Oh, Hello, Officer

Call me crazy, but pretty much the last thing I want to see when I answer my doorbell is a police officer standing on my front step.

No offence to police officers. Drop-ins by religious evangelists are almost equally disconcerting – although, on second thought, I take that back. The religious folks are usually there to deliver “the good news.” An unplanned visit from a police officer usually means bad news for someone.

Last week, I had a very friendly police officer stop by to ask if I had noticed anything unusual across the street the night before. Unfortunately, I hadn’t, and also unfortunately, her visit meant that the house across the street from me had been burglarized.

A few days later, a neighbour from just up the street approached me as I was mowing my lawn. “I don’t suppose you noticed anything unusual around my house yesterday?” he asked. My heart sank. The police car showed up at his house shortly after we spoke.

Then something else happened that shook me up a little bit.

I had decided to go for a mid-morning walk around my neighbourhood to look for a little inspiration for this week’s column.

As I rounded the corner at the bottom of my street, I heard someone running behind me. When I turned to look, a tall man brushed quickly past me, dressed in a black parka, black toque and black sunglasses. He glanced back at me, and I was sure I was about to be mugged. Then he darted into a nearby yard.

“That guy’s not just out for a jog,” I cleverly observed. Then a van, marked “Shopping Centre Security” came zooming around the corner. The mall is just a few blocks away from where I was walking, and the driver was clearly in pursuit of this fellow. Rather uselessly, I pointed toward the yard he’d run into.

The security guard followed him a bit in the vehicle, before quickly driving off around the block. I could see the runner tearing up through the back yards, in the same direction I was going.

That’s when I realized I was standing on a relatively deserted side street a few blocks from home and some presumably-criminal guy was hiding out in the yards I had to pass by to get home safely.

So much for my quiet walk, but I did get the inspiration I’d been seeking.

The thing is, I’m not really sure what to conclude about it all. Crimes like this happen all the time, although I’m disappointed to hear about them happening within a short walk of my home. I guess it’s the feeling of not being safe in my own neighbourhood that’s bothering me.

I could rant about “crime being on the upswing,” but it isn’t, really. Statistics Canada’s 2009 “Criminal Victimization in Canada” survey concluded that the overall rate of household crimes, including break and enters, has remained stable since 2004. However, the Halifax Regional Police Department did note in a September press release that crime in HRM is up slightly this year, driven by an increase in property crime.

I suppose the lesson is that I shouldn’t get too complacent. At least I got a heads-up to go around and confirm that all my basement windows are secure.

Yesterday the police were in front of my house again, interviewing someone about what I presume was yet another break-in. So, in light of this new reality, I’d just like to say one thing: police officers, you are now welcome to stop by any time.