Editor: My son plays ball for the Langley Blaze baseball team. As one of many volunteers for the team, we have put a lot of our own time and money into building a team that is recognized as being a stepping stone to a college scholarship and possibly fulfilling a dream to play in the major leagues some day.
Over the last few years I have noticed an increase in homeless people and drug addicts in the bush behind our field and indoor training facility near McLeod Athletic Park. This year, the Township cleared a web of walking paths behind us.
Thanks a bunch. It just opened up this area for these people even more.
I have lost count of the number of stolen shopping carts I have removed from the bush where these people, whom I refer to as bums, live. We see them every day riding their stolen bikes, pulling their stolen carts.
I have had to put out fires that they leave burning and clean up garbage they leave behind. We have been the victims of vandalism and theft on numerous occasions, but this year takes the cake. Our training facility has been broken into and the lights and wire stripped off the walls, costing thousands of dollars to replace.
The culprits cut right through the wall and stole anything they could get their hands on. The last straw was the break-in to our storage bin. A grinder was used to cut off the locks and both of our lawn mowers and a lot of equipment was stolen. This represents thousands of dollars lost — money that we don’t have.
The police do what they can and arrest people, but the system does not take property crime seriously and they are back on the streets before the ink is dry. To the people who are responsible, I hope you are proud of stealing from kids who are doing something to better their lives. They are unlike you bums, who live off taxpayers and stolen property. I am sure your parents are proud.
Let’s not fool ourselves, these bums made wrong life choices to end up where they are, and make no attempt to change it. Help is there but they refuse it. There is only one way to stop a thief — put them behind bars.
Steve Poirier,
Langley
