6 crimetracker shows there's a very real problem in her neighborhood.

Regina doesn't believe four inch screws around her door are the answer. She believes people are coming from Town Square apartments, less than a block away, into her neighborhood and committing most of these crimes. The gate between the neighborhoods is locked, but she says that's not enough.

"It doesn't stop people from coming in. I've watched cars come up and drop people off and cars come up and pick people up. They just climb over the fence," she said.

She believes a wall people can't climb over would help. In 1998, neighbors near 61st and Peoria, who backed up to Fairmont Terrace apartments, lobbied the city for a year to get a blockade put up between the two neighborhoods.

They say that blockade, along with taking turns patrolling in teams with cell phones, did cut down on crime. Regina hopes they need similar success.

"We want it stopped. I'm afraid it won't stop until somebody gets hurt," she said.

Regina sent her letter to the Tulsa Housing Authority requesting the wall on October 17th. She says she'll give them a week before she starts calling.