Whether the incident happened or not, there needs to be two community watches in TV: the Community Watch with official cars and radios and limited authority... and us.
I'm not saying this because I think crime is on the rise. I have no evidence of that. I'm saying it because real communities-- ok, maybe not modern suburbs where nobody knows their neighbors-- but real Communities look out for each other. They care and have a sense of Community Responsibility.
So, what should we do? Sure teens have a right to hang out in the parking lot. We can keep an eye on them though-- rather obviously I might add.
But in the bushes!? If I saw a group of teenagers hiding in the bushes, I would be suspicious of their intentions and would call Community Watch. My call might be ignored. But if every Villager who saw those same teenagers hiding in the bushes called Community Watch, I suspect they'd send some trucks over.
What if we did something else? What if we pointed out the teens in the bushes to fellow Villagers on the square. What if they called too-- or even collectively walked over to the bushes to snap some pictures and ask the teens what they were doing in the bushes?
If I saw something that made me think a theater employee was leaving a side door open for vandals and thieves, I'd at the very least tell the theater manager of my concern.
Why is it that we sometimes see suspicious activity and do nothing other than gripe about it? Who is responsible for the welfare of our community if not us. Community Watch can't be everywhere. We can be. We are.
To the poster who started this thread: I am sorry this happened to you. I'm curious. Did you call the sheriff's office when you noticed the damage? Did they come out and take pictures and make an incident report? What did the officer say about it?
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