Burglary victim says crime has changed neighborhood

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 23, 2003

Oak Street resident Jasper Buford points to the window in his home that was broken during a burglary.(C. Todd Sherman The Vicksburg Post)

[7/23/03]Burglars ransacked Jasper Buford’s house on Oak Street Friday afternoon, taking more than $14,000 worth of his personal belongings.

Since coming home to see glass shards scattered over his living and dining room floors, visitors won’t see Buford smile at his door after they knock. Instead, he answers with his pistol in hand.

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“I’ve got a permit to carry this .45,” said Buford at his 3612 Oak St. home. “I’m old, I don’t heal, and I’m not going to take any chances.

“I used to leave my doors open,” he said. “I haven’t changed the area has changed.”

Oak Street, which parallels Washington most of its length, is essentially a terrace along a ridge above the Mississippi River and Yazoo Canal. It runs past Cedar Grove, one of the city’s largest antebellum mansions, and through the Garden District where other tour homes, restaurants and cottages are located.

While it was once a mostly white residential area, it became racially mixed decades ago. Thefts in the area have been rare, but may be increasing.

Buford’s house was one of two houses in the 3600 block of Oak Street burglarized during the weekend, and a third house in the 2500 block was also broken into, Vicksburg police records show. Property taken from the houses was valued at more than $19,000.

Buford said he’s fed up with rising crime in the city, especially in his neighborhood. After living in his house 12 years, Buford plans to sell his house and move to the country somewhere. There have been 97 residential breakins reported citywide in the past three months.

But until he leaves, Buford said he will sleep lightly.

Other residents along the historic street share Buford’s frustration, but don’t have any plans to pack their bags. Dorothy Thorne said she has lived at 3512 Oak for about 50 years. Drug-dealing has replaced a lot of the neighborly chats she remembers. “There’s a lot of dope in the neighborhood now,” said Thorne, sitting on her front porch. She has red and purple flowers growing in her front yard and security lights and alarms.

Her perks on Oak Street include the view of the Mississippi River from her back yard and hearing the steamboats play music as they float by. “I’d miss that if I moved to the county,” she said.

Rusty Alston said he walks from