Tears and Laughter: The crime rate in Wilcox County is too damn high

It has become obvious that crime is on the rise in Wilcox County.

I realize the Sheriff’s Department, Camden Police Department, as well as the Pine Hill Police Department are doing all they can do within their authority and jurisdiction to control the uptick in crime. That does not take away the concern, frustration, and fear the county as a whole is experiencing.

It is hard to write about the number of thefts we have been having without first considering the number of killings we have had. I have lost track of how many unsolved murders there have been, but if you go back over the past couple of years and count the bodies that have been found it is staggering.

It is especially troubling if you weigh the number of murders against the number of residents. This is a very small rural community and we have murders in the double digits, and seldom do any real details emerge. I’m sure there is a reason the press is continuously told little can be released. Everything is always under investigation. So as a result, we have many unfinished crime mysteries in Wilcox County.

Last week a Camden police officer was placed on administrative leave. Certainly everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty, but this is Wilcox County. Voices carry when people get concerned.  Neighbors have been sharing with other neighbors awful details involving terrible acts that likely would not come from quiet county roads without there being some type of truth to the situation. It’s not the type of stuff anyone would make up.

People see when several police cars tear through town blazing. People have scanners.

There are those who know things that have happened, but out of respect, little was allowed to be reported…but the city council notes don’t lie. There is an officer on leave, and we can do the process of elimination.

Whether the detailed facts on file as to why the officer is on leave match the stories on the street or vary greatly, this community deserved some kind of public statement of clarification from authorities. The alleged crime involved a local police officer and evidently the accusations were serious enough to have him placed on leave, yet there are still people curious as to whether we should be on the lookout for two dangerous men in ski masks.

Again, we are all keenly aware that this area has been experiencing a continual spike in thefts and break-ins that is not receding. Seldom does a week pass that there are not stolen items being reported. Too often these crimes are never solved. They just fade away over time and get replaced by new cases. When arrests are made, there always tends to be a low bond set, and the person doesn’t return for court, and is never found or even heavily pursued.

There were several break-ins on Clifton Street in Camden early Saturday morning. Guns, cash, a high school senior’s pick-up truck was stolen. Everyone’s sense of security was also stolen.

Wilcox County has to take a new stance. Be watchful. Help watch your neighbor’s house too, whether they are home or working. Become aware of what is normal and know what is unusual. If you see something, say something.

This is an opinion column.

Amanda Walker is a blogger and contributor with AL.com, The Thomasville Times, West Alabama Watchman, and Wilcox Progressive Era. Contact her at walkerworld77@msn.com or at https://www.facebook.com/AmandaWalker.Columnist