As a free service to the community, state Rep. Zach Mako, R-Lehigh/Northampton, will co-host two shredder events in the coming weeks to give residents of the 183rd Legislative District a chance to safeguard themselves against identity theft by having their personal documents securely destroyed.

The first event, co-hosted with state Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh, will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 23 at the Robert "Bob" LaBold Maintenance Building, 550 W. Church St., Slatington.The second event, co-hosted with the Borough of Northampton, will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 7 at the Northampton Memorial Community Center, 1601 Laubach Ave., Northampton."Unfortunately, identity theft is a common and fast-growing crime," Mako said. "The best way to protect oneself is to safely discard personal documents. I'm hoping through these events, we can help stop identity theft in its tracks."Acceptable items include all paper and manila folders. No more than four bags or boxes per household are permitted, and no businesses, please. Staples or paper clips do not need to be removed. Examples of items that can be brought to the event include documents that contain personal information, including birth dates, Social Security numbers, bank account information and credit card numbers. A certificate of destruction will be available upon request. It will be issued after your documents have been shredded. Information also will be provided about consumer protection and identity theft at the events.For more information, contact Mako's offices at 610-502-2701, or 610-760-9805, or visit his website at

www.RepMako.com.