I wanted to take a moment to mention an on-going problem that we need a solution for in Hertford. That problem is almost nightly ransacking of private property and vehicles up and down the three or four main streets in town.
Recently someone broke into our garage. The idiots stole a broken chain saw, took my weed whacker and a rusty old battery charger - in other words, they didn't take a lot of money worth of things, but they took things that were mine. I've needed every one of those things since then, and some kid, or drunk, ran off with them, leaving me high and dry. None of that stuff was going to bring them enough money to buy anything...but I'll promise this. I have new alarms on the garage. Cameras are going in. Trip wires may even be set. In case any of those who think that Market Street driveways are a shopping mall read this, you're going on camera, and you're going to court. If I catch you at it in the middle of the night, you should keep in mind that I won't hesitate to "detain" you for the police by whatever means works.
This morning I got the lovely surprise of finding my car door open. I'm pretty careful about locking up, but this one time I got out and had to mess around in the back seat, and I left the door open. My $15 (brand new price)CD/Tape deck that I use to listen to audio books? Gone. Probably had the last tape of one of my audio books in it too, which was worth more than the tape deck, since it makes the entire book worthless.
Same morons once stole a big, cassette tape audio book from me (a library book) I'm one hundred percent certain they didn't rush back to enrich themselves with a best-selling literary masterpiece...probably tossed it in the trash when they figured out they couldn't do anything with it. That cost me, and it cost the library, and in that manner cost all the other folks who might have enjoyed that book after me.
Here's the point. Robbing my car, garage, and house is not worth the trouble it's about to become. We, as citizens in Hertford, need to stand up and stop this - I'd say before it gets out of hand, but it happens so often that I'd have to say it already IS out of hand. Maybe that corner down at the end of Market St. where they stand and have dubious dealings every day needs to be reached by an Internet webcam. I guarantee you boys, I can make that happen. I also guarantee that one house-worth of Market Street is going to become the biggest mistake of your thieving lives if you come back again.
I live here, you know? The stuff isn't great stuff, but it's MY stuff.
As a warning to other concerned citizens, my mom saw a sort of gray sedan - lights all turned off and motor running - on the street very early the morning our garage was broken into (I forgot to mention that they stole my kids' bikes again). When they saw her they took off (being the cowardly sort they are) but I'm guessing they were watching the road and playing "get-away" car for the five dollars and change worth of crap these guys usually get away with. If you happen to be up late, or get up early, and you see a car with primer on it, or any car, for that matter, engine running and lights off, parked on the street...keep in mind they might be there for the wrong reasons.
If we work together, we can stop this...if not, well, they won't be getting away with it at my house any more, so next they may rob you.
End of rant, and I'm sorry. It isn't my intent to give a wrong impression of Hertford, but truth is truth. We've been robbed three times just this year. I think it's about time we got together and did something about it.
See you all at the 5K race this Saturday, 8:00 AM at Missing Mill Park.
DNW
