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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“It sparkles,” Anahi Osorio said, pointing to the ground near where she was interviewed.<\/p>\n
HPD crime data shows 87 burglary-from-a-motor-vehicle calls since Jan. 1 within a quarter-mile radius of the park.<\/p>\n
That compares to 61 over the same period in 2025 and 52 during that stretch in 2024.<\/p>\n
Osorio said someone broke into her car at the park about a year and a half ago while she was on the trail.<\/p>\n
“I was stunned,” Osorio said. She said thieves stole her wallet because she didn’t want it in her pocket during her workout.<\/p>\n
Sergeant Tracy Hicks said that is exactly why such places are popular spots for thieves.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“Make it clean,” he said, referring to your vehicle. “Let’s not give them any idea that we might be pro-gun.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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