The short drive through quiet Maplesville doesn’t suggest a string of suspects are wanted for multiple related crimes, and it shouldn’t.

The burglaries and destruction committed by a band of thieves in the otherwise peaceful town is what you call an anomaly.

Breaking into a town staple like Friend’s Diner, stealing what little money it had inside and subsequently burning it to the ground is a rare happening downtown. You could even call it a freak accident. But tell that to owner Connie Smith, whose restaurant made her living. Now she has to determine how to clean up someone else’s mess and decide whether to rebuild, a quandary she certainly didn’t deserve or seek.

Turning around and burglarizing a trailer for a 9mm pistol seems mighty foolish as well. Just what do the culprits plan on doing with their newly and illegally acquired firearm? Perhaps that would make their next cheap venture into crime a bit easier, that is, if they run into anyone who stands in their way.

The next bad decision involved another break-in, this time into the Maplesville Police Department, where suspects took a safe full of evidence, including some drugs.

Finally, the next stop was Maplesville High School, where an MPD officer stopped suspects from illegally trespassing before he was assaulted and knocked unconscious. Whatever they planned on doing inside is certainly better left undone, and thanks to the brave efforts of that officer, it was.

Whether these crimes are all directly related remains to be seen. Town officials are confident they are, but we won’t know until the wrongdoers are finally brought to justice.

Thankfully, the MPD’s increased pressure on said culprits has alleviated the problems. Since those crimes, we’ve seen no break-ins or other incidents related to the previous ones. The department has even made arrests to help ensure it doesn’t happen again.

When you encounter those who patrol the streets of Maplesville, thank them for their effort. Is nice to know they care as much as they do.