“In the last two weeks, I’ve had some flowers cut,” says the Liverpool resident. “I’ve found a person’s house number in my garden, I’ve found plastic that you use in store to say the floor is wet … two cinder blocks, and also I had two tomato stands stolen.”
Staff Sgt. Jeff Wells, RCMP officer with the Queens County detachment, addressed the increase in vandalism at the regular council meeting July 16.
He says property damage isn’t isolated to Liverpool.
“Over the past month or two, we’ve experienced a large number of thefts and break and enters in the LaBelle area,” says Staff Sgt. Wells.
There are many cottages in that area, and in June and July people would return to their cottages finding they had been broken into, he says. Some of the items stolen included boats, kayaks and motors.
A sign at Fort Point was smashed, there has been a lot of damage to the Region of Queens’ property and someone poured roofing tar into a downtown business’ air-conditioning system, says Staff Sgt. Wells.
“Certainly it’s of concern to us. We obviously can’t be everywhere all the time,” he says.
Staff Sgt. Wells says officers have increased their foot patrol.
The golf club incident, says Atkinson, happened at about 1:20 a.m. July 23. She says the noise woke her son.
According to Atkinson, people living between Old Bridge and Zwicker Streets are all having problems. These problems have been ongoing for a couple of years, she says, but are getting worse.
“It’s very disappointing because not only is our neighbourhood being hit, shall we say, but from LaBelle to Brooklyn to Milton,” says Atkinson.
She says since moving back in 1981, she’s never heard of so many problems.
As far as who is responsible for the damage, Staff Sgt. Wells says the RCMP has people of interest but nothing to support a charge.
“There are several persons of interest,” he says.
Staff Sgt. Wells emphasizes to call the RCMP immediately if something happens.
“We need to get these calls so we can get our dog man out and track these people down,” he says.
“I don’t believe for a minute they’re in vehicles. They’re on foot.”
Parents need to cooperate, says Staff Sgt. Wells, referring to the golf-club incident and the time it happened.
“This has become quite a concern to us, and certainly the residents, and certainly the Region of Queens,” he says.
Another thing that’s been happening, says Staff Sgt. Wells, is thefts from vehicles at beaches. There were two vehicles break-ins at Summerville Beach the weekend before last.
Staff from Kejimkujik also alerted the RCMP of thefts in the park’s parking lot.
“We’re asking people not to leave valuables in their unattended vehicles, and it continues to happen,” says Staff Sgt. Wells.
Returning to the damage that’s been occurring, Staff Sgt. Wells says the officers are “doing a few special things in hopes of deterring it.”
“Time will tell,” he says.
“The big thing is if something happens, to call right away.”
