N. Charleston gated community leaders plan to meet with residents amid repeated car break-ins

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- We’re continuing our coverage on a story we’ve been following since last July.

Residents in a gated North Charleston community are experiencing several car break-ins, leaving some questioning the neighborhood’s security.

Thieves struck again in Coosaw Creek, the suspects caught on camera early Monday morning.

It’s an issue the neighborhood dealt with last summer as well, with residents questioning how it’s possible especially since the neighborhood is manned by a guard 24/7.

“I feel like, and my husband says this all the time, but we have a false sense of security, especially with a guard,” Coosaw resident, Lauren Clouse said.

Clouse says since seeing the surveillance video, she plans to clear her garage and park there overnight.

Clouse said, “It is a great reminder because we often feel like we can just walk in our house and I never lived that way until I lived in a gated community.”

As for how the criminals bypassed the guard North Charleston police tell me there are several possibilities.

“There could be a backcut way, it could be someone that lets them in. They could be an invited guest. It depends on who they know,” NCPD Crime Prevention Officer, Joshua Silva said.

Police say they’re planning to send patrol officers back out to the neighborhood, but the residents can also play a part in putting a stop to this.

“Stay in touch with each other social media-wise. Any neighborhood that’s in connection with each other on Facebook and connected, that in essence is a neighborhood watch,” Silva said.

Clouse says Coosaw has a good system of reporting things on their Facebook page and wants that to stay consistent.

“What I would love to see is more support for each other and continuing doing what we’re doing which is letting people know, alerting each other when there’s something happening,” Clouse said.

Coosaw’s neighborhood watch program is hosting a meeting on Saturday to talk with residents about how they can feel safer and prevent this from happening again.