As Foreclosed Homes Empty, Crime Arrives

It's a message aimed at teens like the ones Doug Thompson, 46, observed in West Gate, a neighborhood in the Manassas area riddled with unkempt foreclosed properties.

Thompson, who lives on King George Drive, said he recently saw teenagers on the block using the back porch of a neighboring vacant house as a skate park.

But what concerns him more than youths acting out is the degradation that comes with houses left unattended.

"Look at all the grass grow," he said, pointing to a jungle-like front yard across the street. "They just start falling apart. . . . Rats'll start accumulating. I'm sure it will become a problem."

Some officials said that monitoring vacant houses is not straining department resources, that it's something for officers to do in their downtime, between calls. But others, such as Loudoun's force, are beginning to feel the burden.

"It's costing the county money," said Ruby, who has at least one deputy working overtime every day.

Deputies had to evict one South Riding family three times before they moved for good, officials said.

"It's the unfortunate state of the economy," Ruby said. "And the economy is a big reflection of the job we all have to do."

Staff researchers Magda Jean-Louis and Meg Smith contributed to this report.