Commentary, Opinion

Just let them steal

November 5, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

You may have seen the words or something similar, “It’s the kind of town where people don’t feel the need to lock their doors,” in some news story over the years.

That phrase usually turns up when something happens in a small town that is a shock to the local residents.

There are still places where people are civil and respect other people’s property, and don’t steal from their neighbours.

However, some crime has gotten worse in this country over the past decade.

It’s not just serious crimes; it is crimes of a petty nature which are equally disturbing.

When I was a kid, it was perfectly normal to park your car in a shopping plaza and leave the windows rolled down on a hot day so the car wouldn’t turn into a furnace while you shopped.

The idea that someone would come along and reach into your car to steal something was unheard of. It just didn’t happen.

Now, the police routinely issue ‘lock it or lose it’ warnings. You can’t even trust your neighbour not to steal something from your car on a whim just because you left a window rolled down.

The recent high-profile home invasion in the Bridal Path area of Toronto has made big news — mostly because it is one of the wealthiest areas in the city.

Four members of a family have been seriously injured in their own home. Two of the people’s injuries have been described as ‘life-altering,’ which means some kind of maiming wound or a very serious and debilitating lifelong trauma.

As of this writing, one of the criminals has been identified, and police are actively searching for him. They are trying to identify two accomplices.

You can bet there will be huge public pressure on the courts to make this man pay for his crimes in a big way if he is convicted.

The man they are looking for is known to police, but they would not share any details on prior arrests or charges to avoid jeopardizing any court processes.

However, they released a mugshot-type photo of him, indicating he has been in trouble before. It certainly wasn’t the photo from his Boy Scout good deeds identification badge.

The victims in the case must have been severely traumatized. Imagine the horror of being asleep in your own home, only to be awakened in the night by four strangers with guns, and in this case, one of the criminals swinging a hammer.

This goes beyond your typical street crime. This is an invasion of your own home — your safe place in life.

Once again, the question of how to protect yourself in such a situation has been brought up.

A police spokesperson said of this case, “police do not recommend using force yourself if possible. You are responsible for that use of force,” adding, “people should call police instead where possible.”

There is an obvious problem with this advice.

When someone has a gun pointed at your head, asking them to let you call for help probably won’t work. Secondly, if you do manage to call for help, by the time police arrive, the crime has already been committed, and possibly someone is dead.

Years ago, I had a relative who heard noises and realized someone was breaking into his home at 3 a.m.

He picked up his baseball bat, made his way downstairs, and found an intruder in the home in the dark.

He swung that bat, cracking the intruder across the arm, and beat him into a corner, then called police.

I asked him why he hit the guy with the bat.

He replied, “It was three o’clock in the morning, it was dark, and someone had entered my house. I wasn’t going to wait to find out if he had a gun.”

A recent debate in the Manitoba provincial legislature on Oct. 29 centred on homeowners’ rights to defend themselves and their property.

An NDP politician’s response to this concern was, “Why would we want to give people this power? It’s absurd. If they want to steal, let them steal.”

Cripes! If you can’t rely on your representatives in government to help deter crime and keep you safe in your own home, you certainly can’t rely on them for anything else.

I’m pretty sure Toronto police are actively searching for this wanted criminal and probably putting a lot of pressure on his family and friends as to his whereabouts.

When he is caught, it will be up to the courts to decide his fate.

However, if this is another case where the accused is released on bail, this time you can expect a serious public outcry of disgust.

We deserve to be safe in our own homes. 

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