Break-ins bother Bay View

Broken auto glass is not an uncommon sight in Bay View gutters. There were at least 113 locked vehicle entries reported in the Bay View area in 2009, as of June 18. While that number is not out of line with last year’s total for the same area (203), employees and patrons of Bay View businesses are complaining about recent car break-ins, some of which have happened in broad daylight.

Judy Randa has worked at G. Groppi Food Market since October 2007. On April 7 around 8pm, her car was broken into on the 2500 block of S. Wentworth Avenue. Someone broke her passenger side front window and stole her GPS unit, which Randa said was buried under a bunch of stuff and a casual observer would not have known was there. “I believe they were watching me,” Randa said.

Randa reported her break-in to police, but was not pleased that they did not investigate. “They were actually cold and pretty much didn’t care,” she said. 

Randa added that another Groppi’s neighbor reported a nearby car break-in and a Groppi’s customer told the store that someone stole change from her ashtray. And on June 4, someone smashed the window of a Best Buy Geek Squad vehicle that was parked on Wentworth near Groppi’s and stole a laptop around 11:30am, Randa said. Randa said she talked with the vehicle driver when she was coming into work about 11:45am.

Alan Williams, who owns Milwaukee Magic Cards and Games at 2235 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. said at least three customers and one employee have had their cars broken into in broad daylight over the past few months, one right outside his storefront. His employee had several hundred dollars of sound equipment stolen.

Al Josef is a Milwaukee Magic patron who also helps at the store. His car was broken into in February sometime between 11am and 1pm in the Ward Street parking lot. His laptop and passport were stolen. He said he had his laptop bag in his car’s backseat and thought it was covered, but since that was all that was taken, “I have a feeling that’s what they were going for,” Josef said.

Josef bikes to the store when he can, but when he drives, he still parks in the Ward lot. Now he locks anything valuable in the trunk and leaves nothing showing at all, but he still worries. “I worry about that I can’t see my car. I’m worried about it, getting broken into.”

Williams said his customers are constantly asking him where the best place to park is. He’s torn what to advise them because of the break-ins and what he calls the “predatory parking enforcement” on KK. Williams, who’s been ticketed, said he doesn’t want any special treatment, but feels the parking checkers are not fostering goodwill in the growing business district. “We’ve had parking enforcers ticket meters when time hasn’t expired,” Williams said. “…I don’t know if this guy’s cross-eyed?”

Despite their hawkish approach to parking tickets, however, Williams said the checkers apparently don’t observe or deter daytime crime. “They don’t see any suspicious behavior? They don’t see anyone getting broken into? That’s just kind of nutty.”

According to police incident report data available through Milwaukee’s Compass mapping website, there were at least 203 locked vehicle entries reported in the Bay View area in all of 2008. Through June 18, 2009, there were at least 113 reported so far for the same area in 2009. In both years, there is a cluster of break-ins on or near Kinnickinnic Avenue between Lincoln Avenue, Ward and Allis streets.

To reduce the risk of your car being broken into, police recommend not leaving anything valuable visible in your parked vehicle, keeping valuables locked in the trunk, and parking in a well-lit area.

In 2009, the daytime KK Avenue beat cop has not been observed.

Non-comprehensive list of locked vehicle entries reported in Bay View area since mid-May 2009

• June 16, 10:12pm 2569 S KK
• June 16, 8:36pm  101 W Mitchell
• June 15, 3:44pm  101 W Mitchell
• June 10, 11:59am 427 E Stewart
• June 6, 3:48pm    2916 S KK
• June 3, 7:54am    3272 S Pine
• May 30, 2:05pm  2160 S Robinson
• May 30, 10:05am 2979 S Nevada
• May 29, 10:52am 2525 S Shore
• May 24, 4:45am  533 E Potter
• May 24, 3:27am  2231 S Allis
• May 17, 11:36am 2541 S Third

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