PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Police in Port St. Lucie are increasing patrols in the Town Park community of Tradition.
This comes after one man was shot in December and catalytic converters were stolen from residents within a couple of weeks.
"I've been here for a little under 10 years," Tradition resident Malik Mowatt said. "I anticipate it to keep growing, but I hope it's a growth that's sustainable."
He said he doesn't live in Town Park but moved to Tradition from Miami to get away from traffic and crime.
Port St Lucie
Port St. Lucie police address Tradition crime concerns
"I want to keep it family-friendly and safe," Mowatt said. "Seeing the police being around is very good. The crime growth is not."
Port St. Lucie police said they have 24 officers assigned to District 5, which includes Town Park, and added a bicycle patrol officer in the neighborhood.
They said there has not been any suspicious activity since the added patrols.
Within Town Park, there are four neighborhoods called Stockton, Fieldstone, Bennington and Lake Park.
A picture posted by Port St. Lucie police on Facebook showed the bicycle unit outside of Stockton.
"Port St. Lucie is the safest city in the state of Florida, but now you see everything that's going on right now and you're kind of wondering is it still the safest city in the state of Florida?" Tradition resident John Krasula asked.
He said he went through the sheriff and police-citizen academy to volunteer as a citizen patrol.
"I think they need to look at the big picture," Krasula said. "We're seeing more and more people coming in all the time."
Police said the added bicycle patrols in Town Park will continue through the new year and have been doing outreach to locals who were concerned about the recent crime.
