Will not call the cops

Re. Lawyer blasts ‘lazy’ police (Castanet, Feb. 6)

It was with great interest that I read lawyer Stanley Tessmer's comments about his client's stolen goods, the distinct knowledge (through GPS tracking) of where the goods currently are and the complete disinterest of the RCMP in acting on that knowledge.

This is not a new occurrence. In the mi-1980s, I was living in Vancouver and had my work tools stolen from a locked box in the back of my truck, two Sunday nights in a row.

After the second theft and following the second non-response from the Vancouver Police Department, I decided to do some sleuthing.

Unlike Tessmer and his client, I lacked the benefit of GPS but managed to follow a clear trail of dropped items ( belonging to me) directly to a house less than a block from mine. In the heat of the moment, I entered through the basement door, located a light switch and observed my tools among a huge cache of other people's missing goods.

When I phoned the VPD again and told them that I knew where my tools were, I was asked how I knew that and explained my early morning hunt. I was told that I could be charged with breaking and entering. When I said that the door was unlocked and I just walked right in, I was told that I could be charged with trespassing.

The lesson I learned was the cards are stacked and not to the benefit of the law-abiding (person). Did I learn the lesson of not taking the law into my own hands? No, I learned the lesson of keeping my mouth shut and not phoning the police.

By following that path, I have, several times, recovered items stolen from me, including cold hard cash.

Would I phone the police again about any thefts of goods from me or from my friends? Most emphatically no.

Mark Levey, Mexico

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.