[libro]

We live in a very nice community. Our household is large enough that someone is always home, and my husband conducts his business primarily from home. However, today he left on a short errand while I was at home and the kids still at school. No more than 5 minutes later the doorbell rang and two highly suspicious young girls in their late teens/early 20s were at the door. Our dogs were barking ferociously, so I couldn't hear much of what the girls were trying to say and didn't open the door. Frankly, the girls looked like meth addicts but were dressed in slightly nicer clothes. I asked them what they wanted over the intercom (with the dogs still barking), and they said they were there participating in a "school competition," although they were not of high school age and certainly did not appear to be college students. They were carrying absolutely nothing, no purses, no papers, nothing. We live in a very enclosed residential community away from stores, major roads, etc. and they definitely looked out of place; you get to know your own neighborhood and city after many years and this was quite unusual. I told them I was busy over the intercom and said goodbye.

When my husband returned 10 minutes later he said that when he had left someone in a truck had been driving by very slowly and was closely watching him leave, enough so that he had suspicions about them and even hesitated at the end of the street to make sure they were moving on. Please understand my husband is never safety conscious and never makes a deal over nothing, so when he said this and repeated his suspicions I knew something was up!

I suspect the girls were sent to "feel out" the situation and see who in the community was home and that the person(s) in the truck might have been working in tandem to invade homes and/or steal delivered packages from front porches.

It's that time of year again, so it's just a word of caution. With the economy in crisis, we may unfortunately we seeing more of this.

 

[Vegas_Asian]

Also be careful about what you place outside after christmas. People like to scope out what you bought over christmas by looking at the boxes and packages to see what house is best to break into.
Don't forget if you are receiving packages, don't let it sit outside the house for look. My family usually goes out of our way to be home at the time the UPS man usually gets to the house, even if I have to drive from half way across the city between classes. This is because, someone stole one of the wii's (extra controls and games) ordered after sitting outside for no more than an hour.  We also know several of our neighbors and since we all had the same problem, we usually pick up each other's packages from outside the houses' door and drop it off later when they are home.

 

[Teninx]

Come steal from my house when I'm not home; I'll be upset but my insurance will help me get over it. Come to my house to steal when I am home; you'll be upset and your insurance will be of no help.

 

[Lynn]

When my Kindle was delivered in October I was at work so I had my mother pick it up because I was afraid to leave it out for the few hours before I got home. Now the one I ordered for her is coming tomorrow so I can't have her pick it up. I hope it gets her by noon so I can come home at lunch and get it. I live in a gated community but still worry- you never know. Too bad I can't leave the dog out front! But then the Fedex guy won't leave it either.

Lynn

 

[chynared21]

It pays to pay attention to the cars in your neighborhood and the routine that goes on each day.

 

[Yollo]

When my Kindle was delivered in October I was at work so I had my mother pick it up because I was afraid to leave it out for the few hours before I got home. Now the one I ordered for her is coming tomorrow so I can't have her pick it up. I hope it gets her by noon so I can come home at lunch and get it. I live in a gated community but still worry- you never know. Too bad I can't leave the dog out front! But then the Fedex guy won't leave it either.

Lynn

Your Kindle was just left at the door? I had to sign for mine...

 

[cush]

Come steal from my house when I'm not home; I'll be upset but my insurance will help me get over it. Come to my house to steal when I am home; you'll be upset and your insurance will be of no help.

Yep, resurrection is not generally covered.

Good advice here. Also be very cautious in mall parking lots. Try not to leave purchases in the car, even in the trunk. Get mall security to escort you to your car if you are uneasy. Be very alert, look around, and trust your instincts- if a situation feels dangerous or unsafe, it probably is. Turn around and go back where there are other people close and call mall security.

I don't think that holiday crime is much influenced by hard economic times. These predators are opportunistic criminals, not someone trying to pay the rent or feed their kids.

I speak (write?) from experience. Most of my working life has been spent in security or law enforcement work and I retired three years ago after eight years as an internal security officer at a very old major luxury jewelry retail company that any woman would recognize from the color of their boxes.

 

[Dori]

These thugs are generally looking for easy targets.  Just don't be one of those.

 

[chynared21]

I speak (write?) from experience. Most of my working life has been spent in security or law enforcement work and I retired three years ago after eight years as an internal security officer at a very old major luxury jewelry retail company that any woman would recognize from the color of their boxes.

