Trolley Run Station is a pretty new planned community in Aiken, SC. Development of this formerly heavily wooded area is still progressing in phases. Sitting off 118 far enough back into the woods you can't see the road there are new houses, town houses, and an apartment complex. It's a quiet community, one where in the past we might have been comfortable to leave the doors unlocked and go out and about unbothered. But we all new the days of open doors has long past, yet still until recently we felt safe in our homes and neighborhood.
When we were invited to download the community based app NEXT DOOR this feeling of community seemed to take me back to the days when all the neighbors knew and watched out for one another. The provided message boards for a variety of topics and as the number of neighborhood members grew we exchanged lots of information. Not just yard sales, but getting recommendations as to recommended vets or nail techs or many other services. When a neighbor's dog ran away, through NEXT DOOR we managed to organize a search party where we divided into teams and traipsed through the thick forest and underbrush calling out his name. We pulled together like neighbors should but don't anymore.
Our newest matter of contention discussed on the site is a criminal activity happening not just at night but during the day also. Two suspects have been spotted going up checking for unlocked car doors. If they find one they rummage through and steal the belongings from the cars. Several suspicious people have been spotted walking the streets with backpacks. The neighborhood all posted about when these events have happened trying to close ranks and figure out who is behind this. But burglary is not all they've been up to. A family not far from me had a brick thrown through their babies nursery window and found all of their patio furniture busted and thrown over the backyard privacy fence. This was a cowardly act of vandalism that just can't be tolerated. A man with a backpack came to another neighbor's door during the day and rang the bell. The daughter was home alone and thank God she looked out the peep hole first. She refused to open and he left walking down the road.
When these car plundering started a few months ago, Aiken Co. Sheriff's Dept. increased their patrols at night. Being the insomniac that I am I would hear their cars and see the spotlights they shined around the houses. I haven't seen them patrolling in a while and these even more serious events have been reported to them.
So what can we do. The communication that we have in place I'm sure will prove invaluable as long as the cops are willing to increase patrols and look for these suspicious types roaming our streets. We need to keep our security systems armed even while we are home alone possibly during the day. Keep an eye out for anyone who looks like they don't belong. If they are getting bold enough to do this during the day, who knows what they are capable of.
In 2008, while living in Kansas, I was a victim of a home invasion that took place at noon. I fought the attacker but ended up being stabbed. I had a lot of fear of being alone in my apartment for a long time. Now, with what's happening here, I'm beginning to feel uneasy coming home after dark, sitting in my backyard swing at night. I also hate being in the house alone.
Only by joining together as we have done will we see any hope of getting back our peace of mind. I look forward to meeting most all of you if you can come to the block party in September. I think we should all call Aiken County Sheriff's Office and demand to day and night shift ride through.
Thank you all for being such good neighbors. The kind that get stronger when facing adversity.
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