With shackles on his feet, wearing handcuffs, accompanied by a police officer on each arm, one of Calgary’s most prolific offenders was let out of jail for one day.
He spent it with Global News crime reporter Nancy Hixt to explain how he became a serial burglar.
READ MORE: Part I of Calgary break and enters series – victims say impact is life-changing
He says his addiction to crack kept him in a vicious cycle–he did break and enters to pay for the drugs.
“I have over 250 break and enters on my record,” John* told Global News.
That was six years ago.
Now, on any given day, he can be found in his basement suite doing homework.
At 55 years old, he’s gone back to school. He’s earning his own way in life.
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“Break-ins were easy and you knew there was always something valuable inside the house: a flat screen TV, jewelry, whatever. You could get rid of it so easy,” he said of his time as a thief.
John credits police for helping him succeed: he has been clean and crime-free for two years.
“It’s very, very hard. You have to come to a realization inside your own self that, ‘this is not the way I want to live.’”
Creating success stories like John’s is one of the goals of the Calgary Police Service break and enter unit.
READ MORE: New police strategy for break and enters targets prolific offenders in Calgary
But intervening in the never-ending cycle of drugs and crime is difficult.
“Over and over and over again, we see the cycles,” Staff Sgt. Darren Berglind said in an exclusive interview with Global News. “We know who the offenders are, we know when they’re going to offend.”
“We have followed people from jail that have immediately reoffended within hours of being released.”
The 16-year veteran officer uses the example of Mayland Lavigne—a Calgary man who has been charged more than 300 times. After several months on the run, police finally caught him again in December and charged him with three residential break and enters—including one that was caught on tape.
Investigators said his arrest led to the recovery of $45,000 worth of stolen property.
But just days after he was put behind bars, a judge granted him bail. The 36-year-old was released on $1,500 cash.
“It’s incredibly frustrating,” Berglind said. “If we know they are going to reoffend, they might need to be locked up.”
“We need judges to realize that although that offender has rights and he deserves the right to rehabilitation, there are times that to protect the public, he’s going to need to be held in custody.”
Berglind is calling on Calgarians to take action—urging people to contact politicians so voices are heard.
“I think to make change like that, there needs to be an outcry from the public,” Berglind said.
“It’s incredibly frustrating to deal with the same offenders–sometimes for decades–and take them back to jail for literally hundreds of the same offence.”
“Citizens deserve to be protected from these people. Breaking into your home is the most invasive thing that someone can do. It’s the one place you should feel safe.”
*Global News is using the name “John” to protect his privacy.
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