‘I do not sleep at night’: Calgary victim of property crime describes long-lasting impacts
Posted Jul 14, 2018 2:37 pm.
Last Updated Jul 14, 2018 5:21 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A rise in vehicle thefts and property crime in Calgary is having far reaching impacts.
An incident Thursday that led to a police-involved shooting has prompted officers to warn Calgarians to take preventative measures, as their stolen cars may be used in other crimes.
A woman is now speaking out about the ongoing psychological toll of being a victim.
“The effect lingers on forever,” she told 660 NEWS. “I do not sleep at night. I walk the floors.”
The listener, who wishes to stay anonymous, says someone smashed in her back door in September 2015, stealing personal keepsakes.
And if that wasn’t enough, she got a call from a police officer that her vehicle had been found in Medicine Hat.
“And he said, it looks like they had a key. I was just stunned because I had the other key, so I knew someone had been in my home,” she said.
The woman said she had to pay thousands of dollars to change her locks, upgrade security on her home, and repair her vehicle.
“They ran the vehicle dry, so the fuel pump was dead, so all these other incidental costs,” she said.
And there was also an emotional blow.
“It is has changed my life, it has changed my demeanour. I have no trust in people whatsoever,” the woman said.
The city is experiencing a rise in break and enters and vehicle thefts, especially as the weather gets warmer, and police are pleading with Calgarians to not give criminals an easy way in.
They recommend checking that your garages, homes and cars are locked, and never leaving spare house keys, or garage openers inside a vehicle.