I love those little boxes

 

[Gertie Kindle]

I speak (write?) from experience. Most of my working life has been spent in security or law enforcement work and I retired three years ago after eight years as an internal security officer at a very old major luxury jewelry retail company that any woman would recognize from the color of their boxes.

I just got one of those boxes for the first time in my life. I was surprised that it was such an unusual shade.

Gated communities don't mean much unless they are manned. My gate would let 3-4 cars in after me. There was also a pedestrian gate that was always open. Anyone could come in from the adjoining complex (ungated).

UPS and FedEx had their own codes, but most of the time they didn't need to use them. It was too easy to get in.

 

[Lynn]

Gated communities don't mean much unless they are manned. My gate would let 3-4 cars in after me. There was also a pedestrian gate that was always open. Anyone could come in from the adjoining complex (ungated).

Fortunately ours is manned, but there are areas you can get in (walking) if you really want to although there are no pedestrain gates-you have to go past the security folks. The vehicle traffic is monitored well enough, but again where there's a will there's a way.

Lynn

 

[Ann in Arlington]

Our neighborhood is not gated but the neighbors all know each other and watch out for each other.  If I'm expecting a package that I don't want them to leave on the porch I put up a sign asking them to leave it with a neighbor who's home.

Regarding parking lots, the police in at least one jurisdiction around here have been patrolling parking lots and if they see a car with packages or other valuables in view they take the registration info and send a post card to the owners reminding them to keep valuables out of sight.

ann

 

[libro]

Come steal from my house when I'm not home; I'll be upset but my insurance will help me get over it. Come to my house to steal when I am home; you'll be upset and your insurance will be of no help.

LOL Teninx! SO true

 

[quiltlvr]

My refurbished Kindle was delivered yesterday. The FedEx driver said "Looks like you got a book!" I just grinned and said "yep!"

 

[Sailor]

Come steal from my house when I'm not home; I'll be upset but my insurance will help me get over it. Come to my house to steal when I am home; you'll be upset and your insurance will be of no help.

Amen, I Second Right your seniments exactly.

 

[Teninx]

Amen, I Second Right your seniments exactly.

Few house burglaries in NH take place when the occupants might be assumed to be home...the thieves don't want to confront a probably armed homeowner. We're one of the states that has a 'right to keep and bear arms' endorsement in the State constitution as well.

 

[cush]

What! Defend yourself and your family with a... gasp....gun! Don't you know, Teninx, that the only possible reason to own a firearm is for sporting purposes? Unless you are a cop or a criminal.

You are fortunate that you live in the United States of America- I wish I did, instead of the People's Republik of K.

Cush removes tongue from cheek and leaves this politically charged subject.

 

[Ann in Arlington]

We had someone try to break in one night in August.  Woke me up.  Hubby peaked around the doorway and saw him trying to raise a window. . .which was locked.  (It was a pleasant night and we had them slightly open for fresh air, but locked).  I called 911 and hubby grabbed his cricket bat.  (Yes, cricket bat.)  He watched him from one of the other windows. . .really wanted to go bash him but waited for the cops.  This guy was Not Smart. . .we had outside lights that are on motion sensors and they kept going on and off because he was walking around looking for open windows.  Ran off when he saw the police lights but they caught him later.

Ann

 

[Teninx]

I don't endorse direct armed confrontation with a housebreaker except under the most dire circumstances. Difficult as it might be to restrain myself from confrontation, my first duty is to protect Mrs. Ten when she's unable to move to safety, so I'll stay close by her if the thief is just dragging out my stereo. It's my opinion that thieves who simply want to steal will break in when the house is empty, grab the loot and scoot. Thieves who break in when people are at home are dangerous criminals very likely looking for more than Aunt Gladys' antique brooch. I've established a line in my home past which a housebreaker will not cross without taking immediate fire....it allows me time to identify the interloper positively and range to aquire him in my sights before he's close enough to do physical harm. Yes,  hopefully there will be time to call police and have them arrive before Mr. Felon theatens my life instead of just my property....I'd much rather have him captured than bleeding in the hall.

 

[Guest]

Here is a story of what happened near us recently. http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/news/?cid=154661 Another account by a different source: http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/Intruder-killed-by-homeowner-another-on-the-run/GvCS6UViJkWi0uhEkyDQVg.cspx Yet another account: http://www.katv.com/news/stories/1108/572676.html

As you can see no charges against the homeowner. What these stories do not say is that a few days later the man's house was fired upon as retaliation. (or so I have heard, can't find any news report to that effect)