With the recent influx of incidents of vandalism and malicious mischief that have accelerated in the community, the Levittown Chamber of Commerce and its board of directors have decided to take action. Many Levittown businesses have fallen victim to perpetrators of senseless acts to the tune of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. In an effort to help stop, or at least bring awareness to, such criminal acts in the community, the chamber has initiated a new program, titled "On Alert."

According to Chamber President Louise Cassano, local businesses, schools and houses of worship will be offered signs that read "This Business is On Alert," "This School is On Alert," etc. to post in their windows or inside their places of business to indicate that they are partners in protecting and preserving the community.

Participants of the program will be asked to be vigilant in looking for and reporting acts of vandalism or malicious mischief and to press charges when and if they are asked to do so. Cassano noted that the chamber has met with representatives from Crime Stoppers, whose phone number will appear on the flier. Residents/business owners who hear any information about a crime that has taken place in the community will be urged to call Crime Stoppers. The chamber has also met with the 8th Precinct, which has shown support of the program. Of course, if residents witness a crime in progress and need an immediate response, they should call 911.

Nassau County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $2,000, depending on the crime, information, etc., if they have enough information to make an arrest. If there is a conviction as a result of an arrest, the chamber of commerce will pay $500.

To help bring the program to fruition, the chamber hopes to have the "On Alert" signs posted before the end of the school year, since criminal activity often increases when school is out for summer. However, such activity is certainly not limited to summer months.

Among some of the destructive activity that has recently occurred in the area was at the chamber of commerce's gazebo, which was installed in Veterans Memorial Park on Shelter Lane near the Levittown Public Library. According to the chamber, the gazebo has been, on several occasions, the object of considerable damage by vandals. The "Welcome to Levittown" sign at the corner of North Wantagh Avenue and Hempstead Turnpike was recently torn down. In addition, the first evergreen tree planted by the chamber for the community's annual Holiday Tree Lighting at Veterans Memorial Park was destroyed, possibly by malicious mischief. Light bulbs and holiday greetings signs have been stolen and destroyed. Chamber members planted a second tree last December and are hoping for its survival.

Local businesses and houses of worship have also had their share of criminal activity, including trespassing, property vandalism and hits of graffiti.

Cassano noted that the "On Alert" program is certainly not limited to chamber members or business owners. "It's really to protect the business community and certainly the community at large. It's the belief of the chamber's board of directors that we need to take action to quell these acts of deviant behavior," Cassano said. "It's the hope of the board of directors that the concentrated effort to stop vandalism will pull the community together."

The chamber will work to keep residents and businesses informed of the progress of the committee. Anybody interested in working on the committee and helping the community be "On Alert" can contact Chamber President Louise Cassano through the Levittown Chamber of Commerce office at 520-8000.