As the economy goes down, crime will go up. That is a sad but true fact of life. Some people out of work or who can’t afford buying things as costs increase resort to stealing to get what they want.

There has been a noticeable increase in crime locally. This is not a reflection on the law enforcement officials in our cities and county. They all work hard to ensure our safety, and do the best they can to deter crime and capture offenders.

Local crimes include car break-ins, home break-ins and theft of property from someone’s residence. Thursday’s carjacking in Linden is an isolated, extreme example of the increase of crime in our area, but it is still alarming that such a crime would be perpetrated in our area.

Most of these crimes are preventable — so preventable, in fact, that one could almost blame the property owner for making it so easy for someone to steal things from their car or home.

Be sure that all of your vehicle’s doors are locked if you are going to leave it, especially in a large parking area. Likewise, lock your home’s doors if it is going to be unoccupied. Most thefts take place because it was so easy for someone to enter the car or home and take whatever was found inside.

Be more alert and aware of your surroundings. Watch out not just for yourself but for others as well. Report suspicious activity to your police department or sheriff’s department.

Simple awareness and common sense will help deter most of the crimes in our county. You can help police, neighbors and yourself deter preventable crimes.