Be watchful for you and your neighbors

Not too long ago, a couple moving into the area told us they felt safe moving here after reading Coulee Cops in The Star for several weeks. They concluded that if that’s as bad as it gets, this must be a very safe community.

And they’re still right to an extent. Coulee Dam was recently noted as “one of the safest cities in the U.S.” by Consumer Affairs, ranking number two in the state, right behind Odessa because some algorithm noticed a 100-percent drop in the burglary rate.

That’s nice, but feels pretty far off the mark this week. With multiple burglaries and attempts in our small community reported in the last couple of weeks, residents need to remember to lock their doors, watch out for their neighbors and be smart about announcing their comings and goings on social media.

As in much of rural America, drugs are a problem here, and the community feels much less safe with just one addict needing money for more drugs.

The flip side is that it doesn’t have to take much to get a handle on the problem caused by only a few. It does, however, take persistence as cases work through the courts and new problems arise.

Scott Hunter

editor and publisher