Unfortunately thieves are out there in full force. We are very careful to keep things locked up around our house. Fortunately most of us are retired and home a lot and keep a close eye on each others house.

This whole state is changing due to the increase of workers in the oil field and on the wind turbines. Construction up, lots of people coming here not realizing there is NO place to rent etc. Some living in cars and RV's Also in another month or so, will have more farm workers. So we lock up more and are more watchful. Never leave cars unlocked or doors either.

Our street was hit two weeks ago, not the houses,
the cars. I keep my car locked but my husbands
had been gone through. All the stuff from his glove
box was left laying on the seat. The only things
taken were his crank flashlight and allen wrenches.
Unemployment is so high in this area and times are
certainly tight, but theives are just the lowest of
the low!

The police in our town are forever reminding people to LOCK UP. It's a quiet, pretty place and some citizens assume there's some kind of 'safety dome' over the town. The sergeant who has house-sat for us says our town is where thieves come in the fall to do their 'Christmas Shopping'. They drive upscale cars to 'blend in' and cruise neighborhoods in the middle of the day, looking for easy marks. They are in and out in two minutes -- scoring jewelry and cash.

I should know. We were burgled in late summer, on a Wednesday evening after dinner. DH took the dog for a walk, leaving the garage door up. I was in the jet tub in the master bathroom. Someone came directly to our bedroom and closet and took *only* my jewelry and my DH's watch. In. Out. Nothing disturbed. Vanished. We didn't even realize it had happened until the next day.

Wow chisue that's awful!! I just talked to DH and the sheriff came to the door while I was on the phone and there were two unmarked cop cars in the driveway!! They are patrolling heavily and came to the door because the garage door was open and they were checking to make sure nothing suspicious was going on. Wow! I guess I have been guilty of the safety dome mentality. I don't think I'll ever have it again.

Before going off the deep end, just use common sense. You can't ever be 100% safe from crime. But there's no need to be paranoid about it either. Don't make yourself an easy target. Live your life. Lock your doors. Make them work to get it.

One of the biggest problems people have is that they advertise they have stuff to steal. The keeping up with the Jones' mentality with the motorhome and boat in the driveway, fancy stuff left outside, huge TVs visible through the front windows, expensive cars with the GPS stuck to the windshield, all tell theives that you have something they want.

Alarm systems are feelgood items for the most part. Thieves know they have probably a good 10 minutes from when the alarm goes off until they need to be out.

I've been hit twice. I'm pretty sure I know who was involved both times too but can't prove it. Really makes you feel vulnerable, but then again, you have to live life too. To this day I'm holding my breath when I come home after being gone a few days.

My parents would never put a Christmas tree where it was visible from outside. They were afraid it was an announcement that we had expensive gifts sitting under the tree ready to be stolen.

We've put our lights on timers and the tv too. If it goes on and off at the same time each night, it's less noticeable when you're gone. If you leave the light on only when you're away it's like an announcement that you're gone.

Well we don't keep up with the Jones so if that's a factor then we're in good shape. However I don't think it's an issue in this case because we're on one of the more modest streets in the neighborhood not the ones where people flaunt a lot of material wealth. We do live in a secluded wooded area though and I think that is a factor. The burglaries took place during the middle of the day so lights on doesn't help. The sheriff does suggest leaving a radio on during the day so it sounds like someone is home. We always have lights on - multiple timers - so at least we don't look like a sitting duck at night.

Blinds/ curtains always closed.Bars on windows and on screen door. DS has Alarm system I'd rather have the brs.
So sorry for you to exxperience this in the neighborhood.

Thursday night someone broke into my GS'S car and tried to steal it.They broke the wing window to gain entry then busted up his steering wheel post to try and start it.Had no luck with it,but did damage that he really doesn't need at this time.He has a 1983 chevy caprice that is his pride and joy,nice rims,and all that.Luckily he never got around to getting a stereo system,so just used the radio.

Police report was taken,but even the cops said they were stupid burglars and wouldn't have gotten very far as they said,there's not another car like it up in the area he lives at and it would be easy to spot.
When he bought it several years ago it was brown and white.He had it painted royal blue and white and his windows are even tinted blue.

Then last night they broke into one of his neighbors cars.They live in a little town up by Modesto calif.His neighbors car has more damage than my GS'S and they stole his stereo system as well and did so much damage to the ignition that he can't start it.DGS can start his with a screw driver and drive it.

This world is going to hell in a handbasket!!!
Kathi

I'm always amazed at people leaving out trash & cardboard boxes for expensive items are sitting alongside..
Locking doors is a huge step -- We've known people who were robbed while out in the backyard because the front door was unlocked.

