Most of my friends know I am a movie buff. Even last week in my article I wrote about movies. Well, this week I will reference a movie, but it isn't because the movie won any Oscars.

There's a scene in the movie NETWORK where the television anchor is telling his audience that they should immediately get up out of their chairs, open their windows and shout as loud as possible... "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." Dadgummit, I'm feeling a little like that character in NETWORK. I'm frustrated by current events. I am perplexed by the actions or lack of action that has taken place recently. I don't have a clear understanding of why we continually do not hold people accountable for their actions.

Okay... here's the story. On December 18, a guy found a way to get on top of the Walgreens building. This guy then breaks into the building by damaging an air handling unit on the roof and I guess slithers through the ventilation ducts. He ends up dropping into the pharmacy where he does lots of damage while chewing up pills and tablets. The local and county police show up and finally arrest the guy. The criminal is taken to the hospital where reports show he kicked a nurse trying to attend to the criminal's health needs. The Assistant District Attorney approved charges against the criminal of one count each of burglary, possession of burglary tools, criminal damage to property, and possession of a controlled substance - all fourth degree felonies, in addition to four misdemeanor charges. Then our Magistrate Court Judge advises that she will release the criminal on his own recognizance but must come back to court on January 4. Because he continues to have health issues from all the pills he chewed up, the criminal is taken back to Gila Regional Medical Center and is subsequently released into freedom on the next day, December 19. WHAT?

Are you kidding me? He probably caused total damages to Walgreens in the amount of more than $10,000. He physically kicked a nurse at Gila Regional Medical Center... and then he walks away on his own recognizance. I just don't get it!

I don't care if he was bullied as a child. I don't care if he wet his bed through his teenage years. It doesn't matter to me if he hurt himself while breaking the law. I don't care what his last name is or who he may be kin to, he's a criminal caught in the act. So Christmas is just around the corner, big deal! This guy is a criminal and he just walked away. So what the keck is going on?

I'm having a hard time doing my job right now. People thinking about relocating to the Grant County area often ask about crime. In the past I would say it's no worse than most places and definitely better than others. But now I am thinking I have been lying to people. Heck, there have been days when the Silver City Daily Press would print an eight-page newspaper and it seemed that 3+ pages were devoted to the "police blotter." I am struggling about whether I should be truthful to people or simply be disingenuous and sugar-coat our problems.

Is it safe here in Grant County? Is crime getting worse or is it just the reports of our local press that make it seem bad? And what do I tell the nice lady from Minnesota who says she has heard that crime in Grant County is bad. Do I explain that we don't keep bad guys in jail; we let them go on their own recognizance. Do I say that there seems to be more crime in the newspapers but it's not because we have more crime... but we have better reporting. Do I dare tell possible new visitors and people thinking about moving to Grant County that we don't seem to do a good job of holding criminals accountable for their heinous unlawful acts?

Some people blame the cops... heck in this case they arrested the guy like they get paid to do. Some people blame the judges... in this case it sounds like the lights may have been on but nobody was actually at home (if you catch my drift). So what do we do? As a community, what has to happen to stop the flow of crime? Do we win or do the criminals?

Yep, I am mad as hell... but I have a terrible feeling we will continue taking it over and over and over again... or we move!