Auburn neighborhood finds creative way to fight crime

AUBURN, Wash. — An Auburn neighborhood has taken back the night by creating their own block watch.

For months, car prowls were an almost nightly occurrence in Auburn's Edgeview neighborhood.

Steve Avila says it wasn't until he was hit several times that a light bulb went on in his head.

"At the time I wasn't aware that these guys could get into your car very easily. I started alerting a couple of my neighbors," Avila said.

Avila and neighbors created their own app, scheduling fellow homeowners to keep an eye through shifts and sharing messages to track prowlers.

Edgeview Watch looks out for 366 homes.

Auburn police told us while other parts of town saw stagnant or rising crime, Edgeview was the only area with a significant drop.

Auburn police are now holding the program up as a model for every neighborhood.

Cox Media Group