This is a 1000 word summary of maybe a more interesting read here by a “Consulting Detective’s sidekick” (2100 words)
1. Hello Sweeties!
In September 2021 some residents heard Ainslie Village was quarrantined.
As soon as lovely local Buy Nothing groups heard, they organized a very generous sweet surprise for the residents of Ainslie Village, and this was later expanded to include staff.
I was part of the process and was eagerly anticipating their arrival not just for me, but for the whole village.
2. Straying Sweeties?
Except they didn’t arrive!
A day after these photos were posted, I left the enforced confines of my block and went to the admin building. Eventually someone came out, and I asked “I heard some sweet treats were to arrive?”
I received an odd look, then they went back inside, before returning some minutes later; while I sat on my walker, to say “Yes, it’s coming soon, what is your room number?”
An hour or so later, someone knocked at our door, asked for me, and handed me a supermarket iced bun in a bag.
No lovely handmade notes by local children, no individual pastries.
Sob.
4 Creative Concoctions
I enquired discreetly what happened because by then management had asked me about rumours of a riot.
I asked the BuyNothing admins if they could follow up from their end, and they rang and were told “They were distributed to residents and left at their doors, somebody else must have stolen them.”
Food during lockdown *was* delivered to our doors, or blocks, but it was always delivered in person to a person, more often people; like feeding time at the zoo, most residents confined were fairly desperate for food, news and contact.
So the person on the phone didn’t know how the food distribution worked.
Even if they had been delivered as they claimed on the phone, someone I know would have received the treats. There are some dodgy people here, but none so talented as to do a coordinated sweep of 24 doorsteps, gathering up 180 packages, while dodging health care workers and random security guards.
I have asked many more residents since, just for confirmation, but no one got any. So Sad 🙁
5 645 pastries for who? The Truth, finally!
180 residents + 35 staff x 3 pastries in each lovely little package with individualized stickers, = 645 baked sweet little items.
I finally discovered what happened after official quarantine ended a couple of weeks later, from the trainee nurse who actually received the delivery.
The staff had taken them all. When they were delivered, they did ask who they were for, and I’m pretty sure they said “residents and staff”, but all they seemingly heard was “staff”. She did look a little guilty as she was relating the story.
They must have known, however, by the numbers, that 215 delightfully wrapped packages weren’t just for the staff.
I’ve tried to think it was an honest mistake, but in combination with other things from that period and my more recent experience, no, it was a deliberate act, which they tried to blame on us!
Theft at that scale is way beyond the average village resident. Plus, most of us don’t steal from each other.
645 pastries works out at 18 pastries per staff member.
And for them all to be gone the next day, when I enquired, so they had to rush out to the shops and buy an iced tea bun to placate me with, means that they had an almighty party and gorged themselves; or took them home.
6 More theft: Free Wifi + Tech?
I was also talking to some politicians and other groups during the lockdown, petitioning and trying to get free wi-fi for residents. I was told there was no need, it was already fully funded and allocated and would go in straight after lockdown.
Eighteen months later and no change. What happened to the funding for WiFi?
Likewise disconnected residents supposedly got iPads or tablets.
No devices reached any residents I am aware of.
One got a mobile phone, but that was from CAHMA, not Argyle Housing, or ACT Health.
To steal on a scale like that, on three fronts requires much more effort and organization.
7 Dignity, Loss & Denial
Many things were taken from us before we arrived at Ainslie Village.
Then more after especially during lockdown. At least prisoners and zoo animals know who their captors are, can see their faces, know who is responsible.
We had choice taken away, our freedoms; with no accountability, very little understanding (with the exception of some of the Social Work volunteers & some staff I knew from Directions Health), and more of our dignity stripped away, and most of us have some degree of PTSD due to living long term with a disability or chronic illness.
8 The Biggest Theft of All – Your Safety
This is all somewhat historical, but the biggest theft was from you, and in fact all Ken Behrans.
The security guards were *very* strict about maintaining a perimeter around the Admin building and front gates. And no farther, they hardly ever went beyond – Apart from when accompanying health workers and deliveries.
Which means residents (well, all who are not disabled like myself, I mean) just walked out by the side or back entrances, leaving their phones behind and/or not checking in anywhere.
I told security, then the head of security, all I got was “I know, we know, we’re just doing what we’re told” or bad attitude. So anybody driving past got the appearance of protection, but no actual protection.
Actually, that was when I realized – it *had* been effective and robust, and they had done what was requested of them. They protected the most important place and people, the staff at the Admin building!
Too bad for you, and all Canberrans.
Any random outbreaks in our area during lockdown can be probably be laid squarely at the feet of whoever drew the little blue and red box, with a visible presence, but little effect.
That theft was of your security, and potentially & probably lives.
Actions?
Ring Ainslie VIllage and ask what happened?
Staff in their contract with the ACT government are supposed to “enhance the reputation of Ainslie Village within the community”.
Let me know if they continue to blame residents, I’m used to it now!