With January and February being two of the darkest months of the year, The Northside Public Safety Council would like to remind Northsiders to keep their outdoor lights on to help prevent crime and be aware of their surroundings.

“Light does deter crime,” said Public Safety Council President David Stacy, who explained that homes with lights on are less likely to be robbed.

The Saftey Council would also like to remind pedestrians that being aware of their surroundings is equally important when they’re outside at night. Stacey explained that there were three robberies outside of Heinz Field after a Steelers game last month and even if you’re in a crowd, you may still be vulnerable.

In November, approximately 500 incidents were reported throughout the Northside, which led to approximately 156 arrests.

The Northside Public Safety Council is a nonprofit corporation composed of community leaders, businesses, government officials the Housing Authority, property owners and the Zone 1 Pittsburgh Police.

The Northside Public Safety Committee meets the first Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. on the mezzanine level of The Northside Leadership Conference’s offices at 4 Allegheny  Center. All are welcome.

A useful resource for the community is the Zone 1 website at www.communitysafety.pittsburghpa.gov.

For questions or concerns regarding crime or police presence, contact the Zone 1 Community Relations Officer, Forrest Hodges at forrest.hodges@pittsburghpa.gov.