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Traffic report for March 31

Kathleen Casey and Cliff Benson: Penn State works to improve access, affordability of higher education

A recent bank robbery and some home break-ins in Mountain Top catapulted crime to a prime topic among its residents, some of whom are wondering if they should take action.The answer is yes. As in any community confronted by similar troubles, take sensible steps to secure your property and strengthen neighborhood bonds.However, there&#8217;s no need for anyone to pull up stakes or otherwise overreact.Police chiefs serving four municipalities in Luzerne County&#8217;s Mountain Top region emphasized during a panel discussion last week that the crime rate in these bedroom communities remains low.During the last six months in Rice Township, for instance, there were only two major incidents &#8211; a house burglary and a mobile methamphetamine lab, Police Chief Robert Franks said. That hardly constitutes a crime wave. And both cases led to arrests and convictions, the chief told an audience at Crestwood High School&#8217;s auditorium.Even so, crime occurs in every American ZIP code, from the most posh, gated communities to country crossroads. Certainly Mountain Top, primarily woodland before the Agnes Flood of 1972, is not immune, especially as its landscape continues to change today from primarily deer habitat to new housing developments.If you&#8217;re concerned about crime in the area, consider joining efforts with like-minded residents; become a member of an existing neighborhood watch or launch one. For startup advice, contact the Luzerne County District Attorney&#8217;s Office or visit the websites of organizations such as the National Crime Prevention Council, www.ncpc.org, and National Neighborhood Watch, www.nnw.org.Informally, you can help to deter crime just by being a good neighbor. Get to know the people who live in your vicinity. Immediately report unusual activity to police. At the very least, be observant and discreetly take a cellphone photograph of, for example, the license plate of a suspicious vehicle.Don&#8217;t allow your home or vehicle to be an easy target. Keep your property well-lit at night, secure exterior doors with deadbolt locks and follow other safety tips.On a broader level, Mountain Top officials should think about long-term preventive strategies. Do children and teens in the community have access to sufficient after-school activities? Are people with substance abuse problems able to easily connect with treatment programs?If certain recreational and social services are not available in the immediate area, does Mountain Top adequately promote agencies &#8220;down the mountain&#8221; in nearby Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton? If not, why not?By collectively addressing those kinds of issues, and finding other ways to look out for one another, Mountain Top&#8217;s residents will continue to make their community a great place to live &#8211; no matter what changes come down the pike.

Our Opinion: Mountain Top can deter crime with adequate amounts of these two things: vigilance and good neighbors