We are now almost at the end of the first month of the New Year and, unlike my predecessor, I feel I am obligated to give a "State of the Safety" speech. Even though there's not much crime going on in our town of Harts Corner, Texas, there is always some mischief around. Last year was most unusual with the uncovering of drug runners and several murders so I won't even discuss that long story here. What I will touch on are a few events, both serious and humorous, that might give a clue to our citizens of what's right and wrong with this town.
We're not growing in population, that's for sure. I don't know if that's bad or good. We lost two citizens to murder, one to suicide, and two to the prison system. And we gained one--yours truly. That's not the way to grow a town. But we haven't given up hope. Harts Corner is still a great place to live in, raise a family, and share the community of friends. Maybe strangers would just upset the apple cart.
The community doesn't have a lot of money but the county helps out by being in control of law enforcement, the court system, and the roads. When it comes to help for individuals, these people circle the wagons and protect each other. Would that change if we had newcomers, "outsiders" as the old folks around here call folks not born and raised here (that includes me)? Or will we one day really need to rely on a larger population to pay our bills?
If I went through the log-in of dispatches I wouldn't find anything really serious since all that other stuff. Cows broke the fence down again and are in Cora Skaggs vegetable garden. Ranger is ordered to fix the fence and keep it fixed or face confiscation of cattle, sale, and retribution to Cora.Teenagers spray painted the barn on the old Tate place--again. Rounded up the usual suspects, made their parents pay for red paint, and Jewel Tate saved money on a paint job. Stolen stop signs at the exit and entrance ramps to the freeway. My deputy and I eventually tracked them down (by a tip from an angry girlfriend) to the bedroom wall of a high school senior. With agreement of his parents, he physically replaces the signs and relinquishes his driver's license for three months.
Well, you get the picture, don't you? Not much heavy duty stuff. I have to appear in traffic court now and then, and I see a reminder that I have to be in court next month for the trial of some yokel from Tyler who attempted to rob the Blue Moon Cafe. That should be a hoot. When my sweet, red-haired Mary Margaret Butler, gets through giving her testimony, the jury will convict. That is, if the poor fella doesn't decide to plead guilty when he gets sight of her; she swings a mean broom, has a left hook, and promised to shoot the guy in his family jewels with his own gun if he moved while waiting for the cops (me and my deputy).
I'm hoping for a year of as much quietness as we can manage. And if nothing gives Mary Margaret a hint of wrong doing and she doesn't go chasing around following clues, we'll do just that. Folks, could you sort of help me here? If MM comes poking around, asking odd questions, or you see her tiptoeing across your back pasture, would you give me a call so I can nip in the bud whatever she things she's doing?
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