| Author |
Message |
    
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2132
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 6:16 pm: | 
|
I came home today after a pretty rotten day at work to find that my beloved flowers had been vandalized. A hanging plant was thrown on the ground, smashed; and my daffodils were stomped on, ripped up, and thrown over my front steps. This wasn't four-legged animals - some of the daffodils ended up wedged into my hedge. You can see where the stems were ripped off - it looks like it was done with some degree of anger.
I am extremely upset about this. It is so small-minded, so mindlessly vicious.
I don't know any of the neighbors well enough to have p***ed any of them off. Nor do I really think I have any psychos living nearby. I'm guessing kids. But why, why, why?
 
It was also very troubling that they came practically up to our stoop to do this vandalism. They were not just kids walking by on the street - they had to come up to the house and intentionally trash my garden. |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 7217
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 6:58 pm: |
|
CLK: How terrible. Have you reported this to the MPD? If these vandals trashed your garden they have trashed others as well. |
ina
Citizen
Username: Ina
Post Number: 332
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 7:47 pm: |
|
My sympathies, CLK. Very upsetting indeed. |
Meandtheboys
Citizen
Username: Meandtheboys
Post Number: 3495
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 7:51 pm: |
|
So sorry. What a nasty thing to do. Try not to take it too personally, although it is very upsetting. Are there any neighbors that you know are around during the day who might have seen something? |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 7163
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 8:01 pm: |
|
This definitely calls for a police report. Do you live on a major foot traffic street for kids? |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2134
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 8:03 pm: |
|
Thanks, friends. No, nobody I've spoken with has seen anything. Actually my husband was working from home today, just not in the front of the house. He didn't see or hear anything.
I haven't contacted MPD because it didn't feel like a big enough loss to worry them about. The daffodils will grow back next year. The hanging basket cost about $15, which is not zero but not a lot. It feels like reporting your pumpkin getting broken at Halloween. Not really worth the officers' time to investigate or take the report.
I gathered up the broken daffodils that weren't too squashed and put them into a vase - so at least I'll get to look at them until they die. I may be able to re-pot the hanging plant. |
doulamomma
Citizen
Username: Doulamomma
Post Number: 1336
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 8:17 pm: |
|
Sorry this happened
I don't think it's the money value that's the concern...it's the fact that it happened at all - maybe just call the police to let them know but also mention that you don'tfeel the need to file an official report?...that way, they might just be aware in case it's a trend
Not to point fingers, but the middle schools are, I believe, having half-days this week... |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 7164
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 8:23 pm: |
|
Nah- I'd file the report. As Doula says, it's about keeping track of what's going on in town. Hard to say that we need more cops, etc. if the "crime rates" are down. The "broken window" theory applies here, too. |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 7219
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 8:24 pm: |
|
CLK:
File a police report. A police investigation may help save someone else's garden or prevent some other form of mischief. The police need to track these kinds of incidents to establish possible patterns. |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2136
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 8:26 pm: |
|
We're pretty close to foot traffic from CHS (we're just slightly off parker ave) but not from the middle schools. There are no middle schoolers in my immediate neighborhood - a few teenagers (but I know them, and they wouldn't do this) and a few little kids. I'm guessing the CHS kids.
OK, I'll call the MPD. I guess I should wait until tomorrow and call during regular office hours? I hate making a big fuss. |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 7221
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 8:35 pm: |
|
The police are on 24 hours a day and you are more likely to get one of the more experienced police officers to respond if you call in the evening. There really isn't any reason to wait. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 7165
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 8:38 pm: |
|
Just don't call 911; call the desk sergeant and it should be fine. |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2137
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, April 6, 2006 - 8:39 pm: |
|
..... except that I had a rotten day and I need to get to bed. Civic duty is going to have to wait this time - duty to my jangled nerves comes first. (too bad there is no wine in the house) |
las
Citizen
Username: Las
Post Number: 1506
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 7, 2006 - 12:34 am: |
|
Wow, CLK, how awful. How utterly violating.
Hope you get a good sleep. |
Spqr
Citizen
Username: Spqr
Post Number: 82
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 7, 2006 - 12:53 am: |
|
I know you have already made the decision to file a police report, but just to reinforce that you are doing the right thing - last year we had a similar incident with some damaged walkway lights in front of our house. We called the cops to file a report and an officer came out to our house. We stressed in our phone call that this was not an emergency and probably didn't warrant sending an officer out. However, one came anyhow. When we expressed our regrets to the officer for calling about this incident since it seemed relatively small, he made it clear that in no uncertain terms anytime something like this happens, the police want to know. These are quality of life issues that can lead to bigger crimes if left unadressed. In our case, we were fairly certain who the culprits were and, I believe, that just the presence of the cop car in front of our house for fifteen minutes was enough to scare the crap out of the little cretins so that we did not have this problem again. Sorry for your troubles, but you will feel better after filing the report. |
Elizabeth
Citizen
Username: Momof4peepers
Post Number: 57
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Friday, April 7, 2006 - 2:58 am: |
|
I agree with filing the police report. I once had three (yes, ONLY three) gorgeous lilies tht were snipped off, leaving the ugly stalk. I was pissed as it was my very first garden, these were the first flowers I'd grown, and my garden expert grandfather and mother were coming that day to see my "first garden". I was so angry, and so upset, and KNEW it wasn't a big deal in the larger scheme of things. But the police substation wasn't far away, and I marched in there, and asked if I could make a report. The officer said sure, because the number of reports - not what's actually IN them - dictates the department's funding, grants, etc. This was Boston, so funding was an issue, but go ahead and make the report. You'll feel better afterwards. |
kegel
Citizen
Username: Kegel
Post Number: 16
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Friday, April 7, 2006 - 4:49 am: |
|
Sorry to hear about your plants. Probably not the same twerps who messed with my house last night, as that was in the middle of the night and yours seems to have been during the day.
" It was also very troubling that they came practically up to our stoop to do this vandalism. " I agree. That kind of bothered me too, though I can't rationally explain why.
When I was younger I got into lots of trouble, but I never purposly destroyed anyone's property. From the movie 'Payback' "That's just mean." |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 13486
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 7, 2006 - 1:57 pm: |
|
Yes, the police do like to hear everything, whether or not it affects their funding, and I don't know if it does here. They will be kind to you.
Sorry, CLK, and to you, too Elizabeth. It feels like a personal violation when this sort of stuff happens.
|
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 7224
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, April 7, 2006 - 5:01 pm: |
|
CLK:
Have you called the police to report this yet? |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page