The Victim: Louis Edwards and wife
Date: Friday, March 29
Time: Between 10 p.m. and 5:50 a.m.
Location: 6800 block of Sperry
Someone snatched the bench.
The old bench in the front had been like an old friend of the family. Through the years Louis Edwards and his family had spent time relaxing, talking, and enjoying some time together outdoors on the porch of their Lakewood Trails home.
“I’d had it over 46 years right on the front porch,” Edwards says. “My kids grew up on it. It’s a sentimental thing.”
The bench was wrought iron and somewhat heavy; it must have taken quite an effort for a thief to remove it. Edwards estimates it will cost about $200 to replace, but just the idea that someone made their way onto the porch and took off with something that belonged to his family is unnerving.
The family had a portable building broken into in the past also. Edwards says that his neighborhood is usually nice and quiet, but that there has been quite a bit of crime like this in recent months.
Dallas Police Sgt. Keitric Jones of the Northeast Patrol Division says the theft of patio furniture is not a common offense. But items that are not secured can always be a target for thieves looking for easy loot. Making yourself less of a target will make a thief think about looking elsewhere.
“To try to prevent lawn and patio furniture from being stolen, the persons should purchase a small steel cable or chain, and secure the furniture to a tree or other immovable object,” Jones says. “Please keep in mind that any precautions taken to secure your property will help to reduce the chance of you becoming a victim of a theft.”
