Distractions.

For many months, tenants in a nearby block of apartments had kept neighbours, social services, police and others occupied.

Their anti-social behaviour became routine, as did the consequences.

Blue lights outside in the night.

Social workers with clipboards knocking on their door in the mornings.

It’s fair to say that this couple tied up dozens of public servants and tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer dollars.

Their behaviour drove neighbours indoors and to disengage from their community that was now unsafe.

Meanwhile, as community support came and went up and down the apartment block stairs attending to this difficult couple - a few doors down, one of their neighbours who lived alone, quietly died.

And remained undiscovered for a month.

The result of a well-meaning society being distracted by the noisy from the common good.