It's a sad reality Julie D'angelo now expects. She lives on the east side where smashed windows and glass on the ground are the new norm.
"Every morning we come out and we kind of do this dance around the neighborhood to see who’s been hit and, invariably, there’s at least 5 or 6 cars," said D'Angelo.
She has been to a number of community safety meetings to speak with other residents and local officials about what can be done and says Milwaukee police are encouraging residents to stay vigilant.
Watch: MPD calling for residents to report car break-ins as East Side incidents rise
"[Police] also said that a lot of people aren’t calling in," D'Angelo told TMJ4.
She says these days, it's more likely a broken car will be posted on Facebook than reported to officials.
So, TMJ4's Mariam Mackar brought that question to Milwaukee Police Inspector David Feldmeier.
"Why is it important to report it when, a lot of the time, something might not come out if it in terms of justice?"
"The number one reason is, if you don’t report it we don't know that it’s happening," answered Feldmeier.
He says the second reason is, that the more reports filed, the better police can track where the crime is and send resources.
"We fully understand the frustration," Feldmeier said. "As a property owner myself, when things are damaged and you feel like there’s no recourse, absolutely, we understand that it’s frustrating."
Feldmeier said MPD is in the midst of allocating resources to address some of those areas that are being hit the hardest.
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