As was already mentioned, no one can be 100% safe. Being vigilant about keeping your doors locked and trees/bushes trimed will help. Also, the more friendly you are with neighbors the better off you will be. If everyone knows who comes in and out of your house, they will know who doesn't belong. And, probably the best advice I have is to get a dog. A decent sized dog (say over 35lbs or so) would probably scare away 95% of criminals because they have no idea on what the dog is like.

I have the best ever security system, a 70 pound dog. He has a ferocious bark.

Knowing who is coming and going in the neighborhood reminds me of a situation probably 10 years ago. I kind of knew my neighbors but not extremely well. Hadn't seen anyone home at the place a few doors down over a weekend and then I saw some scruffy looking people loading up a truck in their driveway. I called the cops and reported it as "suspicious". Never heard any more about it until a few years later when I ran into these people at a neighborhood Christmas party. We must have been talking about crime or lack of it and they told the story of how someone once called the cops on their son and some friends who were moving some stuff out to his college apartment. I had to confess that it was me. I think they were happy to know someone was paying attention and not too upset that I thought their kid looked like a burglar.

For years and years and years, I lived in a nice neighborhood in the midwest and there was no crime on our street, period. Now I live on the East Coast in Hampton Roads and it's a different kettle of fish.

Being alert and being wise is a biggie, but the most important life lesson I've learned here is this: Call the cops for any and all suspicious activity. A friend of mine had her home burgularized, and miscreants took their time and cleaned out the house - top to bottom. Everything was loaded into a moving truck and carted away. The last straw: The criminals also stole her car. Hide those keys!

And keep a disposable camera by your front and back doors, so if you see someone suspicious walking down the street, you can snap his photo real quick.

We have an alarm system with all the bells and whistles but I'm not convinced that it's that big a help. Criminals know they have an easy five minutes from the time they bust down your door to the time any cops will show up.

I second the idea about a dog. We have a 30-pound Sheltie and she has a big bark. We don't have people wandering through our yard anymore and I also don't have the rake-less wonders showing up at the front door, offering to rake the yard. BTW, most of those guys are crooks. Do not hire guys who go door to door. Trust me on this.

In conclusion, I'd say that a good watch dog (one who barks at strangers) is the best deterrent.

Rose

It is an uprise on burglary, cars and house thefts.

The police keep telling everyone to not keep anything of valuable in the cars as they will break in to get at them.

And do not repeat, do not leave your garage door opener in your car, take it with you at all times as I just read where someone used their garage door opener from their car that was left unlocked and in they went and was in the kitchen and someone woke up and checked what the noise was and found this guy there and they called the police but he took off.

WE had security here too but with pets and pet doors, they got rid of it as it would be triggered off all the time.

Also when going away, don't tell all as you never know who will tell someone and they break into your house while you are away.

Or let someone know that you are alone and husband is away or working nights.

I can't believe how many people POST on facebook that they're out of town. YEESH. And on those garage door openers, back in the day, there were only a few dozen frequencies and the bad guys would ride down the street through suburban areas and hit their garage door openers and see which doors went up!

rose

Our neighborhood held a community garage sale day last Saturday. The neighbor down at the end of the street had one and when it was over, they packed up all the remaining items in tubs to put back in storage. Most of the items at the sale were old tools and items from the gals grandmother's home that they cleaned out after her death.
They put the tubs by the garage door and left for a few minutes to return the tables they had borrowed. While they were gone, a green van pulled up and started loading the tubs into the van. Another neighbor saw them and told them to stop and unload the tubs. The woman came towards him with her cell phone and said that it was put on craigslist for whoever got there first. My neighbor knew better and got his cell out to call 911. They took the tubs out and left. The neighbor went around to his back yard, the people came back and loaded the stuff up again. PLUS, they took a tray of flowers that were sitting in a flowerbed to be planted and the gal's decorative flag that was in the flowerbed! And whats even worse was it was a man, woman and a child about 7-8 years old! We figure they probably do this all the time. So beware if you have a sale, take your stuff inside immediately.

Organize Neighborhood Watch groups; get to know your neighbors. Even tho some areas are families or empty nesters who still work, just knowing who does or does not belong helps. Good nieghbors - like mentioned above - are invaluable. Sadly, these crooks were professionals.

My doors are always locked. Even if I'm working in the back yard, the back door is locked. It'd only take a minute with my back turned for a crook to get in. When I'm gone, I put a Police watch on the house - they patrol more frequently & know the homeowner is away. All we can do is try our best to be safe.

And do NOT enter your home if you find a door open (a friend did this last week.Fortunately it was because the door didn't catch correctly when she left, but it was still risky for her to go into the home!)

We are very isolated - I put a game camera on the driveway just for kicks and actually caught three thefts from the farm. They were derelict cars, only one was mine. When I saw a picture of that one going out on a trailer, I called the police right away. Only then did I realize we had been robbed. They came back a month later and stole my DUMPTRUCK! And we have it all on camera, time of day and date included. It was unnerving because for the most part I was there alone when they came-a-thieving...