BOSWELL — Borough officials are targeting crime by forming a Neighborhood Crime Watch and hiring a part-time police officer.
The two-pronged approach comes in response to rising reports of vandalism, drugs and underage drinking.
About 15 people who turned out at a recent meeting called for council to take action.
“We decided to go ahead and start a crime watch,” Mayor Matthew Ash said.
State police will help start the program, which authorities call a vital crime-fighting arm of local police. Similar crime watch groups have been started in other towns across Somerset and Cambria counties.
Council also is looking to hire a part-time officer.
Boswell has had trouble keeping officers, with three quitting in less than a year.
“We’ve gone through so many,” Councilwoman Teresa Ann Matsko lamented.
The position would entail a 25- to 35-hour work week for a police-certified candidate.
