By Alyse Horn

As of December 18, 2013, 244 incidents were reported throughout the Northside, which led to 79 arrests.

The Northside Public Safety Council wants to remind people to not leave gifts or items of any value visible in their vehicles. Visible items of any value in vehicles are easy targets for criminals. If it’s necessary to leave items in the car, it is best to lock items in the trunk.

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.pittsburghpa.gov/police/zone1.

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