On Dec. 5, David Fried, of 3650 Schoeneck Road, Lower Macungie, was reported missing from the area of Lockridge Park in Alburtis. He was found deceased Dec. 6 in Lower Macungie.

At 5:38 p.m., Dec. 5, Alburtis Police Officer Christopher Lubenetski emailed an alert message to Nixle subscribers saying there was police activity in Alburtis Borough as the police were searching for a missing person. They requested the use of caution while driving as officers were searching the areas both by foot and by vehicle and no actions were required or requested of the public.

"At no time was anything or anybody informed that the individual was armed or dangerous or that the community was being threatened," Lubenetski said.

He said the man was simply missing and a threat to himself alone. If people were listening to a police scanner they may have overheard officers asking for incoming information, such as if the person was armed and/or dangerous. Lubenetski said Lehigh County did not know at that point, but believed he was not armed with any weapons.

The Alburtis Police Department was supported by many in their search of neighboring townships and boroughs.

The Pennsylvania State Police utilized their helicopter and search dogs. The Alburtis Volunteer Fire Department used their thermal imaging camera, Macungie Fire Department provided use of their John Deere Gator utility terrain vehicle, Macungie Ambulance Corps provided their Kubota utility terrain vehicle and officers from Alburtis, Macungie, Berks-Lehigh Regional, Lower Milford Township and troopers from Pa. State Police-Fogelsville helped search the area on foot, said Lubenetski.

A second Nixle notice was sent at 8:13 p.m. Dec. 5 saying, "The search for the missing person in Alburtis was called off after an extended search by law enforcement."

On Dec. 6, searchers reorganized and Valley Search and Rescue, with a K-9 team, and a state police helicopter responded along with family members to continue the search.

Sadly, in spite of all their efforts, Fried was found deceased, in a wooded area to the rear of 3650 Schoeneck Road in Lower Macungie.

"Other than people asking why the large presence of police in the area, I do not believe it affected the [Alburtis] borough residents in their daily lives. Though I am sure, like most people, they were shocked to find that the individual had committed suicide," Lubenetski said, adding it is a very sad outcome for the family, especially before the holidays.

Lubenetski strongly encouraged the citizens of Alburtis to seriously consider registering with Nixle at www.nixle.com.

If the department feels the community is in danger of any type of threat, they will send out a Nixle notice and will utilize a reverse 9-1-1 telephone message system to alert the public.

Nixle is a free exclusive, high-speed, secure and reliable community information notification service for law enforcement and government agencies throughout the United States.

After registering, residents will receive emails and/or text messages regarding Alburtis community events and police news. Registration is free and the only cost would be for receiving text messages based on the person's cellular phone plan.

For questions, contact Lubenetski at CLubenetski@AlburtisPD.org.