" How terrible this town and community is becoming. It's scary to think where this place is going to be 5-10 years down the road. "

" This isn't bad considering it's a holiday weekend and all of the holiday spirit being consumed. In a town this size it would be odd if nothing happened. "

" I am looking at a cumulative total of crime of late. Stabbings, robberies, assaults, home invasions, car chases. I know we are not a small town and we will have crime but 2008 SEEMS to be a big "crime" year. I'm interested to see how the statistics compare to past years. I'm certainly not God and I don't have all the answers, I do what I can to influence my community and those I am involved with and interact with. I just think everyone needs to start with a fresh, common courtesy approach to things. It has gotten so chippy of late. Something good needs to happen. "

" I agree with you jns1974! Same here- You try and try to help people all you can and do what you can for your community, but sometimes it just doesn't seem to affect anyone. I feel exactly how you do. I have just decided to stop trying to please others and live life with a smile- smile at the devil is my plan;) "

" the same things were happening in this neighborhood 10, 20, 30 years ago. for those who are "scared" of what this community is becoming, please understand it is the same community it has always been.

the relevant question is what can we do to make our community better? the same problems continue to exist. so let us challenge ourselves to find new solutions to a problem that has existed in our community for decades. "

" I agere with timbrackett, these are the communities we grew up in or some of us raised our children in. I have a few members of family in law enforcement and one is local. He says the same thing that I am seeing posted on here. It is about making a difference and getting out there and helping someone and hoping they pay it forward and help someone else. I no longer live in Waterloo metro, but not far down the road either. But, for people to think it is just that town the crime is growing. Your wrong, it is all over the place and you just happen to W'loo more then CF or Grundy Center or wherever the crime may be happening. We should all get together and do something positive for the community...... "

" Growing up down the street from Baltimore and being a 92 graduate from west high, I don't know that I'd say 20-30 years ago the same things were happening in THAT neighborhood...10 I'd agree with. My fear is associated with what my children will encounter, considering I don't live very far away from this area. As for what to do, we all KNOW what to do. The question will be, how many will do it? How many will take responsibility for their children, how many will step up to help educate the youth and show them the way, how many will do anything no matter how little it may seem..to better this community. I believe it all starts in your own home and branches out from there. "

" It's sad to see how terrible the crime is getting.

Contrary to what a few people say, 10,20,30 years ago do not hold a candle to this year.

Drive-bys, violent crime, armed robbery *HOME INVASION*, calling for pizza delivery, Chinese delivery, or a taxi, weekly shootings, and store hold-ups are *all* on a rise. we had a shooting at a *peace rally* this summer!

Can we please get on the ball and start cleaning this town up? We have repeated crimes with the same M.O. (home invasions, delivery robberies, hold ups, etc) with no criminals getting caught. We have repeated drive bys and police taking the 'just another day in Waterloo' attitude.

Perhaps it is time to replace the incompetent police with people that can actually get the job done. "

" Notice how no so-called assault weapons used, in fact no firearms at all. A new assault weapons ban would do nothing to stop crime! All it does is take revenge on presumed conservative gun owners. Eventually they will take away all our firearms, leaving us easy prey of knife wielding criminals. "

" The home invasions are just a taste of what will come if gun grabbers have their way. When seconds count the police are minutes or hours away. Our only hope is in personal firearms at home. Remember this when your congress people vote on gun bans! "

" go to the library and pull up courier stories from 1988. you will find the same types of stories that you see today when it comes to crime. "

" my grandaughter ownes the house right across the street from this house and the police are there all the time i would say its time to do something about the occupants that live there. it is not a good place "

" It is time for a new police chief and mayor who gets it. It was never this bad under Rooff. This all started when Hurley was elected. Little Chicago is wide open. Maybe Rooff will come back and clean up the mess. "