EDITORIAL: Don't be shy about speaking out against crime

Lake City police officers and governmental leaders reached out to the public Thursday, when they held a community forum to address crime issues.

The residents who attended heard many pointers about how to keep themselves safe from crime. Lake City Mayor Lovith Anderson Jr. also encouraged them to call police to report any suspicious activity.

“You all is what makes it work,” Anderson said.

Many positive things emerged during the meeting, and we hope the residents who attended left with a better feeling of security about their community.

Our only wish is that more people could have attended. About 30 people showed up. That’s certainly not a bad audience; it’s bigger than the usual crowd at a city council meeting. But in a city of nearly 6,500 residents, we know there are many more people in our community who need to hear the messages that were conveyed this past week.

The mayor and Police Chief Billy Brown reminded everyone of their open-door policy for residents with concerns. It’s important to have that access, but this past Thursday’s forum was the perfect opportunity to have such access to city officials.

It’s also important to maintain a sense of community, and that’s why it’s so crucial to gather with fellow residents and authorities to stand in solidarity against crime. There definitely is strength in numbers. Law-abiding citizens should band together to outnumber the criminals and would-be lawbreakers and show that crime won’t be tolerated in our neighborhoods.

To those who attended: Share the advice and encouragement from Thursday’s meeting with people who didn’t attend the forum. Take the police up on their offer to help start more crime-watch zones in the city.

Last week’s forum shows a great deal of potential, and residents should work to continue building a positive momentum in their neighborhoods.

To repeat Anderson’s statement, the residents indeed are what makes it work.

So don’t be scared to speak out against crime. Whenever city leaders arrange a forum like the one held last week, gather your friends and neighbors and attend in droves. Make it a standing-room-only event in the city’s courtroom.

And look out for your neighbors. Help keep an eye on their property when they’re out of town, and report any suspicious activity you notice at any time.

A previous News & Post editorial began with a reference to Kitty Genovese, who was stabbed to death in 1964 in front of her apartment in Queens, New York. One perception of the incident is that the lack of response from her neighbors played a role in her death.

Of course, that was an extreme event that happened 45 years ago in a city that’s nothing like Lake City, but it’s a reminder of how important it is to react when you notice something is awry. It could be life-or-death, and your role simply might be to call 911.

But sometimes, that’s all it might take to stop a crime, help solve a crime or even save someone’s life.