Crime Comes To My Small Town

One of the things I liked about the small town I moved to last year was that the neighbors all said that you could leave your doors unlocked and never have to worry. As a girl from crime-ridden New Orleans, I thought it was quaint. I’d never lived anywhere where you didn’t have to lock your doors. It took me years when I was in college in Alabama and went to church out of town to train myself not to lock the car doors because there apparently was no need there.

Anyway, I thought it was quaint and nice and I locked my doors religiously out of habit. I still sleep with the aluminum bat next to my bed though there’s probably no way anyone’s climbing up to my second floor to break in like they could have in my New Orleans apartment — my neighbor’s apartment was broken into via his second floor window from the wood awning we shared over our front doors.

Last week we received a flier that stated that there had been a rash of break-ins in town and to be careful. This week we got another flier that basically said that someone’s appartment was broken into two weeks ago in our complex. The robbery was during the day when few people were home.

And despite the fact the city girl in me would never leave my door unlocked, I feel sad for my small town because somehow not only are strangers stealing material items from people, but they’re stealing neighborly trust and a little bit of the charm that made the town quaint and comfortable and safe.

tags: crime, small town

3 comments

1. on September 9, 2005 at 1:44 pm

   Big Dog said:

   As a girl from crime-ridden New Orleans, I thought it was quaint.

   So what happened after the hurricane should not have surprised anyone? I mean, of course, the looting and shootings.

2. on September 9, 2005 at 4:18 pm

   n. mallory said:

   O.K. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised that New Orleans turned into a live-action version of Lord of the Flies meets Escape From New York. I do think that some people were looting for food and water and necessities, but I’m not that innocent that I think that’s all it was. New Orleans is like any big city; it has it’s crime and it’s corruption like the worst of them. And New Orleans isn’t the first “modern” American city to fall into that kind of chaos. L.A. comes to mind and that was over a court judgement.

   Imagine if it’s the end of the world, how fast do you think civilization would breakdown? Especially if plees for help don’t seem to be answered? Especially if people are dying just waiting around?

   Now I don’t agree with the people who were stealing jewelry and DVDs and the like. I think they were wrong.

   But I wasn’t surprised, no.

3. on April 30, 2007 at 1:21 pm

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