Frustrations boiling
Residents concerned with theft, property damage, lack of communication with RCMP
Brian Hodges invests a lot of time to ensure the Aylesford Union Cemetery is meticulous.
His family has been involved with the cemetery located along Highway 1 since they moved to Aylesford from Morristown in 1945.
It is why he gets so frustrated when people vandalize it. In the past few months, 14 headstones have been damaged by vandals.
“To come in and disrespect somebody’s monument like this, (there’s) just absolutely no call for it at all,” he said. “I have no time for anyone who does something like that. It’s uncalled for. Destroying anybody’s property is uncalled for but to come into a cemetery and do this to somebody’s headstone, I don’t know what’s wrong with society.”
A walk around the cemetery shows the stones, some dating back to the late 1800s, being pushed off their base.
But it’s not just the cemetery that has been hit by vandalism, thefts and property crime.
During one of the same nights the cemetery was damaged, a Ukrainian flag flying next to the Canadian flag in front of the Aylesford United Church was stolen. It was replaced and was taken again. A third flag is now in place next to the Canadian flag, which was never removed.
“It’s frustrating, it’s disappointing,” said Byron Butt, a Millville resident who retired after 37 years with the RCMP — a career mostly spent in the Annapolis Valley.
“Any 16-, 17-, 18- or 14-year-old person knows right from wrong. And doing property damage is not a right – it’s a wrong.”
He would like to see those responsible for the thefts roll the flags up, put them in a bag and leave them on the church door.
Butt said someone in January went in through the church’s backdoor and stole a woman’s wallet out of her purse in the choir room during a service.
Hodges was one of about 60 people who attended a twohour community meeting in Aylesford on April 26. Wayne Atwater and Gerald Fulton helped co-ordinate the session after hearing concerns in the community.
Wayne Fowler is the chairperson of the Kingston Village Commission, a general
contractor and owner of Greenwood Auto Sales.
He’s had everything from ladders and generators taken from locked trailers on worksites, a Honda Civic jacked up and the tires and rims removed and a Ford Mustang stolen. He’s heard of similar stories from other businesspeople and residents.
“I feel the pain they’re having,” he said.
“It’s frustrating to know that there’s so many people out there that are working hard to employ people, support their community and then having to lose money.”
COMMUNICATION
A recurring theme during the evening was the frustration residents and businesspeople had with not hearing back from the RCMP after reporting an incident.
“It seems like our complaint goes in a dark hole and we’re
never heard from again,” said Glen Joudrey. “We give you the complaint as good citizens and nothing happens.”
He said it erodes confidence in the force and that needs to change, or people will give up and not bother reporting crimes. Another resident pointed out the importance in reporting the crimes as occurrences logged are used in statistical analysis.
Hodges said he has a good idea of who is responsible for some of the vandalism. He’s passed on what he’s hearing in the community, but it doesn’t seem to go anywhere.
“And nothing is being done. I’d like to know why, if I’ve done all the investigation on this, … why it can’t be solved or at least a phone call back,” he said.
“A simple phone call is all we’re asking for,” he added the next day. “Are you doing anything about it or is it a cold case? What’s going on?”
Staff Sgt. Ed Nugent, who has only been with Kings District RCMP for about a month, apologized and committed to doing his best to fixing the issue.
“What I am hearing is you folks aren’t getting heard and I am sorry for that,” he said.
He was joined at the meeting by Cpl. Mark Fowler from the Kingston detachment. Fowler has been working there since August. Nugent acknowledged he was still getting the lay of the land, but he appreciated the forum to hear people’s concerns.
STRONGER LAWS
While the discussion was respectful, the frustration was apparent.
Hodges said someone has to take the initiative to get the laws changed so police can lock up some of the people responsible.
“I know what’s going to happen (if nothing changes),” he said. “Eventually somebody is going to take the law into their own hands.”
He noted the Nova Scotia Youth Centre in Waterville has only a handful of youth there and suggested maybe more people have to be held accountable for their actions.
“Why can’t they be charged and put in that institution for a while so maybe they might learn something,” Hodges said. “So, if you do the crime, you do the time. Not this, do the crime and run away laughing.”
He wasn’t alone.
“I can look around this room here (and) see a half a million dollars in theft,” Fulton said. “I want to see something happen in the courts.”
That will take political action. Kings West MLA Chris Palmer and a representative for West Nova MP Chris d’Entremont were at the meeting.
“Message received,” Palmer said, noting he would be discussing the issue with his colleagues.
Nugent told the crowd there are 62 officers working in the county. But at any given time, some are off on medical leave, vacation or training.
“I think that you guys are undermanned,” Wayne Fowler said. “I think we need some more support for your department in order to properly police our areas.”
Joel Hirtle, who represents District 7 on Kings County council, said the municipality pays $9.1 million for RCMP and protective services, which has gone up in recent years.
“If we need more, I can ask for more, but that comes with a cost,” said Hirtle, who also chairs the municipality’s police services advisory committee and the budget and finance committee.
NEXT STEPS
Atwater was usure what the next steps might be but thought he would check back with some of the people who attended the meeting in a few months to see if another session was needed.
Hodges said they were investigating an option to have the stones repaired.