Jeanne Andrews has a point (in her letter of 8/24/23) that we need to feel secure in our homes and neighborhoods. However, she is mistaken in her approach to solving that issue.

First, my understanding is that crime may not be going up in Chestnut Hill itself. To say otherwise without proof is fearmongering. Second, the concept of “private security patrols'' suggests vigilante justice, which is frightening in itself--as well as illegal, thankfully. 

I can see how hiring someone to drive around looking for trouble might be helpful if they simply alert the authorities to issues; they could deter trouble just by being a presence. But police and private security patrols are not the only means of trying to make an area safer. One need not feel afraid and powerless just because someone else isn’t minding the store. Town watches and simple friendships among neighbors help a great deal in improving safety. Turn on your lights. Take a walk with someone. Have a block party; hang out and chat with people you may have wondered about but never actually met. It’s not only good for the block, but it’s actually fun. 

I helped start a town watch in Germantown back in the ‘80s that brought me closer to my neighbors and earned the respect and help of the police. We luckily didn’t encounter any crimes, but we all felt better for our interactions. I assume these organizations still exist. If not, let’s start them up again. (And by the way, I was told back then that the more often we might call the police with complaints, the more often they would frequent the neighborhood. The squeaky wheel…)

Finally, for heaven's sake, if you have ever read the Crime Report in this paper, you must be aware of the countless idiots who apparently leave all manner of valuables in often unlocked cars! It’s amazing how they continue to do this, go take a walk or a nap, and then return to find they are missing their car’s contents – totally clueless. So let’s empty our cars and lock them.

Sincerely,

Jenny French

Flourtown