Peony Farm resident hopes for safer streets and stricter penalties regarding theft

As theft becomes increasingly common throughout the Peony Farm community, some residents hope to see changes to drive it down.

Elaine Bryson says she was gearing up for a trip and when she checked her garage to grab some last-minute items, she noticed that someone else had got there first.

"I went to grab some lawn chairs to throw in the car and discovered our garage door open and many items missing," explains Bryson. "I was a bit in shock and angry. Of course, initially, you just feel gutted that this happened to you; you're a victim. It's very frustrating."

Among the feelings when she realized she'd been stolen from, she adds that she felt violated and unsafe as she was left wondering if the thief attempted to enter their home or how close they were to getting in.

While they've been able to find some of the stolen items, many remain unaccounted for.

"We're missing a generator, electric chainsaw, and a mountain bike," notes Bryson. "We recovered a couple of things, thankfully, through the help of the neighbours and just the community around us. It's nice that we have a Peony Farm Facebook page to alert neighbours."

While she doesn't think Peony Farm is being explicitly targeted for crime, she finds it disheartening that these incidents keep happening in her community with no real solution in sight.

Bryson hopes to see the RCMP crackdown and bring harsher punishments to discourage would-be thieves.

"There's not enough help for the victims," says Bryson. "In the end, we feel responsible when we call the police. For example, our car gets broken into, and the first question is, 'Did you lock your vehicle?' It almost feels like it's the responsibility of the homeowner, who's a victim, to protect themselves. I do feel a little bit on our own."

As they continue the search for their remaining items, they hope that eventually, enough theft will be enough.