Protect yourself and your property

How can you tell that spring has arrived? The sound of mowers and the smell of cut grass. The chirping of birds. An increase in the theft and vandalism of personal and public property.

Vandalia’s police officers have been kept busy recently handling numerous complaints of criminal damage to property and theft, as well as several reports of the passing of counterfeit bills.

The reports handled by police have included vandalism to two of Vandalia’s Looking for Lincoln wayside exhibits. That’s sad to see, individuals making a concerted effort to destroy something designed to enhance and help promote our community.

You’ve heard the old saying, “You just can’t have anything nice.” Unfortunately, that’s true in many cases, because of individuals who think it’s fun to destroy others’ property and think that they can steal from others instead of actually working to acquire those things.

Based on the number of repeat offenders that we see in our community, many of those who commit these criminal acts and get caught fail to realize that the money they spend in court fees, bond, fines and restitution could be better used for their regular living expenses or buying their own property.

As always, the police are at a disadvantage when it comes to crime. With only so many officers on duty at one time, the police department can’t be in all places at all times.

So, as we’ve mentioned before, we, the citizens of the community, can help deal with crime by both securing our property and providing the police with any information we have about criminal activity.

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