Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jul 10/98) - Petty crimes, youth vandalism and busy RCMP have struck Ter Hamer's last nerve.

Recently the outspoken businessman and youth advocate has been at the receiving end of some annoying and costly criminal acts.

In the past month or so his miniature golf course has been vandalized, the course's bike rack was stolen and this past weekend his son's truck was vandalized. The passenger door window was smashed costing about $250 to fix.

"It was a big push behind the arena. We still have a problem. Kids have nothing to do and they're getting in trouble. It's ironic that I am now being a victim when I tried so hard to help them," said Hamer.

Hamer, who puts the proceeds from the mini-golf course to the Wade Hamer hockey school for youth, recalled a few weeks ago a run-in he had with three teens who he said were up to no good.

"There were three teenage punks, one about 14 and the other two 18 or 19, certainly older.... They came up and they were clearly up to no good. They were sitting around and they wanted to use the phone. The phone is right beside the cash register.

"I said, 'Sorry, guys, it's a business phone.' I was polite, but I wasn't going to give them anything," said Hamer.

"They went ... and I was bombarded ... by a bunch of rocks. I'm talking maybe inch and a half in diameter. Not little rocks and they're pelting the mini golf there from down below. They must have gone down and collected a dozen rocks each and started throwing them."

Hamer phoned the RCMP but was told officers were busy. It was the last thing he wanted to hear.

"The idea that I am in the middle of an assault or an attempted assault and they're too busy to come. They're looking after the pubs on Friday or Saturday night or whatever," he said.

"It just annoyed me to no end. It's OK with me, I'm a big boy. But had it been my daughter or some other young lady working at the mini-golf that evening -- I'm sure those guys are out there trying to grab whatever cash we have. We don't have a lot."

Again on Wednesday Hamer phoned the RCMP to report the vandalism to his son's truck. He said he was given the "royal runaround." If the RCMP are too busy to look after "Joe Ordinary," what's the alternative? he asked.

"Do the criminals win? Do you have to go to the vigilante stage?" said Hamer.

Besides the rock incident, Hamer is also upset that someone stole his steel bike rack at the golf course. He is offering a $100 reward to anyone with information identifying the thief or thieves.

"The bike rack isn't worth 100 bucks. It's about eight feet long, a foot and half wide and about six inches high, made out of steel. It's not worth $100 but it's worth $100 to me to find out who did it."

Hamer said he would also like to see the names of suspects in RCMP news releases published in the newspaper to perhaps deter them from further petty crimes.