Many of us are familiar with the statement, “If you see something, say something.” It appears on signs in buses, subways, on TV, radio, and more. In light of the recent tragedy in Boston, this advice becomes even more urgent. Or so I thought…

Recently, as I walked up my block en route to do some shopping, I passed a large package that was left in the gutter behind a parked car. Its height reached the bumper of the car and seemed almost as wide. I waited a moment to see if someone was going to claim it, and when no one did, I hurried to the intersection to check for any passing police car even though that’s a rare sight in my neighborhood. As luck would have it, I did see an NYPD Traffic car stopped for a red light and caught up to it before the light changed.

When I reported the suspicious package and its location, the driver turned the car around and drove to the spot while I trotted back there as well. The driver called in my report and was told to remain there to wait for police officers who handle these matters. I was asked to wait too.

After over a half hour went by with no results, I phoned 911 myself to report the package, spoke to a rep who didn’t sound particularly concerned, and was told a vehicle would be coming.

After more than an hour, I decided to leave to go shopping as originally intended. I was reluctant to leave since I felt that the police would probably show up to check the package while I was gone, and that’s exactly what happened. Although an NYPD Traffic car remained at the scene, by the time I returned from shopping, both the vehicle and the package were gone.

When I got home, I called 311 in order to ask about the results of my report and they referred me to the 52nd Precinct, which in turn told me they couldn’t give me the results, only that someone did finally show up to the site. When I asked why this took so long, I was told that there were other crimes that needed checking first. It’s not clear to me why, if I made the original report, that I couldn’t be informed of its conclusion.

If someone had called to report the packages at the Boston marathon, and if the response would have taken that long, those bombs would have gone off anyway. In addition, putting patrolmen in areas after a bombing has taken place will not help the dead or wounded. Past incidents have shown that perpetrators don’t attack the same place twice. There’s absolutely no way to know where this kind of attack will happen next.

The package I reported could easily have been anything from abandoned garbage to an explosive, and those in charge should have responded in a more timely manner. While it may be a good idea for a concerned citizen to err on the side of caution and make such a report, my experience in this instance certainly doesn’t make for encouragement for future reporting. Showing up more than an hour after receiving a report is not acceptable. If one of the reasons is because my neighborhood is not considered heavily trafficked, this too is not acceptable. An abandoned package anywhere should get top priority in this day and age.

What is the purpose of the “see something, say something” mantra if the response time is not fairly immediate? Is it any wonder why some people are reluctant to become involved?

Judy Noy is a Norwood resident who also proofreads the Norwood News.

Editor’s note: This opinion piece was originally published in the May 16-29 print edition of the Norwood News. The content of this piece reflects the opinions of the author, not the Norwood News.