by Sue Ann Rybak

Sgt. Nicholas Tees stressed the importance of being proactive when it comes to preventing crime at Wednesday night’s PSA 4 meeting held at the Chestnut Hill Library, 8711 Germantown Ave. Also in attendance was Philadelphia Police Officer Bob Mahan, who frequently patrols the Chestnut Hill neighborhood.

Tee encouraged residents to call 911 if they see anything suspicious.

“Chances are if it doesn't look right, it isn't,” Tees said.

Tees, who presided over the meeting, reviewed the crimes in PSA 4, which covers all of Chestnut Hill along with Cedarbrook and parts of East Mt. Airy.

From Feb. 11 to March 11, police reported four aggravated assaults, three robberies, 12 burglaries, 4 stolen vehicles and 11 thefts from autos.

Of the 12 burglaries in PSA 4, nine occurred in Chestnut Hill. In several incidents neighbors saw suspicious behavior but failed to report it. Several of the burglaries occurred in apartments. In three incidents, Tees said owners had alarms but failed to turn them on.

According to police, there were 11 thefts from autos – only five occurred in Chestnut Hill. Tees reminded residents to not leave any personal items in their automobiles – including GPS, laptops and cell phones. Tees asked residents to continue to be vigilant and to be proactive when it comes to preventing crime.

According to the 14^th district headquarters, the next PSA 4 meeting will be held on April 9 at Lutheran Theological Seminary, 7301 Germantown Ave., at 7 p.m.

If you would like to have your named added to an email list to be notified of crimes in PSA 4, residents are encouraged to email sean.danbridge@phila.gov or synell.hall@phila.gov. Residents can also call Officer Synell Hall at 215-686-3140 to schedule a free security assessment.