I-Team Looks At Top DFW Zip Codes For Home Burglaries
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DALLAS-FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) -Is your home in one of DFW's burglary hot spots?
The CBS 11 I-Team analyzed home burglary reports from nearly 50 Texas police departments in a month long investigation.
According to the police records obtained through open records, in 2014 there were on average more than 64 reported residential burglaries every day in the DFW area.
The CBS 11 I-Team sorted the more than 23,000 residential burglary cases to find the zip codes with the most reported burglaries.
Check out how many burglaries were reported in zip code on this interactive map.
76112 – Fort Worth
(734 residential burglaries in 2014)
No zip area reported more home burglaries in 2014 than the 76112 zip code in east Fort Worth. The area averaged more than two a day.
Ben Dixon was at work when his home was burglarized the first time. Four months later it happened again.
"It was like pouring salt on an open wound," he said.
After the third break-in, Dixon said he's decided to put his home up for sale.
Others in the Historic Handley neighborhood however, are not about to leave without a fight.
Betty Coomer was in the hospital when someone broke into her Fort Worth home.
Not long after the incident, she started a citizen's patrol. Coomer, who's retired, spends several days a week driving through her neighborhood in a marked mini-van.
"It show them that they are being watched," she said.
75217 – Dallas
(711 residential burglaries in 2014)
No area in Dallas County had more residential burglaries than the 75217 zip code in south east Dallas.
Many of the reported crimes were at gated apartment complexes.
75074 – Plano
(129 residential burglaries in 2014)
The 75074 zip code in east Plano had the most reported residential burglaries in 2014 in Collin County.
In this area thieves target open garages.
Plano police officer Mark Dawson said, "Half of my burglaries in Plano, Texas are from people who don't shut their garage door."
75070 – McKinney
(125 residential burglaries in 2014)
Similar to other areas in Collin County burglary, open garage doors was the method of entry for many of the residential burglaries in the 75070 zip code in west McKinney.
However don't mistake easy garage access for a lack of boldness. Caren Burndett of McKinney was inside her home when a burglar entered her garage.
"I walked out here and he was standing right here," she said. "I could have reached out and touched him which also means he could have reached out and touched me."
"To this day and probably forever, instead of just being careful, I'm paranoid."
75067 – Lewisville
(164 residential burglaries in 2014)
Among Denton County zip codes, the 75067 zip code area had the most reported residential burglaries in 2014.
Common Denominator
What all these burglary hot spots have in common is quick easy access to multiple major highways.
"The closer you live to a major highway the easier it is for them to do what they need to do and get out of there," said Officer Dawson.
The Plano police crime prevention officer said by closing your garage, turning-on an alarm, and reporting any suspicious vehicles, no matter where you live, the odds of becoming a victim will drop dramatically.
Dawson said, "If we could do that across the metro, we'd put burglars out of business."
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