There were far fewer assaults, batteries and vehicle thefts over the past four weeks on Andersonville's police beat 2013 that during the same period last year, officers told neighborhood residents at a community policing meeting Wednesday night.

According to the statistics provided by police at the meeting, burglaries and thefts both fell 33 percent. The beat also saw batteries and assaults fall by half, while robberies rose 20 percent.

One resident said garbage cans near her home had been hit by graffiti taggers; another said the sidewalk in front of Pierce School had been tagged.

Residents also complained that some property owners have failed to shovel their sidewalks, leading to icy conditions this winter. They said little has been done by the Department of Streets and Sanitation to help with this issue. Officers suggested residents continue calling streets and sanitation when they spot problems.

Officers said they would also help residents with garage door numbering and illegally parked commercial vehicles.

Beat 2013 covers the area from West Foster to West Elmdale, and from North Clark to North Broadway. The CAPS program is an effort to bring police and community members together to identify and solve public safety problems. The Beat 2013 CAPS meeting is on the third Wednesday of the month at Philadelphia Church, 5433 N Clark, at 7:00 p.m.