Criminals On The Loose

Things seem to be changing here in the peaceful hamlet of Dain City - and I don't like it one bit.

I'm referring to the recent rash of crimes and disturbances we've been hearing about in the local news. It started out with the guys who broke into someone's backyard to throw a drunken pool party. Then we heard complaints about some kids on bikes blaring their music late at night, which is hardly a crime, but nonetheless goes against what we're used to in this area. Then there was the incident that personally affected me: when my mother's 30-year-old bicycle was stolen from inside a locked apartment building, apparently by someone who must have had a key.

You might wonder why I'm calling two actual crimes and one minor annoyance a "rash," but think about how often we hear about this stuff going on in Dain City. Other than the big lockdown that occurred two months ago today, I can't remember the last time anything even remotely criminal made the news in good old D.C. This area just has a reputation as a quiet, peaceful, and safe place to live, while Welland (sadly) isn't always viewed in that same light. 

Keep in mind that those three incidents I mentioned are just the ones that made it to the top of the Dain City Facebook group. There are others that you don't hear about. I myself have had some issues with a bunch of kids (younger than myself) on bikes in the Old Subdivision, who get a kick out of chasing whoever walks by and yelling what I'll call 'unkind remarks' at them (fill in the blanks). Being a paperboy (it's easy money), I've run into them ever since I started with the Tribune a couple of years back. We even filed a report after they tried to make off with my cart and its contents, including my house keys, but nothing ever came of it. Again, 'attempted petty theft' isn't really much of a crime, but it's out of the ordinary.*

* Tangent: While I'm on the subject of the paper route, I can't begin to count the number of times I get a strong whiff of marijuana from a passing car or a nearby house when I'm out doing my morning deliveries. We might be pretty close to legalization, but for the moment, pot is still an illegal drug, unless you have a medical permit, and I'm quite certain these people do not. Now, we all know where people get illegal drugs from. I am aware of many of the drug dealers who are active in Welland, and I don't know any who only deal in the "softer" stuff like cannabis. It makes you wonder how many degrees of separation are between the harmless Dain City tokers who enjoy a joint on the way to work, and real criminals. They might be closer together than you would assume.

It's not just Dain City that's being affected, either. According to the NRP, all of Welland is seeing an increase in some types of criminal activity (namely, thefts) when compared to last summer. They said the increase is not significant enough to really call it a trend, which seems like PR-speak for "the increase is there, but we're not putting any additional resources into it," if you ask me. But what do I know.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that there have been some thefts in Welland as of late. That's normal. Welland is a decent-sized city, and decent-sized cities have crime. Dain City, though, is not really a city at all. Dain City is a place where people leave their garage doors open to give their neighbours easy access. A place where people leave their dogs out when they're not home, and the dogs are friendly to passersby. A place where the owners of the local corner store know you by name. You get the idea.

But if this kind of stuff keeps making the local news, that reputation is at risk. We could lose our status as Welland's safe haven, the peaceful hamlet, the quiet little town where nothing ever happens. That could all go down the drain. Reputations can be destroyed in an instant, and it won't take a murder to drive people away from here. All we need is one thief, one drug dealer, one serial trespasser even, and the retirees that make up the larger part of our population could start fleeing to Wainfleet's cottage country, or wherever else. And then where will we be?