The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
As Flin Flonners, we like to think of our community as more or less crime-free, or at least free from the "bad" crime. Over the weekend, we were again reminded this isn't so. Overnight last Saturday, a burglary of the most disturbing variety occurred at a home on North Avenue, a street shared by The Reminder offices. An unidentified individual or individuals had the audacity to enter a woman's home while she slept. He, she or they searched the premises Ð including the occupant's bedroom Ð before fleeing with jewelry and cash. Not to sound overly dramatic, but this was a truly frightening incident. To be burglarized is one thing; to have your home raided while you're inside is quite another. And this wasn't the first time we've seen this happen. Criminals, it seems, are proving themselves to be stunningly brazen. I say none of this to elicit fear, but rather to make the point that we need to be vigilant. I've heard on more than one occasion that crime Ð or again, at least the "bad" kind Ð shouldn't happen in Flin Flon. I would take that one step further and say crime shouldn't happen anywhere. But you know what? It does. Flin Flon is not the exception to the rule. To think otherwise can only help perpetrate crimes of opportunity. It's not the 1950s anymore. Common sense says that we should keep our home and car doors locked, that we should call the RCMP if we know of questionable activity Ð whatever helps us avoid setting ourselves up as victims. Not all crimes are preventable, but many are. Of course it's not at all healthy to exaggerate our level of crime. To do so just leads to paranoia and outlandish rumours like the ones that were dripping off the grapevine last summer. Nor does it make sense, however, to downplay the situation. There are some bad people out there. You or I may not know them, but they are here just as surely as they are in communities the world over. Why else would we need police? We must all also recognize that crime is not the problem of a certain area or a certain group of people. Just as accident-prone drivers help propel our vehicle insurance rates, burglars, for instance, can have the same effect on home insurance. Then there are the less tangible factors Ð a sense of victimization or fear something may happen again created among not just victims, but also their neighbours, family and friends. And crime is not just a police matter, either. As touched on earlier, each of us has a civic duty to report anything suspicious to the authorities. If you believe that Johnny is up to no good, don't be shy Ð tell the police. If we know something but fail to report it, we only help crime endure. Please don't get me wrong. I believe Flin Flon is a pretty safe community. I mean, compare our crime stats to places like The Pas and you'll be extra glad you call our community home. But "pretty safe" is not the same as "crime-free." With common sense and vigilance, we won't ever eliminate crime, but we can surely minimize it. Local Angle runs Fridays.
