Macon's Ingleside neighbors pitching in for security patrols

People living in Macon's Ingleside neighborhood are pitching in $75 per quarter for added security beginning Friday.

Neighborhood spokesman Bill Fickling III said a recent spree of auto thefts, burglaries and break-ins prompted a resurgence of private patrols that halted crime in 2010.

A survey showed residents supported hiring off-duty deputies with the cooperation of Bibb County Sheriff David Davis.

"Sheriff Davis reacted immediately to calls for assistance with the recent crime spree, and has increased the on-duty patrols," Fickling stated in an email. "The combination of on-duty and off-duty patrols in 2010 was highly effective at ending the crime spree, and we anticipate similar results this time."

Deputies were hired after a strong response to the neighborhood survey, Fickling said.

Sheriff Davis said the department has responded to the crime wave.

"When we notice an uptick in crime in any area, we step up our patrols and have the Sheriff's Response Team concentrate on the neighborhood. We've been in Ingleside for a while now," Davis stated in a neighborhood news release. "We look forward to continuing our commitment to the Ingleside neighborhood as they take this proactive approach to addressing this recent wave of criminal incidents."

Fickling urged all neighbors to join the Ingleside Neighborhood Watch program and report any suspicious people or activity to the sheriff's department and neighborhood block captain.

This story was originally published October 30, 2015 at 6:01 AM with the headline "Macon's Ingleside neighbors pitching in for security patrols ."