Representatives of neighborhood crime watch groups from throughout the Carbon County area came together recently in an open forum to exchange ideas, information and handouts to address the matter of properly preventing, deterring and reporting crime.

According to Carbon County District Attorney Gary Dobias, there has been a steady increase in crime in the county."It's a reflection of our economic times," Dobias said. "With more people with less money and high unemployment, it affects people's judgment and crime goes up including more serious crimes."Elected to office in 1992, Dobias shared with the neighborhood crime watch groups 10 safety tips to help prevent crime:• Make sure to lock all doors and windows.• Open your door only for people you know or are expecting. If a stranger comes to your door and asks to use the phone, tell him or her that you will make the call for them and don't let anyone you don't know into your house.• Make your house look "busy" when you're not home.• Use outdoor lighting and landscaping strategically to ensure safety.• Team up with neighbors to watch each other's property and report anything suspicious right away.• Practice safety in and around your car. Lock it and don't keep any valuables in your car. Park in well-lit areas. Always look inside your car both the front and back before you get in.• Avoid isolated areas. Stay near others especially if you are alone.• Secure your purse or wallet. Men should keep their wallets in their front pocket. Women should wear their purse so that it fits snugly. Don't carry or flash large amounts of money.• Protect your identity online. Only give information on a secure website.• Be alert for email and phone scams. The prize "that you have won" may be tempting, but don't give any personal or financial information. Don't let anyone pressure you."Police can't be everywhere at the same time. So report all crime and suspicious activity to them right away," Dobias said."And be sure to write down as much information as you can right away," said Jean Engler, first assistant district attorney. "Memories fade.""If something is out of the ordinary, if it just doesn't look right, report it," Lehighton Police Chief Brian Biechy said. "Get as many details as possible, description of a car, etc. Every piece of information, even if you think it's stupid, can help the police with our investigation."Lehighton Mayor Tom Mase, who is a former Jim Thorpe police chief, addressed the potential dangers of Facebook."People are obsessed with it. They tell the whole world what's going on and give way too much information," Mase said. "They're inviting trouble.""Again, we're not asking our citizens to be police officers. We're asking you to be additional 'eyes and ears' of our police officers," Jim Thorpe Mayor Michael Sofranko said.Established in 1972, Neighborhood Watch has proven to be one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programs in the country.Neighborhood crime watch groups are dedicated to improving the quality of life by helping to prevent or reduce crime by educating the community on recognizing suspicious activities and properly reporting them to police.Jim Thorpe Community Watch Coordinator Jamie Solomon said, "With changing times in our communities, we feel that joining one another, exchanging ideas and bringing to the table new ideas will make us all stronger in our shared mission.""Spread the word and stay active in our communities," said Lehighton Area Neighborhood Crime Watch Coordinator Byron Schnell. "We're always looking for people to step forward and help deter criminal activities."Carbon County Community Watch meetings will alternate between participating neighborhood crime watch groups. All interested community members are invited and encouraged to attend and become involved.For more information about Carbon County Community Watch,contact Solomon at 570-325-4995 or

secretary@jtpolice.org. Contact Schnell at 610-377-1926 oron Facebook at

www.facebook.com/NeighborhoodCrimeWatch.For more information about the Neighborhood Watch Program in general, visit

www.USAonWatch.org.