That is so unfortunate I know what you mean. I have never lived anywhere that I had that kind of worry, but several homes in this area had robberies recently. Many were done by juvenile punks and the police know that and have busted them multiple times and recovered items from their home. Of course the parents have to know about it, they see the stuff in the garage. But they get a slap and a few days in jeuvie and back at it. We had an attempted break in but luckily my husband was up and saw him through the glass door trying to get in. I hate having that kind of fear.

Glad you were not injured, that's most important.

I am so sorry that happened to you. I am glad you and your family were not hurt. I hope you will be able to feel safe in your home again soon.

We had one vehicle stole and another broken into, and I remember how violated and afraid that made me feel. Installing an alarm system made us feel a lot safer.

Did they break in, or did you leave a door or window unlocked? You have to be so careful these days!

We were robbed many years ago. It is a frightful thing to have happen to you. We even had dogs in our home at the time. They came in through a doggie door and I believe that one of the young men kicked our dog in the side and when we noticed that he was having a problem, that is when we discovered the break-in. They only took what they could carry. Small things. At the time we had no small computers. If it happened today they would probably take more. I'm so sorry for your loss. It is an invasion of your privacy and makes you feel vulnerable. Mary

So sorry to hear this happened to you!

I am so sorry about that. It's good that you were not at home--that's what worries me the most.

There need to be stiffer penalties on criminals who violate the sanctity of others' homes. We all have the right to feel safe in our homes. There are few break-ins here because it's common knowledge that most people in this rural area own firearms (and know how to use them).

My home (in FL, years ago) had been burgled twice and it's not fun and it made me mad each time. (I told the policeman I was robbed and he quickly corrected me, since I wasn't home at the time.) Once it turned out to be one of our employees with a grudge and the 2nd time it was 2 girls stealing small stuff like money and jewelry. They were caught later, but it was too late to get my rings back.

I'm sorry this happened to you, it's very maddening.

Oh no, that's awful. What little scumbags. We have been very lucky that it hasn't happened to us. I would be torn between being scared and mad as he!!.

I just don't understand the mindset that it's o.k. to STEAL something that is not yours. Just take it.

I hope they find who did it and punish them severely. I hope you can find peace of mind in your own home again.

We were robbed year ago at our home down south. My hubbies brother was also robbed at the same time. They broke a window and climbed in. We had bought a burglar system but didn't have I up and going yet. Funny thing is they dumped it out on the bed and left it. They stole most kitchen items, gas grill, the gas heater off the wall, lawn mower, bedding, hunting items and more. When they called us we just knew they had taken the chairs my hubby had built. Thank goodness they didn't. We think they got scared off because they had some items they had by the door and they left. They even stole the bibles! Sure hope they read them!! It sure gives you the creeps when this happens. A couple that drive buses in our school district left one morning to do theirs routes and came home with the door busted in and found they had been robbed. It had to be someone that knew them.

In our area here we have had lots of 4 wheelers and golf carts stole. We make sure we have ours locked up each night in the barn. All of us neighbors are great to let everyone know when we will be gone. We keep an eye out for strange looking vehicles!! Now a days you never know..

Try to let go of the anger and outrage. It took me years to get over our 'event'.

One summer evening my DH took the dog out for a short walk and left the garage door up. I went to take a bath in our jet tub. Someone was in and out of our house before Dh returned and before I got out of the tub. He or she took only jewelry -- about $20K worth, mostly unscheduled, and some only-precious-to-me family pieces.

I felt so violated! There have to have been two thieves -- one waiting to come in through the garage and one viewing the back of the house, who could see me finish ckeaning up after dinner; go into our bedroom; get undressed; and walk (naked) into the bathroom.

My car was broken into and I felt so violated.

Sorry you had to experience!

We were also robbed (33-34 years ago), but I can still remember also violated I felt. It was so eerie walking through the front door that afternoon, and realize others had been in my house...thankfully I was not home alone very frequently, but it did take me a long time for me to feel comfortable if my DH wasn't home with me...the house felt less safe to me if I was by myself.

So sorry this happened to you. Awful to think that two guns have now fallen into the hands of criminals. I hope no one is ever hurt by them.

