BARRHEAD - Some firsts, while memorable, are not worth experiencing.
Early in the morning of Sept. 27, Joe Kamaleddine, owner of DJ’s Diner, received a call from his landlord giving him the bad news that his restaurant had been the target of a break-and-enter.
The break-and-enter was the first for Kamaleddine in the 18 years he and his family have been in Barrhead.
Kamaleddine and his family immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in 2001, first settling in Drumheller to help a relative at his restaurant, before moving to Whitecourt to run a restaurant of his own and then finally to Barrhead in 2004.
Like many, Kamaleddine said they decided to make Barrhead home after visiting the community.
"We just knew we wanted to make it home," he said. "I don't know why they did it. All we are trying to do is work hard and provide for our family. We are friendly people, we have no enemies," he said.
For their troubles, the thieves got away with little for their efforts.
Kamaleddine estimates that, at best, the culprits got away with perhaps $200, including what was in the tip jar.
Unfortunately, the damage will cost much more than that. In addition to two smashed doors, Kamaleddine will have to replace his cash register, which the thieves made away with during their escape.
The building's owner, who was on the scene helping Kamaleddine clean up, said he and his tenants have been fortunate with only one of the businesses having been broken into in recent months.
At that time, the criminals got away with even less, perhaps $25, and a candy machine. In that particular case, the building's owner noted that police apprehended the culprit and credits the local RCMP detachment with keeping him informed of progress in the case.
Kamaleddine noted the RCMP forensics team was on the scene, and he hopes that with the help of video surveillance they can catch those responsible.
"It is so unfortunate what is going on in Barrhead," he said. "It is so sad what is happening to good people."
Barrhead RCMP Cpl. Fil Vicente said while he wasn’t familiar with the specific case, it was unlikely Kamaledine was specifically targeted, noting it was more than likely a crime of opportunity, with those responsible looking for money to fund an addiction problem.
In recent weeks, Barrhead RCMP Detachment commander Bob Dodds has visited town and county council to update councillors on the latest 'K' Division crime statistics in the area.
He noted that, for the most part, crime statistics have been on the downward trend, stating at recent council meetings that for the second quarter of the year, from April to the end of June, property crime was at a five-year low. But the break and enter stats were middle of the road at 23 for the quarter, the third highest in three years.
