One Okanagan woman is baffled after her welcome mat was stolen from her home for the second time.
Joan Sheppard, a Penticton resident, said after her welcome mat was stolen from her residence on Green Avenue in December 2017, she installed a security camera on her front porch. That鈥檚 how she was able to recap what exactly happened when it was stolen for a second time on March 13.
鈥淚t just says 鈥榃elcome鈥� and has a bird on it,鈥� said Sheppard with a laugh when asked what was so special about her mat. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so bizarre, I honestly don鈥檛 know. I liked the mat so after it was stolen (in December 2017) I went back and replaced it. And now that鈥檚 the one that got stolen again.鈥�
Sheppard said according to her security footage, at just after 10 p.m. a woman and her dog approached her porch. The woman can be seen kneeling down to examine the mat, taking it 鈥� with some trouble 鈥� and darting off into the night.
鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 been stolen once before, I put duct tape on the back of the mat, sticking it to the cement because it was the only thing I could make work,鈥� said Sheppard. 鈥淚 painted my address on the back of it because I thought, 鈥榃ell, if it goes missing it will be harder for them to hang onto it.鈥�
READ ALSO:
鈥淏ut when the policeman listened to the tape, he said he could hear her saying, 鈥極h, it鈥檚 stuck.鈥� as she was pulling it up.鈥�
Despite the coincidence that Sheppard has now had the same welcome mat stolen from her property twice, she doesn鈥檛 believe she is being targeted. She said although it may seem like a small thing to report, she said these crimes of opportunity are becoming more frequent and homeowners need to stand up for themselves.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel like I鈥檓 being targeted, I guess it鈥檚 just a nice mat, I don鈥檛 know,鈥� said Sheppard. 鈥淚 know people don鈥檛 report stuff like this anymore because there鈥檚 just so much property crime. But that was part of why I did report it, because if we don鈥檛 start reporting this stuff how are we ever going to get it to stop?
READ ALSO:
鈥淧eople have said on Facebook that they鈥檝e had their garbage can and snow shovel taken, these things are things we all work for. I鈥檓 not trying to preach but it鈥檚 very frustrating, we need to take our town back from these thieves.鈥�
For now, Sheppard鈥檚 porch will remain bare until she decides if she wants to replace the mat for a third time.
鈥淚 have one friend saying to just do without a mat, and my son is saying, 鈥榃ell maybe just get a really plain one.鈥� Because it鈥檚 been on Facebook and all over, I鈥檓 hoping that maybe I鈥檒l end up with it back,鈥� said Sheppard.
Sheppard added that if the woman simply came back and put the mat back where she found it, she 鈥渨ould be cool with that.鈥�
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
<>Jordyn Thomson | Reporter
Send Jordyn Thomson an email.
Like the on
Follow us on
