Dear editor,

The thief has struck again!
I woke up this morning like any other day – showered, got dressed, made lunches, took my vitamins, drank my tea and ate my breakfast. Looks like a pretty normal day, right? It definitely was until the kids and I got into my car to find that everything that could possibly open was opened. Shocking! It certainly should be! However, this is not the first, or the last time, it has happened in our used to be quiet and safe little neighborhood.
Before I go any further I have to mention that I am notorious for locking my car – so notorious for it that my husband and kids think I go overboard sometimes. My car wasn’t locked – just this one time. That is all it takes. Do I blame myself? Of course I do. I know that if it had been locked everything would have been the same. Should it have happened? I think not.
I was missing my change purse that had approx $15 to $20, my Tim Hortons prepaid cards, which can be very important to me on some days, and my Oakley sunglasses worth, well I can’t say because my husband will be reading this. Not only did the person take this stuff out of my car but he/she deprived me of having that quick change my kids may need while we are on the road, my caffeine fixes, and the opportunity to misplace and/or break my own expensive sunglasses. (It's the very first time I spent a lot of money to protect my eyes).
My husband also had his wallet stolen a couple of months ago, and a good neighbor who was walking his dog found it in the alley by the garbage disposal unit. The only thing that was missing was his cash. However, he still had to cancel all credit cards and have them reissued.
Why am I writing this letter? Because I’m getting a bit angry and upset, not just because my husband’s wallet got stolen or my car got cleaned out of anything that had value; it is also because I am always on the watch when I’m outside. I wonder if what I’m seeing is suspicious activity and if I should be calling our local police department. I wonder if the thieves are watching us to see when we leave and become vulnerable to their unlawful acts. I am getting tired of worrying at 2:00 a.m. that I heard something outside and have to get out of bed to make sure my car is locked. (Don’t laugh…it has happened on more than one occasion).
This is my cry out letter against the people who keep taking, and taking, and taking. Not just our things, but our ability to trust, and our ability to feel safe and secure in our own neighbourhood.
If this letter has created an interest to make a change in our neighborhoods – and in our Estevan – please contact me by text at 461-9559 or by email at b.coralea@hotmail.com with your name and contact information. I have been in contact with our local police department. With their help, we as a community, can work together to start to make a difference.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter, I really appreciate it.
Beckey Franke,

Estevan