Police canvass neighborhoods after shooting and burglaries : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

GREENSBORO — Police canvassed two city neighborhoods Thursday to solicit crime tips and reassure residents that police are there to help.

Officers walked through the Ardmore Park community to get information about several home break-ins before visiting the area around the Willow Ridge Apartments where a homicide occurred Dec. 23.

More than 40 officers and nonsworn police department staff members walked door to door in the Ardmore Park area, which is bordered roughly by Holden Road on the west, High Point Road on the east, Patterson Avenue on the north and Meadowview Road on the south.

Capt. Richard Whisenant, commander of the western patrol division, said burglars broke into 45 homes between June and December.

They stole mostly jewelry, flat-screen TVs, video game systems and weapons. Burglars also targeted 11 businesses in the area during that period, he said.

Whisenant said one impetus for having the canvass Thursday was a recent attempted burglary in a home occupied by an 83-year-old woman. She was able to scare the would-be burglars away.

“The community has had enough, and we’ve had enough,” Whisenant told the crowd of officers before the canvass.

Officers then knocked on doors and handed out tips about how residents can protect their homes and cars.

The group traveled to the Willow Ridge Apartments to get clues in the Dec. 23 shooting death of Jerome Alphonso Page, 45. He was found inside 2019 Willow Road, Apt. 2H.

Capt. Mike Richey, the new commander of the criminal investigations division, said police have no information about a suspect.

Given that the shooting occurred inside and on a busy evening two days before Christmas, many people haven’t stepped up to give information, Richey said. Police want people who have heard anything since the shooting to help.

“Even if it’s a rumor, it’s still worthwhile for us to hear it,” he said.

In both neighborhoods, officers handed out fliers with phone numbers for residents to call if they need help or want to provide information about crimes.

Contact Dioni L. Wise at 373-7090 or dioni.wise@news-record.com

Jeff Armstrong

January 13, 2012 - 8:05 am EST

That's so cute when the police pretend to care. I used to live not far from that area, and when my house was broken into and the neighbors called the police while the perp was kicking in the door, it took police almost 30 minutes to get there. Then, after I made a list of items that were stolen and gave it to the officer handling the case, he told me in no uncertain terms that it was a victimless crime, so I shouldn't be too impatient with the process. I was able to find out the perp's name from some information he left in my house, and went to the police with information -- name, date of birth, last address (seems my friend was a repeat offender) which I found online. No arrest. It wasn't until the guy broke into some other houses and beat on his girlfriend for a while that he was arrested and incidentally charged with the break-in at my house. Then, to add insult to injury, nearly a year after the break-in, some of my possessions were returned because "it was determined" that the officer in charge of my case had been holding stuff back to resell. Yep, Greensboro police are on the job, and were I still in town, I would feel ever so safe that they were canvassing the neighborhood.

herm

January 13, 2012 - 8:39 am EST

That's the single best comment I have seen on this website.

Traveler

January 13, 2012 - 8:58 am EST

I live in downtown Greensboro. My experience is that they do a great job. When I am walking around downtown, I often see the officers interacting with the citizens is positive ways. We have large crowds out clubbing. The officers do a very good job of controlling the crowds, while allowing commerce. They monitor the homeless, the beggars, and the cruisers to prevent them from getting out of hand. They safeguard us and our possessions. They help the community in many positive ways.

I thank our police for the job they do.

sparkeysig

January 13, 2012 - 1:54 pm EST

Well Jeff, while I do hope you enjoy your new surounds, I for one love the City and am grateful for the men and woman of the of the Greensboro Police Department who perform the dangerious and often thankless job of keeping us safe.

newtogso

January 13, 2012 - 12:07 pm EST

Downtown is right to get good police coverage, I'm just afraid that it comes at the expense of areas who don't have as many squeaky wheels (i.e., wealthy property owners) living in them.

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