Neighborhood Prowler

[geoffg1849]

Well, last night there was 2 cars broken into on my street, and my neighbors backyard had been vandalized. My back gate had been left open, but my 120 lb Great Pyrenees must had done a good job of scaring them off. It's not very often we see this were I live, low crime, and pretty affluent neighborhood. It makes me nervous. I think it may be time to invest in some video surveillance! Hopefully these punks don't get to brave and try entering homes, cause things might just get ugly for them.

Any advise? Would like to catch them before any of my things come up missing, or vandalized!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Ram Rod]

It makes me nervous.

It would me too. Not for long though. Great Pyrenese huh? I had one for about six months awaiting an adoption home. Very nice dogs and they like to play.

It's not very often we see this were I live, low crime, and pretty affluent neighborhood.

You see---that doesn't matter anymore. Things like this happen everywhere. What's a video camera going to do? My advice? I'd stay awake 24/7 until the issues go away, or on to someone else's 'affluential neighborhood'. Trip wires with pop-up flares in the back yard? Chain everything you have to a 12" concrete block. Dogs-they can be bought with a porterhouse steak most of the time.

By the way--welcome to the forums from a not so affluent, outback living country boy. My advice---take up residence under your canoe upside down in your back yard one evening with the 12 gauge. Guerrilla warfare? If that's what works.

[semperfi.45]

I've investigated a lot of burglaries and my advice is pretty simple...

LOCK YOUR STUFF UP!

Sure there are some that are forced entry but the overwhelming percentage of burglaries where I work are targeted because of ease of entry, i.e. unlocked doors and windows.

99.99999% of the time vandalism means juveniles are on the loose. Keep an eye out and make sure the neighbors are watching out and reporting any suspicious behavior.

[deadeye72]

My advice---take up residence under your canoe upside down in your back yard one evening with the 12 gauge. Guerrilla warfare? If that's what works.

Welcome from central Mississippi.

[bluelineman]

I've investigated a lot of burglaries and my advice is pretty simple...

LOCK YOUR STUFF UP!

Sure there are some that are forced entry but the overwhelming percentage of burglaries where I work are targeted because of ease of entry, i.e. unlocked doors and windows.

99.99999% of the time vandalism means juveniles are on the loose. Keep an eye out and make sure the neighbors are watching out and reporting any suspicious behavior.

Agreed.

We had a string of car burglaries a few months ago in my neighborhood. We live in a neighborhood that's in the country a bit. All of the cars were UNLOCKED. The police sent out notices via email to everyone to lock their doors. No problems since then that I've heard of. I always lock our doors & we park all vehicles in the garage.

[aus71383]

Welcome! I'm from WA but in FL right now. I agree about locking your doors. Being ready is the most important - I wouldn't worry about cameras myself. Maybe some motion sensor lights. We had our garbage can dumped out the other night. It was a bear though....he got away before I got downstairs.

Austin

[AmyH]

Welcome, Geoffg1849.

We had the same sort of problem a few years ago. That's the way it started out, anyway. Ended up with the apartment complex down the street being one big meth lab/prostitution ring. We were being over run by criminals. Our neighborhood organized a neighborhood watch, groups of us "went for walks" around the neighborhood, we put up neighborhood watch signs, we wrote down the license plate numbers and car makes of the "customers" and reported all of our info to the local LEOs. Within a couple of months, we took back our neighborhood.

I would suggest talking to your neighbors. Get organized and watch out for each other. If you're willing to work together, you and your neighbors can make a huge difference.

[geoffg1849]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have motion sensing lights in the front and back...both cars are locked and in the garage...unfortunately my neighbors wasn't, they just opened the doors and took what they wanted. I spoke with some of my neighbors and they were all for a block watch, or something along those lines, since these kinds of illegal activity have been on the rise lately.

Thanks for the kind welcome.

[miklcolt45]

Talked to my sister yesterday. They live in S.FL.

2 weeks ago, there were 2 break-ins on her street.
It is a one-street subdivision. Cul-de-sac. One way in or out.
Backside is a golf course. Probably 40-50 homes.

The same day burglars hit 2 houses and cleaned them out.
Everything, including plasma tvs to clothing. On one they waited til mom took her daughter to school, then went to the gym to work out. Same routine every day.

Method of entry? Both left a back window unlocked.

Once a year, several cars get broken into and cleaned out. The doors are left unlocked. One year, they used the garage door opener to clean out the garage while the homeowners were in bed asleep.

Nice neighborhood-unlocked doors and windows. Should tell us something. But, then I am probably preaching to the choir.

[ExactlyMyPoint]

You see---that doesn't matter anymore. Things like this happen everywhere. What's a video camera going to do? My advice? I'd stay awake 24/7 until the issues go away, or on to someone else's 'affluent neighborhood'. Trip wires with pop-up flares in the back yard? Chain everything you have to a 12" concrete block. Dogs-they can be bought with a porterhouse steak most of the time.

By the way--welcome to the forums from a not so affluent, outback living country boy. My advice---take up residence under your canoe upside down in your back yard one evening with the 12 gauge. Guerrilla warfare? If that's what works.

Be nice to the poor guy.

The above advice seems good. Neighborhood watch, locking stuff up. Motion sensors are good for night. You can get cheap video surveillance's cameras at Costco. May help solve the crime should something happen.

Welcome from a very middle class neighborhood in Oregon. I thought mine was safe, too, until I found out my neighbor had her car broken into to steal the airbags.

[mr.stuart]

Lock the gate!I have three backyard gates and they stay locked.What excuse will someone have for entering you yard if the gates are locked?If they climb over,they cannot blame your dog as easily if they are bitten.

[buckrod73]

The myth of the nice neighborhood being safe and we don't have to lock our doors. The nice neighborhood is where the people are more trusting and have more stuff.

Lock your doors although this will not keep them out. Have a garage with windows you cannot see into and keep the overhead closed whether home or not. Make it hard for them to pattern you and try to make it look as if someone is home as much as possible.

These guys prowl neighborhoods to see if everyone has gone to work. Most houses are deserted all day. No one home and no one to see.

Happened to us!

[retsupt99]

It's easy to understand...
The dirtbags live in lousy neighborhoods. They know that the goodies are in the nice neighborgoods...so that's where they go to 'shop'.

No one is safe anymore...anywhere...

Stay armed...stay alert...stay safe!

[glock27mark]

welcome to the forum. good luck in your quest tobe safe.
as we all know-anytime,anyplace,anyone.