Linda Hall: Time to get streetwise and meet your neighbours

Linda Hall, Assistant Editor, Hawke's Bay Today

Just about everyone I talk to lately has either had something stolen from them or knows someone who has.

Every day in the paper and on social media there are reports about people who have had their homes, sheds, cars, businesses broken into or things stolen from their backyard.

It appears there are more and more people in our community who think it's okay to help themselves to things that other people have worked for.

The thieves also seem to be getting younger and younger. Probably because to them it's normal.

They've most likely grown up in a home where parents and older siblings arrive home every day with something "new" to sell on.

That's how they get new stuff or money to buy new stuff.

It's a huge problem and I can't see it going away anytime soon.

Police have said that they are going to take a harder line on burglaries this year but they can only do so much.

While the Government has promised a massive $503 million crime-fighting package goodness knows when we will see any benefit from that - it's election year so promises, promises.

I know lots of areas have community watch now and as far as I can see that's the only way to stop this avalanche of thefts.

One thing that really gets to me about all this is the picture I saw of a haul of goods the police recently recovered.

Yes there were some expensive items the thieves might have been able to sell on for $100 but there was also garden gnomes and pot plants.

Why would they bother to take the time to even take these things that would be lucky to score them five bucks?

Are they kleptomaniac? Do they have to take everything they see?

Recently we found our hand-held sprinkler attachment (it clips on the end of the hose) broken and strewn along the footpath.

Obviously someone had been right up to our back door because that's where it was kept.

They must have decided they didn't want it but instead of just discarding it they had to destroy it.

We checked the property and nothing seemed to be missing but the thought that someone has been poking around the back yard is horrible.

All these burglaries have turned me into a suspicious spy. If I see a stranger walking or biking along the street I watch them.

Several times now I've left home as a car has stopped in the street or a person is walking past the house and my 'suspicious voice" starts hammering away in my ear.

"Who are they? Why are they parked there?" And I just can't help myself - I drive around the block and do a drive by. Sometimes I stop and check the backyard and back door.

I don't like feeling suspicious about every stranger I see in the street but I can't help it and I'm sure I'm not alone.

Police tell us to report any suspicious behaviour but I don't think walking along the footpath or parking is very suspicious.

I would however have no hesitation in calling police or the neighbours if I did see anything suspicious.

That's often how crimes get solves - tips from the observant public.

Once upon a time everybody knew exactly who lived in their streets but times have changed. I do know my immediate neighbours but certainly not everyone in the street.

Perhaps it's time to remedy that.