A west Columbus man said more city security is needed in his neighborhood after a rash of violent crimes in his community.
"The two suspects tried to carjack me, came from behind my house," paramedic Joe Whittington said
He said two suspects tried to steal his car while he was parking in his Georgian Heights driveway back in October.
"They were 15 or 16 years of age," Whittington said.
He said he is not the only neighbor who has recently been targeted. Whittington said several of his neighbors recently witnessed several thieves attempt to steal a Kia just feet from where they were standing.
"We were standing there," Whittington said. "They were trying to steal the vehicle, we were like no you are not, when they saw that some of us were armed, they ran away."
Whittington said he believes part of the crime wave is being impacted by Wedgewood Village Apartments, a west-side apartment complex less than a mile from Whittington's house.
The apartment complex has seen its fair share of shootings, robberies, and murders.
Tuesday night a 14-year-old girl was wounded when someone fired a bullet into a Wedgewood apartment. The youngster was the second teen to be hit by gunfire at the complex within 72 hours.
"It's spilling into our neighborhood," Whittington said.
ABC 6 checked online Columbus police reports for District 102, which includes Wedgewood Village apartments and surrounding neighborhoods. Since Oct. 1, 120 people have filed crime reports to Columbus police for that area. The crimes range from assaults, homicide, burglary, and shootings into buildings.
City leaders said Wedgewood Village owners have been cooperative, taking steps to make the complex safer, including adding more special-duty police officers and security cameras.
The city attorney's office also asked management to add more fencing and lighting.
Within the next few weeks, the City of Columbus will be adding community safety cameras at three Wedgewood Drive intersections.
With his neighborhood now seeing a rash of crime, Whittington is asking the city to add more security to his neighborhood.
"I mean half the time, some of these lights don't work and it's darker than heck," Whittington said. "I have called Mayor Ginther's office, Chief Bryant's Office, but I have not heard back."
ABC 6 reached out to Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther who told us City Hall is working to increase safety in all Columbus neighborhoods.
"We need to continue to invest in the most innovative, creative ways that help bring down violence and make neighborhoods safer, we all have a role to play in that," Ginther said.
Ginther said the city is considering the idea of installing the ShotSpotter gunfire detection system around Wedgewood Village.
We attempted to contact Wedgewood Village Apartment officials in person at the company's Wedgerwood Village rental office, and called corporate offices, but have not heard back.
Whittington and his neighbors are not waiting. They are now patrolling their streets, making sure the community is safe.
"We are not going out looking for trouble," Whittington said. "We are trying to protect our neighborhood from trouble."