Dear editor:

As this is the season of elections I would like to draw attention to an incident that occurred a few months ago that might occur to others at anytime. 

We live in Niagara on the Green near the Niagara College campus. At 4 a.m. one day I woke early not knowing why and went down to make a coffee in preparation for another business day. 

I heard a door open and thought it was my wife wakened by my activity. Then I noticed a shadow at my front door. It was happenstance that I even looked. 

I went to the front door as it started to open. I shoved against the door and looked through the window. There was a hooded man standing there, trying to force his way into my house.

My immediate thoughts went to a time when my cardiologist in Toronto told me the story of answering a knock at his door during the day and permitting three Toronto Hydro employees into his house – at least, they professed to be hydro employees. 

They took him to his basement, beat him for drugs – he is doctor – and left him to suffer. He eventually broke free and never spent another night in that house.

These were my thoughts within 30 seconds of the hooded individual trying to force his way into my house.

I immediately called my son, who was visiting, to help me close the door and try to lock it against the intruder.

While we held the door closed, called 911 and secured the front lock, I watched this idiot – not knowing if he was alone, with a group of hooded bums wanting to break in or whatever his intent – sit down and eventually fall into the driveway and roll into the street.

Here is the point of this story: Two police cars and an ambulance showed up. They chased the intruder into his house apparently and left.

I have no understanding of the consequences of this incident. I could write the chief of police or the lord mayor to ask what happened. But would it not be a simple task, and make more sense, for police to report their findings to the complainant? 

This should be standard police procedure in any community – even if it requires an officer to spend time to write a report.

Is this the level of policing and security we can expect from the people we trust to protect us? 

No harm was done, but still, every night, I lock my door and expect something to happen. Welcome to Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Derek Insley

Glendale