By Mike Gregory
A Ladysmith family is struggling with how to better protect their children after a rock smashed through the window of an 11-year-old’s bedroom over the weekend - the third incident in less than five months.
“My first thought was oh God did the rock hit him,” said mother Tasha Morgan, describing the scene as she rushed into her son’s bedroom early Sunday night.
The incident took place around 6:30 p.m. as the family was preparing to head out the door to tour the fire hall’s haunted house.
Morgan’s son had quickly run to his room to find a sweater when she heard something shatter, and panicked.
“All of the sudden I heard this smash and I thought he had knocked over a glass,” she said.
“I threw his door open and there’s this big hole in his window and a rock had come through about two feet from where he was changing.”
The house is directly beside the Ladysmith Intermediate School and Morgan alleges there’s been at least five other instances of vandalism in recent months involving the school, nearby daycare and their own home.
“Some kids lit a T-shirt wrapped around an aerosol can behind our house in June,” she said, adding that she’s also heard about a portable being “trashed before school” and someone trying to break the window at the daycare last weekend.
According to the most recent school board’s most recent vandalism report for September there was $371.81 in labour and material costs at Ladysmith Intermediate.
It was again in early June when a rock was thrown at her four-year-old daughter’s window, glass shattering in pieces all over the girl’s bed at 2 a.m. as she slept.
“We just replaced my daughter’s window not too long ago and now somebody’s smashed another one,” a frustrated Morgan said.
“My kids don’t feel safe in their own home. I thought living by a school we should be pretty safe here and our neighbours are generally pretty observant.”
The cost of replacing the windows is anywhere from $30 to $60.
In both instances the RCMP were contacted and the family filed police reports.
“I phoned the police station but because I didn’t look out the window and see anybody really their hands were tied,” Morgan said.
Ladysmith RCMP Staff-Sgt. Ken Brissard said he said people should be aware of the greater consequences of starting trouble.
“You throw a rock threw a window and it hits someone...they (the perpetrators) just need to use their common sense,” Brissard said. “People need to be aware that there’s reactions to your actions and those other actions can be a lot worse than the initial.”
Heading into Mischief Night and Halloween, local RCMP are prepared but not expecting much action given past events.
“I worked last year on Halloween night and it was essentially a non-event and that’s certainly what we’re hoping for again this year,” Brissard said.
“It was the night that it should have been with little kids out enjoying themselves.”