To The Reader’s Forum:

I know many residents like myself are fellow business owners in Jamestown and we are all in agreement that the state of public safety in our city is not good. I am also a homeowner downtown. Living in the city has changed tremendously. Whether I am walking to my car, or leaving work I am overly cautious because of the constant chaos around us.

If you were to conduct a canvass or survey of businesses in the city I am confident that the number one issue would be crime.

Now more than ever, city businesses are relying on visitors from outside the city to patronize our establishments. This is primarily due because the city’s population is shrinking, and we will continue to lose people if we cannot make them feel safe.

As a resident and business owner my taxes continue to go up, but I do not see an investment of my taxes going nearly enough towards public safety. I would not mind my tax bill as much if I knew that in return our streets were safe, but based on recent crime statistics that is not the case. Trespassing, theft, vandalism, or looking into my homes doors and windows- these are all things that I have dealt with numerous times. All reasons I have had to call our local officers for assistance.

I urge our city leadership to double down on their efforts to make our city safer. Our future depends upon it!

Sincerely,

Mary McCusker

Jamestown