Obviously, it is not inconsistent to BOTH avoid leaving valuables in sight and install a few cameras. I'm sure the thefts are by a small number of people, who, once caught, might be deterred from future thefts.

The police can barely catch the guys when their faces are close and clear on the bank robbery videos - why would anyone expect that a camera in the woods overseeing a whole parking lot would be remotely useful? Take some personal responsibility and don't leave things in your car - that's like Urban Living 101.

I'm now a property owner in Chestnut Hill..(yeah!)....and so have a stake in how things develop in the area. My experience in how to best deal with crime is to have "a longer outlook" approach. Crime is neither reduced nor eliminated in "a day", and solutions are not instantaneously effective either. What works best is a long term approach. Camera's and surveillance are short term "feel good" solutions that only address the symptom....which tend to fake law abiding people into "feeling good" in the short term. It makes people feel like somethings beeing done about something! Usually these "solutions" like cameras, surveillance, increased patrols, etc all require upfront costs that linger long afterwards and only raise the community's attitude of "....well this is the cost of keeping down the crime levels..." It becomes a crutch; an excuse; a justification; for raising taxes long into the future. Result....costs go up, taxes rise, crime rates stay horizontal. So what works better? Taking a longer term approach, stay away from automation and high tech "feel good" solutions. Cameras require somebody to be paid to watch them and to maintain them. They're also excuses for people to sue the community for not having maintained them when a crime is committed! No...the best solution is for all of us within CH to truly inculcate that we are solely responsible for looking after our predicaments. Learn, learn, learn to not place valuables in precarious locations. IMHO....

In addition to individuals taking more responsibility for their own cars and having a camera installed, I would suggest having organizations like the Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers put their heads together to deal with this and other safety issues in the Wissahickon valley. It's in the mutual self-interest of these organizations to do what they can to help keep the area safe.

Steve Stroiman

The walk down the hill isn't that bad, unless you're a little kid, so you might also try parking on the streets near the top and walking down. Also, look into the other access points that are in less secluded areas. Tech savvy folks might visit the spy store or DIY and do their own sting with a hidden in car camera which should give the resolution and evidence needed by the cops for an arrest. Add wifi and you can see it live on your phone and call 911. Don't know how often this is going on but it's likely to be just a few who have decided to do this so catching a few will make a dent.

What's the old saying? "Write everything as if if could end up on the cover of the Mt. Airy Patch!" :-)

Apologies for the sarcasm, but I believe we all need to take responsibility. When you are upset about crime, ask, "What can I do?" Morgan has it right - this is Urban Living 101 - and so did Lori on the original article. Being careless in our cars or homes invites crime and makes things less safe for everyone.

It is unrealistic (and selfish) to expect our police, town watch, city council or neighbors to look after us when we won't take the most basic precautions. Community is more than a buzz word. Cameras are no replacement for neighbors who take the tiny effort to be aware of themselves and others. Being smart about crime is a way to contribute to the health of our community, our neighborhood and neighbors, visitors, police... everyone.

I believe there is no sarcasm in this response.

Well, I'm still trying to use my recent experience to make a positive impact. Let the 14th district know I have more info about locations and charges that were made on my stolen cards. Figured since this was such a rampant problem and there are some witnesses from other break ins, that there might be a bigger open file on this whole issue. Just wanted to offer information that might help with the overall problem. I was forwarded to a detective who told me that these reported break ins never make it to the detetctive level. However since I now have evidence of fraud, I could report that and then it gets turned over to a detective. He was well aware of how severe the break in problem is in the parking lots around valley green and the park, but it doesnt seem that there is anyone assigned to collecting all the info from all these little incidents. I think there may be a lot of information out there that if it was put together, could possibly catch the people doing this. I realize this is petty theft and in the scheme of things, low priority for Philadelphia police who are dealing with more violent crimes. I'm not sure what I'm suggesting we all do at this point. It seems that until this becomes a more violent crime spree, not much will happen with the authorities. But by allowing it to happen with no attempt to stop it, are we making it easier for these crimes to continue and escalate to more violent crimes?

I would agree that not leaving valuables in sight is a reasonable precaution. Cameras won't work; the thieves would simply cover their faces, and, with the woods, the thieves have a lot of cover if someone does enter the area. A large part of the problem is a lack of citizen watchfulness.

Don't misunderstand, I applaud the efforts of our Town Watch patrols, but we need more neighbors to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Last Summer. I was having a coffee at High Point Cafe and noticed two youths (estimated to be 13 to 15 years old) "shopping" the street. I watched these two boys, one on each side of the street, walk up Carpenter Lane from Greene Street to Sherman Street, looking into every car on the street. These guys were obvious; they turned to look into each car and looked around to see if anyone was observing them. I watched the boys return down the street and go into the playground behind the school where they "hung out".

I called the police and reported what I saw, and they did indeed send a patrol car to the playground. Perhaps the kids were scared or simply alerted that they should be more careful next time.

I see the same "shopping" behavior all the time, along Hortter, Greene, Pelham, Westview, McCallum, etc. I think a possible solution is for residents to keep an eye out and either question suspicious behavior or call the police.

I am no expert, but I recall reading that petty crime is anything but petty and if unchecked can lead to the degradation of a neighborhood and more serious crime (no, not like pot leads to heroin). Is it a stretch to imagine park parking lot car break-ins evolving to park parking lot muggings and assaults? Nobody wants to wait for that to happen to get action!

Kudos to Frank for being so aware and acting on his observations. The patrol car resulting from his call sends a clear message, "Neighbors are looking out, so go somewhere else to steal." Imagine if even half the people observing something similar acted as Frank did? Without people like Frank, it's open season and crime is easy.

I applaud Andrea for her perseverance with the police, but we are dealing with a department that can only react to the most severe crimes. They are not capable of being proactive. I'm not blaming them or questioning their commitment or skills, it is simply a matter of resources being stretched too thin.

One problem is we are in a huge police district and share our police with neighborhoods that have serious and awful crime. It seems that splitting the district would be a way to focus on the needs of each neighborhood more effectively, for everyone.