By Tom Clark
(This letter was sent to Vermont Governor James Douglas, the town of
Fayston, the Vermont State Police, local sheriff's deputy Peter
Laskowski and local state representatives incumbent and
incoming).<D>
Dear Governor Douglas;
On Monday, November 10, 2008, my small building business became a
victim of a significant theft. I also believe I was victimized by a
lack of police presence in our Mad River Valley and the Vermont State
Police being short staffed. My cargo trailer and the tools inside were
stolen from our job site on Route 17 in Fayston sometime between 9:30
p.m. on Sunday, November 9, and 6:45 a.m. on Monday, November 10.
Both doors of the trailer and the hitch mechanism were padlocked for
security measures. Immediately upon learning of this crime (at
approximately 6:50 a.m.) I called the Vermont State Police in Middlesex
to report this very upsetting incident. Due to the short staffing of
the Vermont State Police they were unable to contact me until 2 p.m.
the same day and then finally were able to come to the site at around 3
p.m. The Vermont Sate Police are doing the best they can under the
circumstances, but they need to be given the proper resources to do
their job in order to respond to a crime scene in a timely manner. They
need to be able get information efficiently and to get the word out to
other law enforcement officers and agencies to look for stolen
property. In my case and most others I'm sure, they need the time to
communicate and follow up with victims such as myself to ensure that
everything possible is being done.
I believe the Mad River Valley and the whole state of Vermont may be in
for some tough times with increased crime. If we had more police
protection, whether it is the Vermont Sate Police or other law
enforcement presence in our Valley, this may help deter crime. With an
increased presence in our area they may be more readily available to
respond to our needs more quickly.
I have heard that many people do not want more police presence as they
don't want to be given a speeding ticket or stopped for DUI. I believe
if you are abiding by the law you have nothing to worry about. Whether
it is the Vermont State Police or another law enforcement officer that
makes the stop, each individual must remember that the officer is doing
their job and everyone is responsible for the choices they make.
I am feeling extremely violated as a result of this crime. I am
concerned that it may take many more robberies and crimes for other
people to feel violated in the same way before anything is done, but I
hope this is not the case.
In conclusion, we need more police presence in the Mad River Valley to
help deter those who wish to commit crimes against others and to keep
this community a safe and enjoyable place to live. It is going to take
many governmental agencies from town officials and community members up
to the state level to come together to resolve this issue in a creative
and effective manner. Many community members' livelihoods depend
largely on the tourists who come to our Valley. I hope this can be
resolved sooner rather than later.
Tom Clark
Clark lives in Fayston.
