Archived Story

Don’t encourage crime to occur

Published 12:05am Friday, June 1, 2012

About this time every year petty crime picks up.

It happens in most communities, so it shouldn’t be viewed as a black eye on Natchez.

School is out, bored young people are roaming and trouble ensues.

The community shouldn’t be proud of it, nor should we encourage it.

Who would encourage crime, you ask?

Dozens of your neighbors do it every day, several times a day.

Anyone who walks away from their unlocked car with valuables inside is simply inviting the criminals to the party. It’s a shame that our world isn’t one in which we can just leave our car doors unlocked and have no worries. Few places in the world are like that anymore.

The same goes for unlocked houses, storage sheds and businesses.

Police offer the same words of caution several times a year, but particularly when the school doors close for summer. Lock up your belongings. Don’t leave valuables in plain sight.

It’s common sense, but still a common problem.

If you’d prefer to avoid smashed windows by simply leaving your vehicle unlocked, that’s your choice; but make sure there’s nothing of value inside that can be easily taken.

Part of reducing crime is having personal responsibility.

We’d rather our police officers spend their time responding to serious crime, not the burglary of an unlocked vehicle.

Three months of long, hot summer are ahead. Youth will be mischievous, troublesome and sometimes downright bad.

Don’t ask for trouble.

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  • Anonymous

    How about instead of blaming the victim, you do a piece on the sorry @$$ parents out there not knowing where their kids are at night. If the police could catch these kids maybe they wouldn’t escalate to serious crimes. The police could use a bait car in high crime areas and maybe scare some of these kids straight. It ain’t like the police are deterring crime anywhere else.

  • Anonymous

    iaintevenmad, and NPD and ACSO,
    Using a bait car is a great idea! Law enforcement in large cities uses this tactic regularly to nab serial thieves. There are even electronic means to find the thief with the loot after they’ve departed the scene. Neighbors, help neighbors by being alert.

  • Anonymous

    How about blaming the thugs out there stealing things?  As a family member always told me, “Locks are for honest thieves.”

    Truth is, crime in Natchez is going up, and it has more to do with the complete lack of decent jobs than anything else.

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    I feel that when the kids are caught by NPD or the sheriff office that after they lock up the kids they should go and arrest the parents as well as they do in other cities of our nation!! This would stop a lot of diliquent crimes in Natchez I grant you!! Make them to community time cutting grass ,cleaning, whatever needs done!!

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    Sounds as if your making excuses and when it comes to crime people suppose to know right from wrong that crime doesn’t pay!! If these folks can’t find a job let them raise a family garden with the kids envolved  with regular chores to do each day to keep them busy and out of trouble!! Kids should go to the library and read books!!

  • Anonymous

    No excuses here.  You seem to have missed my point completely.  This article blames the victims of the thefts happening in Natchez and gives the excuse that it is just bored kids.  The truth is, if someone is going to steal, a lock won’t stop them.  They will break a window.  The crime we have going on in Natchez is not bored kids out for laughs.  Crime is getting to be a real problem in Natchez and “editorials” like these do nothing to open discussion on the problem.  It’s no wonder there is no actual name on this article.

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    My feelings is that talk is cheap but doing is what needs to be put in action that people that break the law need to pay the fiddler!!

    In a message dated 6/1/2012 4:59:54 P.M. Central Daylight Time, notifications@disqus.net writes:

    (http://disqus.com/)

    ntznomad wrote, in response to khakirat:
    No excuses here. You seem to have missed my point completely. This article blames the victims of the thefts happening in Natchez and gives the excuse that it is just bored kids. The truth is, if someone is going to steal, a lock won’t stop them. They will break a window. The crime we have going on in Natchez is not bored kids out for laughs. Crime is getting to be a real problem in Natchez and “editorials” like these do nothing to open discussion on the problem. It’s no wonder there is no actual name on this article.

    _Link to comment_ (http://disq.us/7l7xuk?imp=4200fc11-2b79-4521-b8ea-08173933f0ce&thread=710324165&zone=email_notification&event=shortener_click)

  • Anonymous

    THERE ARE SOME ARTICLES I READ MAKE PLENTY SENSE, AND THERE ARE SOME I READ MAKE ME SCRATCH MY HEAD ALL THE WAY TO THE BED. THIS IS ONE. THIS ARTICLE SEEMS TO ME LIKE IT HAS A AXE TO GRIND WITH ANOTHER ARTICLE ABOUT LEAVING THERE CAR DOORS UNLOCKED. BEATING AROUND THE BUSH WASTE TO MUCH TIME. JUST GET TO THE POINT AND SPIT IT OUT. THIS IS ONE AREA OF THE ND NEEDS TO BE TRASHED. BE A MAN AND COME OUT FROM BEHIND THAT ” EDITORIAL BOARD “.   

  • vilou09

    Sounds to me like you’re the one beating around the bush! Go ahead and tell us your agenda, sir!

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