There are those who believe they speak for the whole of Vicksburg and believe they have a megaphone on social media, yet are at times irresponsible in saying lawlessness and crime are running rampant in Vicksburg.

These people are alarmists and claim perceptions are realities and the sky is falling when it comes to the safety and security of our streets and neighborhoods.

And while any amount of crime is too much, Vicksburg remains a safe, secure and flourishing community, and to say otherwise without context or fact does little to help, especially in recruiting new residents and industry to the community we call home.

That said, we agree there is room to improve and we stand by local law enforcement as they carry out needed actions to make our community a safer place to live, work and play.

Improvement must come from sensible conversations and sensible solutions. Sounding the all-out alarm on social media with each misdemeanor does little to solve the problem. Residents must communicate with law enforcement for change to occur. Simply posting on social media is not enough to solve the problem.

In many editorials, we have applauded the Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s investment in the city’s public safety departments. Still, we call for more.

When it comes to public safety there is no dollar amount too big, and no investment too small.

Regardless of how much money is spent and how much technology is placed in the hands of our public servants, curtailing our community’s level of crime lies solely on the shoulders of the community.

When it comes to crime, our community — our neighborhoods — must not stand for even the smallest of infractions. We must expect higher of ourselves and our neighbors, to hold those who commit crimes — both small and large — accountable. We must not stand idly by when we know who is at fault and who is causing crime.

“If you know something, say something” must become a mantra from Sky Farm Road to Redbone Road and everywhere in between.

As a community, we will continue to have as much crime as we are willing to accept and allow.

While Police Chief Milton Moore and his team are on the streets, we must stand behind them and beside them.

We need to encourage our city leaders to continue their investment in the tools our police need to keep our city safe. We also need to take responsibility that keeping our city safe starts with us, our neighbors in what we know, what we say and what we accept.