I’ve written several columns about crime and crime prevention over the past 15 years. The alarming statistics that we are faced with this day and time is really something. In this area alone, a rash of burglaries have been occurring in the past few weeks and it’s frightening to think that this could happen to me or you.

Like me, no one have a real solution on how the problem can be solved, but they do understand my logic in that neighbors need to look out for one another.

There is no sure-fire answer, I guess. There will always be those who will prey on those unwitting suspects and rob and steal. This has been something that has gone on for a long time and I guess it will be going on long after I’m dead and gone.

There was a lot of concern about the amount of crime occurring around us and how citizens can take some action. I’m no expert on the matter, but I know that if people become involved once again in the welfare of themselves and their neighbors, a lot of these things would not be occurring. There use to be a time when neighbors and friends looked out for one another. Things are sincerely different now. There use to be a time when your neighbor was your friend. They too may not be the case now, but the welfare of one’s property and their person should be the concern of every one of us and until we all adopt this attitude some things will never change.

Each day we are faced with news of incidences of tragic circumstances.

There are murders and robberies all around us and people are out there looking for someone to maim and injure. There are also those out there who find some type of excitement in the hurting and that’s something we all need to be concerned with.

I’m sure some of you saw the Sunday night showing of &uot;60 Minutes&uot; where they talked about a young man who witnessed a crime, but did not feel he could turn his back on his friend and tell what happen. This young man saw something happening and his only reaction was to walk away and I guess &uot;pretend&uot; nothing really happened. His excuse was that &uot;he didn’t know the seven-year-old girl&uot; who was later molested and strangled to death. This is the mentality of a lot of people. If it’s not happening in my yard, if it’s not happening to me, then I don’t really care what happens to the other man.

This type of attitude must stop and it must stop right now. We have to take back the control of our neighborhoods and your families. Too often people turn their backs to things that are happening around them because they don’t want to get involved or they’re afraid. Getting involved is what has got most of us where we are today. We had to get involved to become productive citizens and we had to get involved to obtain the things we have.

There’s things going on right around us and we need to pay closer attention to what is happening in our neighborhoods. Our neighbors and friends need our help. If you don’t look out for your neighbors, don’t expect them to look out for you.