Editorial: Coop nap Good guys win in end

Here's a story that should warm the hearts of all who have been burgled. And statistics would suggest an awful number in our community have suffered that fate.

On Monday, I received a phone call from Tony Thompson of Bay View. His mobile chicken coop had been stolen. Forgive me, but I almost laughed. In the greater scheme of things ... if you know what I mean. But after a while I saw the quirky side of it - it was the home of Harriet, who was missing, and Henrietta - so I assigned the story to journalism student, Christina McDonald.

It turned out that a goat house had been stolen in the same area, and when editor Antony Phillips read the story he made the decision - based on its quirkiness I would suggest - to run the story on Page 1.

Christina had written it up nicely, and asked readers to contact Hawke's Bay Today if they had any information. This slipped through the final proofing - we would normally give the police number. And the result was astonishing.

By early Tuesday afternoon a newspaper reader rang with a tip-off. He was sure both the chicken coop and the goat house were on the same property. I take enough phone calls from "crazies" to know this guy knew what he was talking about. He even criticised our choice of chicken coop photo - rightly!

I immediately passed the information on to the Napier Police, and the next morning received a call back from the policeman I spoke to. He was at the scene recovering the property.

So was Harriet.

I wasn't laughing now, though.

I was thinking about the times, at least four, I have been the victim of a domestic burglary and how it had felt on each occasion.

I was thinking what a good deed the man who had rung in the crucial information had done.

I was thinking what an important message Mr Thompson had given us by complaining to Hawke's Bay Today about the theft of his chicken coop, and one of his two chickens - about $2000 of property.

Nobody has the right to invade our property, our privacy. In this day of rising costs, including insurance premiums, even the hard working are struggling.

I applaud the annoyance of Mr Thompson, the nicely written words of Ms McDonald, the vigilance of that member of the public, and the swift response of the police.

In the greater scheme of things the recovery of that stolen property is a win for the good guys.