What qualities should Allentown's next police chief possess?

That interesting question recently was put to city residents by Mayor Ed Pawlowski, who will choose a new top cop in the fall.

My husband and I attended the mayor's information-gathering meeting and were disappointed with the relatively sparse turnout.

The attitude of folks who didn't plan to attend seemed to be, as one neighbor put it, "It makes no difference who's in charge. Nothing will change."

I disagree.

The priorities and focus of a police chief who is an effective leader can shape the attitudes of the officers on the streets.

Those officers, in turn, can have an impact on the quality of life for residents in our cities and surrounding communities.

And quality of life does matter.

It was striking to me how almost every speaker at the mayor's meeting brought up the importance of that issue.

One of the first residents to walk to the microphone began by suggesting the mayor look for a new chief who subscribes to the "broken window" theory.

In simple terms, the theory means paying attention to small problems, the nuisance crimes. If ignored, these nuisance crimes lead to bigger crimes, just as a broken window left unrepaired sends the message that no one cares, leading to greater decay of the neighborhood.

One resident after another addressed similar concerns and noted the importance of hiring a police chief who will take seriously the plethora of quality of life crimes in the city.

One young mother who addressed the mayor told of a police officer who became her "hero" when he accomplished what she and her husband had tried to do three times, to no avail: convince a neighbor to turn down the loud music.

The woman spoke of her need for police to take seriously the nuisance crimes in her neighborhood.

As a resident of downtown Allentown for almost five decades, after growing up in the Parkland School District, I have seen and experienced the results of these nuisance crimes firsthand.

On our block we observe (and hear) double-parked cars with blaring sound systems.

In our backyard we find objects, from shoes to hot dogs to dangerous metal rods, tossed over our high wooden fence by tenants in the apartment building next door.

We have been the victims of graffiti.

We have had large planters stolen from in front of our house.

We pick up major litter several times a day.

We have experienced trespassing and loitering on our property numerous times.

In our volunteer work we see cemetery desecration and disrespect each time we visit.

We observe blatant violations of the city's animal control laws daily.

We are far from alone. Other residents tell similar tales.

Friends and neighbors who moved away from downtown Allentown almost always cited nuisance crimes, which made their homes unlivable, as the reason.

They didn't say they feared being murdered or raped. They said they couldn't stand the quality of life here.

People outside the city often mention quality of life problems as the reason they don't want to come downtown, which could pose a problem for the arena and other new attractions.

"Allentown's too dirty," one woman insists.

"Too many loose pit bulls," explains a friend from the suburbs.

Why do people disregard the law? Is it because they think they can get away with such nuisance crimes in Allentown?

Criminals were not born to be troublemakers, according to a fascinating and surprising article in the January issue of Smithsonian magazine.

In "Born to be Bad: The New Science of Morality," the author reports extensive research conducted on infants and toddlers, which demonstrated our innate gravitation to good, not evil.

Time after time these very young children chose to do right, long before they could comprehend teachings on right and wrong.

So what changes? Surely our upbringing and external environment heavily influence the choices we will make later in life.

Although we as a society cannot dictate how others raise their children, we can exert influence on the environment surrounding us.

Perhaps selecting a police chief who sends the message early, to residents and to his troops, that quality of life infractions are serious business and will not be tolerated is the first step to restoring Allentown's dignity and its reputation as a pleasant and vibrant place in which to live. That was the city we older folks remember.

Are you listening to our voices, Mr. Mayor?