For the last several months, the Neighborhood Watch concept has been turned upside in Batesville.

The idea is for neighbors to watch out for neighbors. If someone sees something that doesn’t look right, they call somebody — the neighbor, the police, the fire department. That’s when Neighborhood Watch is right-side up.

But what’s been happening in Batesville since November in neighborhoods between Tubbs Road and Panola Avenue is just the opposite. Somebody’s watching, alright. Watching and waiting during daytime hours, taking note of homes whose occupants are away.

Then they break in a back window and climb inside where they ransack and vandalize. The few items stolen usually include X Boxes, Playstations — sounds like kids, right? — and wide screen TVs. And no neighbors saw anything that looked suspicious?

This has happened more than a dozen times at Batesville.

Police are investigating. They are pretty sure they know who is responsible, but they have not quite been able to tie it together. So last week, a Field Street residence was burglarized — another victim.

This could easily be stopped with one phone call. Somebody — some neighbor — has already seen enough to provide Batesville police with information that would lead to arrests. Someone out there has also been approached by somebody trying to sell the stolen goods — video games, TVs, tools — at such a ridiculously low price that the customer has to have been suspicious that the goods were stolen.

Making that call could bring a cash reward to the caller if the information proves useful to police. The caller does not have to identify themselves. The call can be made to the Batesville Police Department, 563-5653, or to Crimestoppers of North Central Mississippi, 1-800-729-2169.
Don’t make the call and you might find yourself the next victim.