String of crime prompts meeting with police on city's southeast side

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The community that makes up South Bend’s southeast side came with questions for police and support for each other following a recent string of crime.

“There’s been a couple of recent incidents that have been quite concerning including a couple of armed house break ins that really have the neighborhood on edge,” explains Eli Wax, Fifth District South Bend Common Councilman.

With neighbors reporting an armed abduction and multiple burglary attempts in the last few days, Wax organized the meeting for police to give advice on how to stay safe; like locking and closing doors and windows and having surveillance cameras to capture crime. 

“Making sure that we’re not an easy target,” Wax says.

For this typically safe and quiet area, meetings like this are uncommon, but neighbors feel it was important to be reminded of how to keep yourself protected and see that they can lean on each other.

“I have been born and raised in this neighborhood and find it a delightful neighborhood,” admits Anne Feferman, a resident on the southeast side that attended the community meeting.

Long-time neighbors like Feferman, who has lived on the southeast side of town for over 60 years, says it’s the first time the neighborhood has had to combine forces like this to catch criminals.  

“Everyone really kind of banded together,” Feferman says. “We wanted to know more information because we want our neighbors to be safe, we want our children to be safe, we want our friends and family to be safe.” 

While the crime has caused some concern, neighbors say a plus side is the sense of community they feel knowing everyone’s looking for each other. 

“There’s a level of comfort knowing that there’s attention being paid to it and the police department is doing what they can,” says Wax.

“If anything has come out of it, it’s the fact that we’re all banding together and working this as a community,” Feferman explains.

Police said they plan to up the patrols in those neighborhoods as they continue to investigate the string of crimes. They urge anyone with any information to leave an anonymous tip at Michiana Crime Stoppers by calling 574-288-STOP.