Tracy Press

 
Writer laments that when druggies steal, the loss to individuals and communities is immeasurable.

EDITOR,

I own a ranch and a rental home outside of Manteca. Some drug-desperate person decided my rental was a great place to strip for his dirty habit.

The druggie took all the wire from the walls, ceiling and under the structure and stripped off the insulation for an easy sell at high copper prices. He took the ceiling and wall fixtures and busted holes in the walls and floors. He took the shower sliders, the stove and even the stainless-steel sink in the kitchen. He took the air conditioner and well pump and, in the process of taking things, busted out a window and destroyed new cabinets, entry doors and anything else he couldn’t sell.

I estimate my loss to drugs at $150,000 and another $10,000 to clear the lot, because the home is now beyond repair. The desperate druggie probably got $500 for his next dirty fix.

But the loss is greater than that. It was a rental for a local family to live in. It was advertising for local papers. It was a source of income for local businesses from which I bought materials and the local workers I hired. It paid taxes to lower your own tax burden.

If the criminal druggie is caught, he will be a burden on society in prison.

Our personal loss is immeasurable. And now our house will be demolished, thanks to drugs.

Michael Prince, Stockton

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