Enough is enough. Every day, I read emails I receive from the "Nextdoor" group site for my area. Every day, there are multiple reports by frustrated residents about cars broken into in the middle of the night, items stolen from the front and back yards while the residents are sleeping, mail and packages stolen while folks are working.
Cars that are easily identifiable as not being from a specific neighborhood are cruising around checking out vehicles and houses in the middle of the day for that night's target, and most recently, a trio of thieves broke into a house in Midtown at 3 a.m. and stole thousands of dollars worth of someone's possessions. When was the last time any one of these petty crooks and drug users was actually caught and punished? Even if they do get caught, it seems like a revolving door in the judicial system — make bail and then get back on the streets to steal some more.
I don't have the answer, but someone we elected who is supposed to have the answers should be doing a better job, don't you think? I dread the day when some citizen, enraged by the thievery, takes the law into their own hands to protect his or her property. Then the protector will become the prosecuted, I am sure. Perhaps we need to set up aggressive neighborhood patrols to watch our backs and backyards when we are supposed to be resting, so we can work to pay for what is being stolen.
I doubt that there is anyone reading this who does not know of someone, family, friend or neighbor, who has been a victim. When is it going to stop?
— David M. Schauer
Anchorage