Trust Was Shattered, Too
It was a bright, crisp day as I left my apartment on a recent Saturday. I was enjoying the uplifting feeling I usually have when headed to church.
As I approached my truck, I saw a piece of glass lying on the ground. That was my first clue that something was very wrong.
Once at the truck, I noticed the back glass and all of the molding were just hanging there; as I looked further, I saw the whole inside of my truck had been ransacked.
The thieves did not gain anything from breaking into the truck. We never leave anything in our vehicles, and we never upgrade the stock stereos - just to help deter thieves like this. But obviously, these thieves were not smart enough to look inside before they wasted their time.
My nice truck was only one of at least seven vehicles that had been broken into and vandalized that night. The bad part is usually not the items they steal but all of the damage they do getting into a vehicle. (Should we just leave our doors unlocked, or would they even try the door handles?)
A deep feeling of being violated overcomes you as you stand looking at your damaged, ransacked truck just knowing that someone has been snooping around in your stuff - stuff you had worked overtime to get.
The first thing one is supposed to do after a break-in is report it to the police - you know, one of the reasons we pay so much in taxes. When you alert the proper authorities, they tell you, “Yes, we will file a report right away and we will be in touch.”
After waiting more than a week, but with no officer coming out to investigate and getting no phone call, we called back. The police told us the report was taken and was filed. When a report is filed, it means the case is closed.
We asked how this case can be closed when no one has made a single effort to find the thieves. The man replied that there are not enough employees to investigate every report. I feel this is telling all the thieves out there, “Hey, if the owner doesn’t catch you or if a neighbor doesn’t catch you, you’re home free because the police don’t even try.”
I wonder if the thieves ever have had anything stolen from them, if they understand all the emotions one goes through after being violated in this way. Do the police realize this injustice is going on? If they do, why can’t they arrange it so that when police are needed, they are there?
MEMO: “Your turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a column for consideration, call Rebecca Nappi/459-5496 or Doug Floyd/459-5466.