One of the reasons city people give when contemplating a move to a rural area is the lack of crime. They want to live in a place where they do not have to lock their doors, and their children can grow up free from drugs.
News flash – crime is here, too. In fact, there are studies that indicate rural areas have more crime – especially certain types of crime - on a per capita basis than urban areas. In cities, crime and criminals tend to be concentrated in specific neighbourhoods, making it look a lot worse.
A quick glance through a few editions of this paper will reveal we have had break-ins, drug busts, assaults and a couple of police chases in recent months. Within an hour of here, there have been a couple of murders, a drive-by shooting, bank robberies, an armed stand-off and a jewelry store smash-and-grab – everything the city has, and more. However, the public perception is still that this is a safe community.
Mind you, no matter what Toronto people think, most of us lock our doors, at least most of the time. Our businesses may not have bars on the windows and doors, but many of them have decent burglar alarm systems. We know there is crime in our community, but because we know most of the local n’er do wells, and might even admit to being related to some of them, we usually do not feel threatened.
Every now and then, though, something happens that makes us feel very threatened indeed.
The area around Trenton, Ontario, is a patchwork quilt of quaint rural communities around the Bay of Quinte on the north-eastern shore of Lake Ontario. Places like Belleville, Brighton, Tweed and Napanee are popular with tourists – they are within a few hours of Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa and Montreal, but have retained much of their historic character. Scenic waterways, rich farmland and antique shops delight visitors and residents alike.
The Canadian Armed Forces base at Trenton is more than a major employer - its personnel play an important role in every aspect of life in the area. Military people own homes, shop at area stores, coach minor sports, are members of service clubs, serve on fundraising committees and help with special events. The commanding officer of the base has a status in the wider community similar to that of a very important city mayor. We can only imagine the shock when news began trickling out that the top man at CFB Trenton, Col. Russell Williams, stood accused of a series of horrendous crimes.
It appears that living in a nice town and knowing their neighbours was no protection at all to at least four women from that area. Criminals do not always look the part, as any student of history knows, and high status and holding a position of trust do not guarantee goodness. There have been princes, even popes, who have raped and murdered.
We can waste our time trying to determine why the military “should have known” or what signs the friends and relatives of the accused man missed. If we figure it out, we can feel safe again. Or we can accept that sometimes there are no warning signs, and there is no way to be 100 per cent safe from becoming a crime victim.
We can take prudent precautions against crime, keep our eyes and ears open, call the police quickly if something looks wrong, and get on with life. And we can advise anyone moving here to escape crime, to reconsider. Move here for the wonderful community spirit, the great shopping and the business opportunities. But lock the doors.