The Observation Deck

Vandals smashed the windows out of several cars on Gladys Ave. last night. Sadly, our van was one of them. Merry Christmas to us!

Has this been a wide-spread problem lately? I seem to recall someone else mentioning smashed-in car windows.

I just don't "get" vandalism. Why would you want to destroy someone else's property? At least if you are stealing you are probably desperate for money, but to just go around trashing people's things is completely beyond my comprehension.

Kids think it's cool. It's usually kind of dare thing.

I think a lot of teenage boys have anger issues that they don't have the skills to deal with and vandalism is a release.

So sorry. Hope your insurance covers it.

I know I read of smashed car windows in the Sun Post last week on another street. I don't recall exactly which one. It is frustrating when you work hard for what you have and someone just comes and takes or destroys that just because they think they can. Our garage was broken into over the summer and a lot of my husband's tools were stolen along with a boxed stereo I decided not to give my daughter for her July birthday but was going to save for Christmas.

Oh, Dee - that is awful I suppose I should count my blessings. At least it was not stolen.

It is going to get fixed today. Of course the deductible is $500. Not a good price tag, especially this time of year.

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Actually, the police were awaiting our call. They had already taken pictures and file a report before my husband even called. Apparently there were about 6 or 7 others on our street - not sure who, though.

We do not have a block watch on our street. Maybe it is time. Although I'm not sure how a block watch would prevent crimes that happen in the early morning hours.

It does seem to happen quite often and it's never just one window. It seems they just go down the street hitting as many as they can.

A block watch does have a nice premise, but how much crime does it really prevent? Our block watch was formed earlier this year. It didn't prevent my break in or the bike thefts on my street.

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Sometimes you have someone at the window at the right time - and be close to a phone.

That's how we foiled some "bad guys" who were going up and down adjacent streets.

The police responded in something like 30 seconds to our call.

Those people were just trying doors, not smashing windows, so they were relatively silent.

It took us a while to get into the habit of looking out the front windows every time we are near them.

But I'm sorry to hear of the smash-and-grabs on Gladys. That's just one of the streets where I have lived in Lakewood.

Sharon:

I think a lot of teenage boys have anger issues that they don't have the skills to deal with and vandalism is a release.

Gee......I wonder if any teenage GIRLS have anger issues and lack the skills to deal with them......



Jeff

Yes they do - I was just using the generic boys as in all men are created equal.

Sorry - faux pas.

sharon kinsella wrote:Yes they do - I was just using the generic boys as in all men are created equal.

Sorry - faux pas.

I forgive you for making such an insensitive remark.

Stephen -

Raspberries!

sharon kinsella wrote:Stephen -

Raspberries!

aaaahhhhh Raspberries!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot find that clip on YouTube (Little Rascals)

The excuse in tiny small towns back in Nova Scotia for vandalism was typically that kids were bored, and they'd end up building rec centers. Lakewood is no small town, and has quite a bit more to do than most small towns, so the boredom argument just seems a bit lacking. Personally, I don't recall ever being so bored that I felt like smashing something although I came close to going into a coma watching "The Wire". I wonder if the toddlers I see running and screaming unrestrained by parents in restaurants are tomorrow's vandals...

Could cheap cctv cameras recording for later review curtail vandalism, since patrolling at all hours is not realistic?