HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A sergeant with the Houston Police Department tells ABC13 that vehicle break-ins are rising at parks and gyms in the city, even as the overall number is down across Houston.
ABC13 spent the morning at Eleanor Tinsley Park along Allen Parkway near downtown and noticed broken glass scattered among many parking spots near the popular running trail.
“It sparkles,” Anahi Osorio said, pointing to the ground near where she was interviewed.
HPD crime data shows 87 burglary-from-a-motor-vehicle calls since Jan. 1 within a quarter-mile radius of the park.
That compares to 61 over the same period in 2025 and 52 during that stretch in 2024.
Osorio said someone broke into her car at the park about a year and a half ago while she was on the trail.
“I was stunned,” Osorio said. She said thieves stole her wallet because she didn’t want it in her pocket during her workout.
Sergeant Tracy Hicks said that is exactly why such places are popular spots for thieves.
“When we go to these places, we are not going to be running with our laptops, purses, or wallets,” Hicks said. “(Parks and gyms) are a favorite shopping place for thieves.”
Hicks also warned that gun thefts from cars are a big concern for the department. He advised that people with stickers on their cars supporting police or the military could be targeted by thieves who assume there is a firearm inside.
“Make it clean,” he said, referring to your vehicle. “Let’s not give them any idea that we might be pro-gun.”
When asked about the uptick in break-ins at parks like Eleanor Tinsley, Hicks said thieves who had been stealing catalytic converters have shifted back to breaking into cars.
“Those same crooks that were stealing those have gone back to sitting in the gym parking lot and waiting,” he said. “Stop leaving valuables in your car.”
ABC13 reached out to the Buffalo Bayou Partnership about break-ins at the park, which said its efforts to prevent crime include trail lighting, private security, and social media posts reminding people not to leave valuables in their cars.
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