BRISTOL, Va. – Dusty Edwards has always taught his two sons the value of hard work.
“They would help out on family and friend’s farms, help just putting up hay or feeding cattle – just anything they could do to make money,” Edwards said.
After two summers, the boys – Kaleb, 8, and Chandler, 5 – saved enough money to buy their own Suzuki dirt bike and an all-terrain vehicle.
“My youngest even wiggled a tooth [loose] that wasn’t even ready yet, just for the couple of dollars he was gonna get to add to his money for his four-wheeler,” Edwards said.
Just a few months after their purchases, the boys recently came home from school to hear some unpleasant news.
“My dirt bike and my brother’s four-wheeler was gone,” said Kaleb.
Locked in two separate sheds near the family’s Lee Highway home, the vehicles apparently were stolen in broad daylight.
“My wife first noticed that the lock had been cut and the door was standing part of the way open,” Dusty Edwards said.
This is but one example of a recent increase in thefts over the past two months, according to Capt. Jack Davidson of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
“It’s absolutely just because of the money,” Davidson said.
Although the recent downturn in the economy may have some impact, Davidson said, most thieves are not looking for cash so they can feed their families.
“Most of these people that we run into are drug users and they’re using the money for purchasing drugs,” Davidson said.
As a result of the thefts, local deputies have increased patrols in recent months.
“If we have a tendency of break-ins in certain areas, we will beef up the patrols in that area to prevent it or catch the individuals responsible for previous offenses,” Davidson said.
The Sheriff’s Office also offers an additional service to residents who may need extra security while away from home.
“If they call us we will do a check on the residence. We will direct the patrol unit to check that area periodically and make sure the homeowner feels secure,” Davidson said, adding that local residents also need to be more observant and take common-sense security measures.
“Once they see something strange, make note of it. It’s very easy to jot it down, maybe a tag number or a better description of a vehicle or person,” the captain said.
In addition to thefts, there have been some arrests, Davidson said.
“We have arrested a number of individuals and often what we find is that there is one group of people responsible for a majority of the offenses and once they are arrested they are charged with a multitude of offenses and off the street,” said Davidson.
Anyone with information about the missing dirt bike and four-wheeler is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (276) 676-6277.
Kelly Cales is a multimedia intern who can be reached at kcales@wjhl.com
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