Even worse than the material things you lose is that creepy feeling that someone was watching you, came into your personal space and touched your things. My mother's house was burgled several times. She was in a wooded area and the crooks had no one to see them enter. One time I was the first one to come around and I found a pillowcase full of small items by the back door. They had smashed the window in the door to enter. I wonder if I had scared them off when I arrived although I did not see anyone.

For years she had Doberman dogs and no one bothered her then. One weekend we went away and took the dog with us and the house was burgled. We went to a relative's funeral and I think someone figured we'd be away. Jerks.

There are people out there just cruising around watching for someone to leave the house, so always lock up. I have the best deterrent of all -- nosy neighbors. Sigh.

I too have been broken into twice and it took me years to get over it. We know who did it - it was snot-nosed jerks who lived behind us at the time. The family moved and the neighbourhood break-ins stopped.

The first time we were only gone an hour. My kids were very young and I had to take one of them to the clinic. We came back and so much stuff was gone. The second time the replacement stuff was gone and all of my jewelry including some heirloom pieces and my engagement ring. The second time they also took our video recorder including all of the tapes that contained our kids first few years.

We got an alarm system but it really doesn't do the trick. It might protect your things but it doesn't protect your sense of safety.

The first time my older son, who was three at the time, was so worried that they had taken his comforter for his bed.

If my DH is away, I still don't sleep very well. It's just a violation of someone coming into your home and taking your things. I am sorry that this happened to you.

We have an alarm, but don't use it since we now have a pit bull mix that barks very loud.
I always felt our alarm system just gave the crooks a limited amount of time. They know just how many minutes they have before police arrive. This means that they might just grab as much as they can and not do a total toss of your house looking for something hidden.
I have all jewelry that I don't wear often, in a safe deposit box. I have some jewelry hidden that I have easy access to at home.
When we go on vacation,all my jewelry gets hidden.
The scariest part is that you realize that someone was casing your house.
Sorry this happened to you.

Ugh! I'm so sorry this happened to you. I've lived in a house that was robbed twice, both times in broad daylight while I was a work. The second time they took absolutely everything they could carry, including food out of my freezer and my cigarettes! And they dumped out every drawer in the house, made a real mess.

There is a whole sub-class of people who just feel entitled to take whatever they want, to keep, to sell, whatever. And good luck hoping they'll go to court and "be taught a lesson". More likely what they learn is that the rewards of stealing outweigh the consequences of getting caught.

Our duplex was burglarized when I lived in CA. DS was only about 6 or so. It happened in the daylight, just before I came home from work after picking DS up at daycare. First they broke a window in DS's bedroom and probably could not get in (pretty sure it was kids). Then they cut the screen and broke out the window on the backdoor. They took some silver dollars from my jewelry box and dumped out drawers on my bed. I felt so violated that strangers had been in my bedroom. I was renting the place and my dear landlord came by the next day and replaced the broken windows. The nosy neighbor next door to me felt so badly that she had not seen or heard anything.

Wow, what a terrible experience! My house has never been broken into, thankfully! I have a friend at work whose house was recently broken into twice. She was getting ready to move, which was a good thing because she certainly didn't feel safe at her other house anymore.

I washed every piece of underware I owned! the brats next door stole from us, cause they seem to know where some things were...lucky for me this was before computers!

Our house was broken into also during broad daylight. My dh n I were
At work at the time. The police did catch him about a week later. He was
A known druggie. Needless to say we didn't get anything back that was
stolen. After that we had an alarm system installed.

I understand how you feel. I have had a new (only 3 weeks old) truck stolen, $1500 in cash, two saddles, two horses, a typewriter, lawnmowers and various other items over the years. I woke up a couple of months ago (barking dogs) to someone standing in my dining room. He asked if he could use my phone. Oh....hell no! I yelled for my husband to get the pistol and shoot the ******* and he ran out the door, just as my husband came out of the bedroom, naked, but with a pistol. I hate thieves worse than anything else. I have no idea what the intention was of the man standing in my dining room, but he was from out of state, (Louisiana), and since he was heading for the kitchen, I don't know if he was going to get a knife and try to kill us or what. I didn't have time to be scared....but, thankfully, my husband was home. I live at the end of the road....no near neighbors....and I have never been afraid to be here by myself, but I do make sure the doors are locked now and my pistol isn't far from where I can easily reach it. When he came in the house, I was thinking it was this one person that I know....and I was irritated that she would just walk into my house...before daylight....but figured it was something urgent for her to do that. So, I was more shocked than afraid. It never dawned on me to take my gun when I walked out of the bedroom, but I will tell you one thing for sure, if I had taken it with me, I would definitely have shot him. I don't care what he wanted. You don't just walk past four barking dogs and into someone's house and not expect to get shot.

