If you see something (suspicious), say something. That has been drilled into our heads since 9-11. But a bigger step needs to be made. I’ve had a couple of calls about an armed robbery that has taken place down by the Waterfront in Perth Amboy.

When I looked on Nixle, I didn’t see anything about the robbery that had taken place. I checked Nixle to no avail a couple days later to see if this had been reported.

The Amber Alert program has been successful when it comes to locating a child that has been abducted.

I would feel better when a crime has been committed and when a police report is being taken as soon as the victim of the crime (if possible) is able to describe the perpetrator, this information should be inputted into a police computer and automatically put in as a Nixle Alarm to be on the lookout for a person of interest.

This should be as descriptive as possible and to alert anyone who sees this person or persons to alert the authorities asap. Please do not try to approach this person on your own.

We’ve had several people come to meetings to talk about the lack of transparency when it comes to reporting crime. I think that the public will appreciate you more when  crimes are reported more easily to alert the public. This will make the residents feel a lot safer and they will appreciate the concerns that you show the community.

It’s not enough for us if you see something, say something, but it’s just as important for you to also see something, say something, report something. This is a way you can all work together to make our community safer.

If you are attacked, be as descriptive as you can be. Don’t think about being politically correct. Just go with your gut. Don’t worry about offending anyone. Just describe the person.

The faster you get the information out to the general public, the easier it’s going to be to apprehend the perpetrator. It only takes a few minutes for them to go on to the next victim. Sometimes that next victim will not be so lucky.

C.M.