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Editorial: Time to catch the criminals

Not good enough to think small towns are insulated from crime

Everyone would like to think this is a small town, safe from criminal activity.

And because of that mindset, there always seems to be a bit of shock surrounding the crimes that do happen. It's as if we hope that being in a small town would insulate homes and businesses from the things that plague big cities.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

Most property crimes could be traced back to desperation, whether it's a need for money to feed a family or money to feed a drug habit, or just plain greed. And desperation happens to people everywhere, no matter whether it's a quaint little community, or a bustling downtown core.

While it's not fair, we should all know by now that if you have something of value, you may be a target simply because someone else has nothing of value.

That means lock it up. Lock it up tight and be prepared for the worst.

Of course, not every crime can be prevented — not even the fanciest locks and quickest alarms will stop criminals from attempting to steal your property.

But a little surveillance can go a long way.

There are some business owners in Agassiz that make it their daily duty to keep an eye on the streets. That's because there have been so many break-ins over the years, especially along Pioneer Avenue.

Others are starting to arm themselves with highly-advanced lock systems, and even surveillance cameras. The RCMP say that one of the best ways to locate a suspect, and eventually get a conviction, is to have strong surveillance images.

Cameras like that don't come cheap, but as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.