I am sorry that happened to you. My sister and her daughters had their rental house broken into and the dog was beaten and many items were taken. My sister couldn't go back and moved into an apartment with girls and the dog. I would always worry it would happen again.

Anne

Arosegirl.....that is terrible but at least you weren't hurt. I remember years ago DH was working the night shift and I was home watching tv. I kept my doors locked but I heard the doorknob rattle. I knew someone was trying to get in the backdoor. So....I calmly went into the kitchen, grabbed my butcher knife and held it up to the window. In the loudest voice I yelled out "Step one foot in my house and I will cut your balls off". Person went running throught the yard and that night I slept with the knife in my bed.

SamKaren
your resident DJ

Well, the internet its bad as over and over again people are telling everyone what they got from hubby or they gave to him or to the kids, showing rings, vehicles and all items for all to see.

Also how many announces we are going away and where too and the dates of when they won't be home.

And then moaning about stuff stolen from vehicles and what are we told over and over again, do not ever leave anything in your vehicles, not even change for toll booths, etc. that they use it for.

And yes, if are you aren't jewellery, then lock it up in safety deposit box, only have at home stuff that you like but not worth it if stolen or not sentimental.
Same with trips, don't wear and bring with you fancy expensive jewellery and flash it all over to everyone to see to steal from you. Or tons of money too if you carry currencies with you and all see that too.
Or expensive purses or anything.

Remember what you put on the internet will stay on it for the whole world to see it.

Lock your doors and windows and check to see inside and outside or ask the police for checks to make sure your house and items are safe or safer.

Don't tell our neighbours either about what you or husband or kids or relative has.

That is how so many get items stolen, like an uncle finding his coins or whatever he has been saving has been stolen, as he told a nephew who told others and gone, stolen from house.

lock them up, put them in safety deposit boxes.

And don't tell what others may tell you either so they don't get whatever they mentioned stolen.

I don't know what to do about dogs, they always said get dogs, ones that will bark like crazy but now you hear how they are getting kicked, beaten, those thugs whatever age will get what they want and go through those dogs.

Terrible for them to try to protect their pack family/house and end their lives some of them.

I know I have things being stole from my place and its terrible no matter who it is that does it to you.

Also warning, don't know about where you live but here they are saying and my brother told me too he stopped taking his vehicle when he worked to parkade due to people coming from work to get them and go home and finding smashed in windows.

they are desperate so be careful if they do come in when you are there.

I wish that somehow we could click a button and when we are away, whether for vacation or a weekend or few days or whatever like errands, night out that you could just have something come right over the house and it locks tight.

Kathleen makes some good points. I am stunned by the number of people who post their vacation plans on Facebook or post pictures while they are still away. I realize only your so-called Friends can see this (providing you have your posts are not pubic), somehow this stuff gets out there. If you must talk about being away, post after you get home.

We've had beautiful weather lately and all my windows are open. It is such a pain to run around closing them whenever I leave the house, but I do it anyway.

The TIMES have changed. I've read stories about the days before A/C when Chicago families would take blankets out to Lake Michigan during a heat wave to sleep in the parks.

It was a rare house in my neighborhood where the doors were locked when someone was home -- and a lot of women were at home in the 1940's - 50's. (Probably why it was safe for me and my friends to ride our bikes a mile to and from school along suburban streets.)

Also, the average home didn't contain a lot of small valuables. Is nabbing a toaster worth the risk?

I HATE locking up, bolting the doors, a prisoner of the *things* we own. I HATE looking at kids in the neighborhood and wondering if one of them stole from us.

I don't enjoy 'visiting' my remaining jewelry in the bank vault. I've worn the same plain gold earrings every day since the few things I kept at home were stolen. I refuse to stop wearing my diamond wedding ring. It's scheduled/insured and not a huge 'rock' anyway.

We were careless. The police say residents here feel *too* safe. They say established thieves often cruise the town -- like shoppers on Michigan Avenue. Every house has something expensive that a thief can get away with in the two minutes after the alarm sounds and before the police arrive.