Local efforts help to fight crime
We were pleased to hear about two recent efforts to crack down on crime in our area and the cooperation of our business community in making that happen.
The first was reported in Sunday’s edition of this newspaper. Local State Farm Insurance agent Jenny Vidrine joined with members of the Texas Automotive Burglary and Theft Authority and the North Texas Auto Theft Task Force to offer free Vehicle Identification Number window etching. This process takes about five minutes and involves etching the automobile’s VIN into the vehicle’s window. By doing this, vehicle owners can help in the recovery of their car or truck if it is ever stolen and it also serves as a theft deterrent.
The other local effort to prevent and solve crime was undertaken by the Ennis City Commission during their meeting this week. Commissioners approved an ordinance to establish more strict rules and regulations governing the secondary recycling of metal. Thefts of metal, such as copper from air-conditioning units, has been on the rise recently in conjunction with the higher price the recycled material is fetching. By adopting more strict guidelines to track who is selling what scrap metal, it will be easier for police to track and catch criminals who are stealing metal for this purpose. It will also serve as a deterrent to would-be thieves who now realize they aren’t likely to get away with the crime.
Brad Lane, of Maverick Metal in Ennis, was on hand at the Commission meeting to offer his support of the program. We’re grateful, though not surprised, to see that recyclers such as Lane are eager to do what they can to help prevent theft and crackdown on criminals. Thanks to them and the efforts of the city, we hope to see fewer and fewer instances of theft by those who hope to cash in at the expense of others.






