In the past few months, Collingswood has seen its share of visible criminal activity, including a rash of incidents at the Heights of Collingswood apartments, a prostitution bust, and a shooting. Borough Beeswax went downtown to ask residents their take on the town's recent affairs.

“I’m thinking of moving here,” said Laura Stark, whose Hi Fiber apparel line was on display for Second Saturday, outside of Jubili Beads and Yarns, on Haddon Avenue.

“We love this town,” said Stark.

Stark, a Cherry Hill resident, said she recently bid on a house in Collingswood, and the sudden rise in crime has her “a little concerned.” According to Stark, "a little visibility” of officers would help assuage her worries.

“It’s up to the cops to do something,” said Mark Lionelli, of Mickleton. “Walk a beat.”

Within 30 minutes of Stark’s and Lionelli’s remarks on Saturday night, Patch spotted two separate Collingswood Police Department foot patrollers monitoring Haddon Avenue.

Lionelli believes recent crimes are a likely side-effect of poverty and dire times, brought on by the recession.

“People are looking to support habits,” Lionelli postulated.

Haddonfield resident Jaclyn English, who was displaying her jewelry line, Clash/Coordinate, during Second Saturday, said Collingswood crime—in general—is more widespread than many locals realize.

“People in these suburban areas think, ‘Oh, these things don’t happen here,'” she said.

“This is the first time I’ve put it all together,” said borough resident Mike Barbaro. "I'm still relatively comfortable with (the level of safety in town)."

“When I grew up here there was no crime,” said a man, who jokingly identified himself as Eugene Orowitz—the given name of Collingswood native Michael Landon, whose memory has been a popular subject in town of late.

“In the 1960s and 1970s, it was great to grow up here. It’s just the changing times,” he said.

“There’s a lot of animosity going on right now,” said Rob Wilcox, of Harrington Park.

Before he left Haddon Heights last year, Wilcox's home was burglarized, his car was stolen—and later dumped—after being used in the commission of a crime.

“There’s always going to be situations like that (in South Jersey),” Wilcox said.

What do you think? Is crime in Collingswood increasing or just getting more attention? Do you feel more or less safe than you did several years ago? Tell us in the comments. 

Editor's note, 1:05 p.m., Sunday: An earlier version of this article included two deaths in Newton Lake among the recent high-profile crimes in Collingswood. Neither of these incidents were criminal in nature and have been removed from the story.