SAN ANTONIO – What is thought of as a "city problem" apparently knows no boundaries.
Crime is everywhere, including in the unincorporated areas of Bexar County.
Based on the number of arrests by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office during the first seven months of this year, the five crimes that most often trouble residents outside the city limits are: theft, burglary, family violence, vehicle theft and aggravated assault.
From January to July, the Sheriff's Office made 2,184 arrests for theft, and 1,138 people were taken into custody on burglary charges.
The arrests for family violence totaled 942, while 22 people were arrested for vehicle theft and 157 for aggravated assault.
Dale Uhrich, who lives in the northeast section of the county, said the top two crimes recently came calling close to his home.
"We had a neighbor across the street run off a bad guy with a baseball bat," he said. "It was probably just a kid, looking for something he could sell and hock."
Uhrich said luckily the would-be burglar did not make his way inside the neighbor's home.
The neighbor's wife, however, said she's not sure he went away empty-handed -- it appeared he may have taken something from her yard with him.
Sheriff's Lt. Darrell Sanders said fighting these sorts of property crimes requires both police work and diligence by private citizens.
He said something as simple as locking a door can help to cut down on crime.
"We have some car thieves who tell us they only go after cars with doors that are unlocked," he said.
It's also a good idea, Sanders said, not to leave personal property, such as lawnmowers or bicycles out in the open where others can steal them.
Sanders said living away from the rush of the city can give some people a false sense of security.
"They don't respect boundaries, crooks don't, and they're going to come out and visit us too," he said.
Avoiding the more violent crimes on the list, aggravated assault and domestic violence, may not be quite as simple and requires a different tack.
Below is a list of resources to assist victims of domestic abuse:
210-533-2729
Family Violence Prevention Services
210-733-8810
Bexar County Family Justice Center
210-631-0100
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233