Robbery at My Brother's House - A Preventable Crime

[Yakmama]

nevermind- I don't want any drama

 

[Yakmama]

nevermind- I don't want any drama

 

[wadesgirl]

Newsflash - the economy has nothing to do with how gutsy the burglars are. They have always been this gutsy - you've just not paid attention before.

One thing that you might be able to link to the economy is that counterfeiting is on the rise. With color copiers being so readily available, it's just too tempting for some. I just don't know where they're getting the paper that passes for real paper. I know I will never accept a $50 or $100 bill from anyone other than a bank teller.

I went to a local mall to pick up some gift cards, they weren't accepting cash for gift card purchases. You never hear of people not accepting cash but apparently there were sister companies who were dealing with counterfeiters lately.

 

[chefann]

I would also be skeptical of a news reporter claiming burglaries are up"...because of the economy." I'd be more inclined to believe reports of burglaries are up because reporters are looking for something to get on the air with.

That's absolutely the case. I don't have specific links, but another site I frequent has a member who is the unofficial debunker of crime impressions. That site is about child abuse, pedophiles, etc. Someone always comments on how things are so much less safe than they were 30 (or 40 or 50, etc.) years ago. The crime stats don't support that theory. It just seems that there are more of those crimes because they're broadcast in the media more than they were decades ago.

- - -

In related warnings, if you received any high-end items over the holidays (or ever, for that matter), cut up and disguise the boxes when you throw them out. Thieves look for boxes in the trash that indicate goodies in the house: TVs, computers, game systems, etc. It's best to cut the box into 12" squares and tie them into a bundle with twine, with the printed side facing the inside of the bundle.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Or put them out at the end of the driveway of that neighbor you don't like very much.

 

[ivykeep]

Our tvs are all either really old or super heavy (I bought it used from my sisters boyfriend and it took 3 big guys to get it on the stand. DH told me I better be sure where I wanted it) so anyone trying to steal ours would end up with a hernia. The are WELCOME to take any of the clutter -- nothing of any real value here. Sentimental crap, but if someone wants to steal photos of my daughter I can get them replaced.

I usually do keep the laptop out of sight though.

The CSI discussion reminds me -- a couple of years ago some friends and I had dinner in Little Italy in Baltimore. When we walked one of the friends back to her car (she'd parked on the street, while the rest of us parked in lot and paid) we discovered her window had been smashed and her radio stolen. We called the cops without touching the car and the officer took a report. My friend asked if she could touch the car (or were they going to check for prints). The officer laughed and said to go ahead 'this ain't no CSI' and then told us about someone on her patrol that kept leaving bags of poop on an unfriendly man's porch and how he wanted them to do DNA testing on it and then take DNA samples of all the "punk kids" in the neighborhood.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

A couple of years ago, I started a thread here about protecting yourself. It was based on the advice of J.J. Bittenbinder, a retired 23 year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, a homicide detective and now, an author and speaker who talks about personal safety.

"The bad guy doesn't walk down the street and say 'that's the toughest house on this block, I think I am going to try that one'. No! He looks for the weak one, the one with the open door, the broken window, the one without the home security system."

--J.J. Bittenbinder​

You can find the thread here.

 

[chefann]

Or put them out at the end of the driveway of that neighbor you don't like very much.

*giggle*
It's pretty sad that I had that exact thought when the news was running the box story this evening.

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Or you can just burn the boxes like we do - if law allows where you are! Theives would not be happy w/our house because our TV's are all 15 years old or above. My husband and I were just saying the other day how we still have the first TV we bought when we got married 21 years ago! It is stero and was cable ready - very high tech. for the time!

One time when I was a teenager I was home sick with the flu. The door bell rang but I didn't answer it - I was still in my pj's!! Anyway I started hearing noise like a drill!! I think they were going to cut open our front door, and we lived on a VERY busy street! Anyway I started making noise and they left! Really scary!!

My in-laws were robbed about 13 years ago. We all were out of town for a Billy Joel/Elton John concert. My SIL at the time worked for a troubled youth group home and could not get off work to go. I'm sure someone in the home heard her trying to get off work and knew my in-laws would not be home because she probably said, "I'm the only one from the family who can't go." They stole everything from them!! All TV's, camcorders, video recorder, jewelry (antique that was my husband's great Grandmother's), coins, etc. They left a cooler behind - must have not had enough room in the car! My FIL kept it and used it (LOL)!! They did feel very violated and actually ended up moving a short time later. Very sad! I remember the date because my MIL called us in the morning to tell us about it and I said, "April fools!" She said, "No, it's not - I forgot it was April fools day." Luckily my sister was at our house babysitting. We also don't publish our address in the phone book.

I did see an article on the news about packages being stolen from door steps and how that crime was up this year. I think a lot more people are ordering though so maybe the percentage isn't really up.

It's really sad people think they can just take others things that they work so hard for! It makes me sick!

 

[raebates]

Daylight robberies are much more common than nighttime robberies because fewer people are home during the day. Since The Furry Guy and I tend to work different hours, there's usually someone here. Add to that the facts that there are several pieces to the heating/filter system and the tub itself is steel. Our hot tub should be safe.

 

[Stampaholic1961]

One of my friend's had her house broken into. They stole a bunch of jewelry...one item was a ring that had belonged to her mother (who is deceased). They stole all her medication & her laptop computer among other things. They totally ransacked her house because they found ammo & were trying to find the guns that matched the ammo. The police think that the thieves have a refrigerated truck to make it look like they are selling meat. They knock on the door & if no one answers they break in & steal whatever they can. The day they broke into her house, she had just left. If they had come 15-20 minutes earlier, they would have broken in while she was in the shower.Her son had some guy knock on his door. When he answered, the guy said that he was with a home repair company & that his boss was going to be in the area the next day & did he have any work for them. It sounded like a scam to me....another way to case the house.It's just terrible that people want to take things that people have worked hard for. It irritates me to no end that people are like that! No one would ever break into our house! It's the worst one on the block. No one would think that there was anything worth stealing inside!

 

[raebates]

The officers told my brother to report to them if anyone comes to the door asking to shovel snow, clear away branches, etc. Evidently these are ploys that some are using to case homes and cover their activities.