Do we have to build 8 foot fences around our homes? Do our children need to lock up their toys and bicycles in our backyards when they need to use the bathroom?

Recently, it was 7 a.m. in a quiet suburban neighbourhood, and a man on a bicycle slowly pedals down the street, stops at a house 3 doors down, goes in the backyard, looks in the mailbox then leaves. I mentioned this to my neighbours and I hear about the accumulated losses from thefts. Bicycles, gas cans, weed whacker, lawn furniture cushions, pop cans etc.

Why would a supposed homeless person steal a weed whacker? To raise money for drugs was suggested.

I talked to a homeless person and he told me that was probably true, and he added it was our fault because it takes months to get into rehab. Jail just means warmth, 3 meals and a bed, but it does nothing to help the drug problem.

The homeless person, also suggested that if a homeless man wants your lawnmower, you might as well give it to him. If you tried to stop him he would say you assaulted him. He would get free legal aid, and it would cost us dearly. He said that insurance would just buy us a new one. I guess he never heard of deductibles and increasing premiums. The suggestion arose that the only thing law abiding home owners can do is barricade our homes. Wow!

One neighbour had their child’s bicycle stolen from their backyard, and the new replacement bicycle was stolen out of their backyard and he has 6 foot fencing. So should the city change the rules and allow 8 foot fencing around our homes? Do children need to lock up everything in their backyard before going in the house to use the bathroom or get a drink? Or should children be kept inside?

It is not only the homeless that is prowling the neighbour hood looking for easy pickings, due to the economy, and I was told it will only get worse. What are we to do?

Several neighbours including myself have invested in security measures, one neighbour got a German Shepherd dog, another neighbour invested in more secure storage, and other options explored. All these at cost to the law abiding home owners.

I got the impression by this homeless person is that home owners who leave items out are fools and just asking for their things to get stolen.

We spend a hundred dollars on a bicycle or a weed whacker, deal with upset family, feel violated and what does the theif get at a pawn shop $20.

Which begs the question. Wouldn’t the pawn shop be suspicious if a possible homeless person pawns a weed whacker or children’s bicycles? Should there be more checks and balances there?

How the underbelly of society operates is out of my comfort zone. I have given blankets and coffee to homeless people and I think that it is appreciated by some but I wonder if we are sometimes being taken for fools.

There is a sense of helplessness, and there is the usual comments about how the police cannot do anything. Anger shows it’s ugly head immediately after a theft. Emotions are high especially involving children’s things. The burden lies heavy on law abiding citizens and children.

The latest poll shows that 50% of people currently live paycheque to paycheque, so the costs of thefts can go well beyond the cost of the item. Cutting back on life’s expenses can be truly hard on people and children, to compensate for the loss of a few items.

The homeless person, reiterated that the system was designed to protect the criminal and not the victims, and the criminals know it.

The children cannot seem to hold it, long enough to lock up all their things before high tailing it to the bathroom, so should I talk to the city about an 8 foot fence? Perhaps get one of those photo radar trucks to multi task and do neighbourhood watch while ticketing speeders.

Looking for suggestions.