Editorial for July 17, 2008 edition:

Just open your eyes

It’s the mid-summer’s daydream: Soak up the rays at the Jersey Shore. Take a cruise to Bermuda. Spend the day in South Philly saying goodbye to the Spectrum. Plan a long getaway to the Poconos. Who wants to think about guarding your community when you could be enjoying the hazy, lazy days of summer?
Sure, it’s OK to kick back this summer and let your hair down a little, but if you’re reading this newspaper, chances are you like to be in the know about what’s going on out there in the real world. You also know that crime doesn’t take a holiday.
Criminals flourish when you let your guard down. They thrive on an apathetic, see-no-evil citizenry. Don’t let them win. If you’re an able-bodied human being age 18 or older who cares about the safety of your neighborhood, and you want to maintain your home sweet home as a sanctuary from the evils of society, you’d best not take a holiday from caring.
Be on the lookout for trouble today, tomorrow, a year from now and five years from now. If you’re not already a member of your local Town Watch group, join it. And stick with it through the summer, fall, winter and spring.
If even 50 people in a typical Northeast community dragged their butts off the couch as little as an hour a week to patrol with their Town Watch — driving along the streets or even as mere yentas looking out the front windows of their homes — the crime rate would likely plummet. Everything from vandalism and purse snatchings to assaults and murders would likely happen much less frequently. Thugs don’t like to do their dirty work when people are watching.
There’s absolutely no substitute for the wide-open eyes and ears of a community on full alert. ••

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