One attraction of small town living is the lack of crime. So, what happens when that image gets kicked down? Well, one local village is fighting back.

     "They broke in through here. The door was kicked in and the deadbolt was on the floor." Christi Loy shows NTV where vandals broke in to her hair salon. "As far as we could tell they didn't take anything. Not sure why they broke in."

     This isn't the only incident recently in the village of Cairo. "We've had a couple of burglaries and criminal mischiefs in the last 60 days. Seems to be about average," said Hall County Sheriff Jerry Watson.

     Average or not, Loy's at her breaking point. "I would love to have a cop in town, but I don't think that's possible because of funding," she said.

     For many small communities, having a police force isn't feasible. So, they pay the local sheriff's office to patrol for a certain number of hours each month. "The county board contracts with the village board or city council in each one of those communities. Wood River contracts for the most hours, I believe 180 a month," Sheriff Watson said.

     Doniphan contracts for 90 hours, Alda 70 and Cairo only 30.

     What started as small talk at a small town salon is now becoming a formal plan. Residents hope to bring that small town safety back home. "Maybe some kind of neighborhood watch program. We're going to talk with the city and see what we can do," said Loy.

     Sheriff Watson said neighborhood watches do help cut down on crime. That sheriff's office tried starting them in the smaller communities a few years ago, but none of them took off.

     Loy has a meeting with the village and sheriff's office July 14th.

Reporter's Notes by Laurie Dutcher:

Loy suspects the culprits are local teens. "I would like to catch them and hold them accountable."

Sheriff Watson said regardless of contract his office will respond to calls. They just won't be able to have as large a presence in the community.

The sheriff is willing to help anyone start a neighborhood watch.

His best advice, "Look for something that doesn't belong."

Other tips:

Be aware of your surroundings

If you leave on vacation, tell your neighbors

Stop your mail and newspaper delivery when out of town

The sheriff's office offers vacation checks

Their are 29 sworn positions in his office covering 560 square miles.