It isn't something a person can really expect or plan for, but we need to carry insurance against it and, although it is always a shock, it seems it isn't as surprising as it should be.
Property crime hits cities and small towns, businesses and individuals and it always costs more than is taken.
When I spend my hard earned money to buy things to use or even share with others they are mine and I shouldn't have to lock them up to protect them from thieves. Leaving a door unlocked is not an invitation to take whatever is desired, but locked doors are a requirement of living in society and they don't always protect the contents.
One of the problems I've personally dealt with and I've seen local businesses suffer through is the damage done in order to take a relatively small amount of cash and goods. Glass doors, door frames and car windows are much more expensive to replace than a few handfuls of compact disks, a pair of sunglasses or a little bit of cash.
I don't even want to lock my car door anymore, because I never have more than a few cheap items in the trunk or on the seats and I've had to clean up glass, drive down the highway with wind blowing into the car and pay for the expensive installation of a new window. It just doesn't seem to be worth it.
I know people take advantage of that type of thinking as I've had my glove compartments and ashtrays rifled through for a few dollars or small items on numerous occasions in almost every community I've lived in.
When it is dark and quiet we shouldn't have to fear for our possessions and safety but it seems there really is no immunity. I am discouraged by the lack of respect and was almost reduced to tears when I heard about the North Battleford Western Development Museum being vandalised. It was a case where there was no quick cash to grab and the result was destruction of irreplaceable property.
We all become the victims of property crime when prices are raised to meet the increasing costs of insurance and security or when we lose our own possessions. We all suffer when our beautiful and rare antiques are destroyed, the painstaking work of staff and volunteers must be redoneand we have less to share with our children as we attempt to enjoy the stories of the past.
I don't understand what leads anyone to think an easy buck is easy for anyone involved in a crime. There are risks for those involved in crime and there are great costs to the victim both materially and emotionally. Respect in society shouldn't really be so difficult.
