A vandalism spree on vehicles over several days in Johnstone Crossing has residents up in arms and questioning whether Red Deer City RCMP should do more to stop this crime.
A number of residents along a stretch of Jaspar Crescent were awakened last week to discover damage on their property.
Some sort of caustic substance was smeared across vehicles, tires were slashed, and swastikas were spray painted on the street, mail boxes, fire hydrants and at least one vehicle.
One house’s vinyl siding was tarnished with the words, “Your Kind Will Die”, as well as a swastika spray painted in red.
Cahlyn Kirwer said this is the most criminal activity she has seen on the street since she moved there almost three years ago.
“This was a week of hell,” said Kirwer inside her home on Sunday.
Vandals hit over several days, except when it was raining.
The house across from Kirwer’s place was initially spraypainted.
Police told a neighbour that more than 35 vehicles were then targeted, said Kirwer.
Swastikas were painted on the roads and other public property as well.
On Friday night, tires were slashed.
Kirwer normally parks her vehicle out front.
Her car received damage from the chemical. It melted the plastic on her taillight, as well as took off the paint in other places.
“It’s scary when you go to bed and you don’t what you are going to see when you wake up,” said Kirwer. “It just sucks because a lot of people in this neighbourhood aren’t crazy rich.”
RCMP have been contacted and are investigating.
Kirwer said that residents were promised increased patrols, but the crimes continued on Friday night.
“I haven’t seen any cops myself any of the nights and from 1-3 a.m. (early Sunday morning) I was staring out my window and I didn’t see one (police car) go by,” said Kirwer.
Jason Leblanc’s pickup truck was damaged after someone put some kind of paint remover or chemical on it. A couple days later, a tire was slashed.
“We’re new home owners and we still don’t own much of anything,” said Leblanc.
“It definitely takes a hit on the wallet when something like this happens. I’ve had two insurance claims in a week.”
It shakes up the neighbourhood, Leblanc added.
He’s not sure if there’s Neighbourhood Watch, but neighbours are communicating more.
Leblanc said he knows that RCMP have a lot on their plate, but he understands that this criminal activity is deemed low priority which still “hits a nerve.”
“They put us on the bottom of the list,” said Leblanc, adding he spoke with a RCMP dispatcher.
“Someone who is getting robbed or stabbed or beaten downtown is obviously more important. Like in any emergency, there is a waiting list.”
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com