Over the weekend, we've once again been the victim of crime.
I say we, because that's the Mandurah story - when our community hurts, we hurt together.
Our first thoughts are for those impacted by these events, and for their families, friends and neighbours.
We stand alongside you and offer a helping hand where we can.
Our second thought, though, should be on how we respond to these challenges.
As a community, we continue to be collective victims of crime because we continue to allow the foolish few to define who we are and how we think of ourselves.
Why would we give them that power?
There is good work underway and much more work to do, but there is no silver bullet to crime.
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We must not only look to police and governments for solutions (although we should reasonably expect that adequate resources are made available), but also look at how we share the heavy lifting.
Police tackle crime but communities keep us safe - and they always have done. We have to fight for the community we want to be.
That starts with not defining ourselves by the actions of idiots, but by our abundance of good citizens who shape the real story of Mandurah every day.
The good neighbours who look out for each other, good parents who are raising good young people, volunteers who give a helping hand to those who need it, good people who give so much.
That's the Mandurah I believe in, the Mandurah I love, and it's a Mandurah worth fighting for.
Rhys Williams is the City of Mandurah mayor.
