By Michael Raphael , Associated Press writer
PHILADELPHIA — Danzo Perry skates through the dark streets of Philadelphia like a bee in a field of flowers — fluttering in and out of alleys, rolling through crowded intersections and stopping, just for a moment, from time to time.
When he stops, it’s always for a reason — to search bushes for suspicious characters, to check car doors for tell-tale scratches.
He and his five-person squad of in-line skaters are the latest evolution in citizen crime prevention — a blading version of the traditional Town Watch, equipped with flashing lights, cellular phones and four-wheeled skates.
National experts say Mr. Perry’s effort is the first of its kind in the country, and local police say it has cut crime.
“I’ve seen ‘em on horseback, I’ve seen the seniors that do it out in Arizona, but I haven’t seen it on skates yet,” said Matt Peskin, executive director of the National Association of Town Watch.

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