Feeling like a sucker in Turlock

I have lived in Turlock all my 28 years and it saddens me to see what this city is becoming.

On my way home from work in the early morning hours I see more tweakers than I can count scanning through neighborhoods for the next car to break into, empty house to squat in or, for the extremist, the next family home to rummage through. But hey, why stop? These drug addicts never seem to have any consequences or deterrents to stop this behavior.

As a hard-working citizen I pay law officials' salaries, yet when I call to report my car has been broken into, obvious drug deals occurring in broad daylight and, the worst case, someone trying to break into my home, nothing is done.

When I actually had an officer respond, when a tweaker was caught trying to break into my neighbor's home, I was told, "she's high, but harmless." My tax money pays these officers' salary and I have to pay to replace broken windows, jimmied locks and stolen goods, all the while tweakers ride by on their stolen bicycles, towing carts of stolen goods. Man, do I feel like a sucker sometimes for being a hardworking, honest person!

KRISTIN MANCHESTER

Turlock