COLUMBUS, Ohio — As crime continues across Columbus, several neighborhood organizations are stepping up, to fight back - to keep you safe.
While the initiatives appear to be making headway, some neighbors say more will have to be done to turn the tide.
Italian Village is home to over 15,000 people and the bustling Short North, which draws in millions of annual visitors.
“The neighborhood has grown considerably over the last decade or so,” said Chet Ridenour of the Short North Block Watch.
Like other growing metropolitan communities across the country, neighbors here have experienced growing pains specifically with crime.
“It does not feel nearly as safe as it did when we moved here back in 2012,” Brian Free said.
For more than a month, Free has been without a work vehicle. Thieves stole the catalytic converter from under it, right outside of his house.
“[It] ended up costing about $5,300 in repairs for something they might have gotten a few dollars for at the scrap yard," Free said.
Ridenour said burglaries from vehicles have steadily increased over the last year.
"It's not uncommon to have a neighbor report a picture of their car on blocks after they lose their wheels overnight," he said.
Free said it's an extremely common occurrence in the area and there's no police presence to deter it.
“We are trying to do the best, with what we have,” said Commander Mark Denner with the Columbus Division of Police.
For months now Columbus police have been working to recruit more officers, to beef up numbers. Denner says despite staffing challenges, they've been able to reduce violent crime in the Short North and continue to target other crimes.
“I will just say we will never have enough police officers. The men and women of our department in Columbus and other surrounding jurisdictions. They are all looking for officers,” Denner said.
Denner says more now than ever community partnerships are a key tool to fighting crime.
“From March to now, our team members were involved in 130 safety incidents and actually confiscated 10 firearms," said Betsy Pandora, Director of the Short North Alliance.
It's the work of the Short North Crime Interdiction Program. A relatively new effort by the short north alliance using special duty officers – to prevent crime.
“It’s really important to us that everyone understands just how welcomed they are in our community,” Pandora said.
Just last week, the City of Columbus made a financial investment of $250,000 which alliance leaders say will help increase safety and new programming efforts like the short north good neighbor pledge.
“It recognizes members of our business community that are committing to adhere to certain operating standards that prioritize quality of life for everyone," Pandora said.
Steps neighbors hope will be a starting point to keeping everyone safe.
"If people recognize significant consequences for their actions, I feel they will genuinely be less likely to engage in this type of conduct. We've got to catch these people and actually follow through with prosecutions, that take them off the streets for a little while,” Free said.
This summer the Short North Alliance is rolling out a new pilot program, which will provide social workers to those in need or experiencing a crisis.