BY SABRINA LARSEN
This past Sunday evening as I was grocery shopping at our Los Alamos Smith’s Marketplace, I witnessed not one but two shoplifting events occur within 15 minutes of each other. These thieves walked out of Smith’s with their carts piled high with home goods and detergent. For a quick instance, I thought I was in Albuquerque as I watched the thieves nonchalantly walk-out of Smith’s with their ill-gotten goods!
Shoplifting in a town near you is us, Los Alamos. Our quiet little town has never experienced such brazen disrespect for the law or its fellow people. Shoplifting occurs at Smith’s more than anyone would care to admit and we need to wake up and do something about it. If we don’t act, the crime and theft will only get worse and the thieves will become more violent. Waiting until someone dies from an armed robbery is not acceptable. Let’s not wait until it’s too late!
Instead of complaining about who has the right away at the McDonald’s drive thru or complaining about the county piling snow in driveways, let’s get involved in tackling tough issues!. What can we do to ensure Los Alamos continues to be that quaint, virtually crime-free, safe space that has attracted so many families and individuals alike?
First and foremost, let the Chief of Police know your concerns as well as the County Council. Let’s provide them with ideas and solutions. For instance, it might be beneficial for the County to purchase mobile camera units to deploy in the parking lots. Doing so will not only help deter shoplifting but may also aid in prosecution if the thieves just can’t help themselves.
Vote Los Alamos! Vote for those local, state, and federal candidates that want to take back our neighborhoods, want lawbreakers to be held accountable, are against catch and release, and aren’t soft on crime.
I grew up in Los Alamos, graduated from Los Alamos High School and left for college swearing I would never come back. Ironically enough, I was drawn back to Los Alamos because of the safety I was accustomed to and wanted that for my children. We, the people of Los Alamos, deserve to live in a safe town that takes crime seriously.
If you don’t see an issue with what’s going on, you are part of the problem. Based on the FBI’s 2018 Uniform Crime Reporting Program, New Mexico’s crime rate is the highest in the contiguous 48 states and 2nd highest nationwide. It’s up to us to determine the fate of Los Alamos. Together let’s take a stand.