Theft on Monday...Dirtbags Back On Friday?...

[retsupt99]

Last Tuesday I had shared info on various car/garage thefts in our neighborhood...after calling the sheriff...I found out that I was #10 in the last two weeks. We have a great neighborhood (new sub) an this has been distressing to all of the neighbors that I have spoken with...
Well, I have been up for several nights now just kind of checking for movement at night.
Now on Tuesday night, my neighbor who is an young ex-marine noticed a truck with two grubby looking guys driving slowly through the 'sub' at 1 a.m.

He noticed them, and so did I (I didn't know he was watching...he didn't know I was up and watching). He went out the back door with his Rottie, and I had gone out to my car to stand around and get a better look at the 'midnight shoppers'. My neighbor and I met each other with the same intention...to get a plate number. While he was describing the vehicle, it suddenly started coming back down the street.
We both stood in the street and the vehicle slowed down and the window came down. I asked if they were looking for someone (two guys with stocking caps and a few blankets inside the front seat area)...I was pleased to find out that they were cops working our subdivision. They said that they would be parking for the night...along with two other cars...WOW...I was delighted.

This meant that the sheriff realized the NEED to give extra patrol to our 'hood'...doing their job.

Move three more days...today is Friday...at about 7 p.m., I'm looking (by accident) out of the computer room window on the front of the house. I notice these two guys...4-5 houses down in a green Honda, and stopping at every opened garage. One guy is scoping out the garage and the other is looking all around the 'hood'.

Then the car moves to my neighbor across the street...his garage is open. Same thing, they stop, one cases out the contents of the garage, the other is looing up and down the street. I was pretty sure they were up to 'no good'.

I stepped out of my front door and the driver immediately spots me and they drive down the street. I continued to watch as they only went down about 10-15 more houses and again, stopped at an open garage. Now I am really curious, so I call 911. I get in my car and drive down the street to get a tag number while on the phone with 911.

Now the two in the Honda spot me and drive out of our subdivision. I followed and stayed about 1 block behind. They drove down a few major streets and would pull off on the side of the road...I did the same. I continued to follow them for about 15 minutes...they finally pulled into another new subdivision about 3 miles from my home.

The sub that they pulled into has only one entrance/exit and I stayed back a ways and just waited. Another few minutes went buy and 3 county cops came up quickly (this is a rural area). One stopped behind me and the other two headed into the sub. The cop behind me was the same one who had taken my theft report on Tuesday.

I should also say at this point, that on Tuesday, when the cop came to my home, I was in the garage...door open...I was CCW. Never really thought about this before (haven't had a ticket in years), and I said, "Good evening officer, I appreciate your stopping to investigate our theft. By the way, I am legally armed. He said, "Well thanks for telling me." He then proceeded to take the information about the theft.

Back to the highway...are you following me so far?...
Now as this cop pulls up behind me, he gets out and I'm already out of the car. I don't recognize him because he does not have a hat or coat on...I again out of courtesy, say, "Good evening officer, thanks for getting here so quickly. I should tell you that I am legally armed." He says, "Hey no problem, I was the guy at your home on Tuesday!" I gave him the scenario of what had happened with the dudes in the Honda. He said thanks and followed the other two cops into the sub...

At this point, I don't know what, if anything, came from this little adventure. I at least hope that these two fellas in the Honda figure that our neighborhood watch is too alert.

We'll see what happens...

If anything, tonight had the neighbors all talking and at least five of them (all separately) stated that they had been thinking about getting their CCW permits. I was very encouraging and shared the where's and how's for obtaining one. Probably ten of us traded phone numbers and talked about being more alert...for ourselves and for one another. This was a good thing.

Stay ALERT...stay safe! (I post this a lot...but it is important!)

ret

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[rocky]

Nice job. Pro active (yet safe) help for L.E. goes a long way toward stopping crime.

[dr_cmg]

Ret, good work being observant and safe. Your move has caused others to realize that they are responsible for themselves. Sure let the police solve the crime, but protect yourself. Looks like you may soon have enough people in your sub to build your own range. Start it and it may become a trend. Would that be a selling point of a developer - this new sub has a well laid out and prepared pistol and rifle range already ready to go. Hey I would look real closely at a subdivision like that.

[Bando]

Help show them the safe and responsible way to be ccw! Good read.

[SIXTO]

Good job... Well run neighborhood watch groups in the city that I work do help me out a great deal, esp. during the night. It sounds like you have the makings to start one, strike while the iron is hot.
I don't know if your police dept. has this, but we have a program set up to "train" neighborhood watch folks how to be most helpful to us. Also, ask if they have a citizens police academy, you will learn a lot. If nothing else, you will get to know the officers in your area, and they will know you. Its always better to deal with a friend than some guy in a uniform. Its true the other way around as well.

[SixBravo]

Nice job. Pro active (yet safe) help for L.E. goes a long way toward stopping crime.

+10 Rocky nailed it. You did some excellent work, man. Most importantly - you stayed safe.

[Ben Hennessy]

I see you are on top of things and it will pay off.

[Bud White]

Only bad thing i see in all of this is your neighbors are not smart enough to close the garage door you should probably teach them that too

[ELCruisr]

Good job sir! Now we only need a few million more like you in this country and think what the crime stats would be...

But seriously it sounds like you did everything right. Hopefully the word will spread on the street about your hood being a bad place to operate.

[RSSZ]

I live in a little sub-division that has about 20 houses. Our street comes in off a county road and back to it(loop).

We have two county LEO's that live on our road. We will not hesitate to stop a vech., driving in a "suspicious" way,to ask if we can help them find an address. We are not aggressive about this. We are friendly and neighborly. But you can sure tell by the attitude who'd legit and who's not.

This "problem" took on a whole new meaning after the hurricanes. Some of the neighbors got together and formed a plan of action.

I feel that it is very important to simply let them know that you know. Simply make sure that they see you taking a very close look at their vech. Simulate writing something down. Stare at them as they go by. Wave at them(with all five fingers).

If their intentions are legit, they wont mind. If their intentions are bad,they will take this under consideration when decideing on a target.

Also,as I have stated before,if on my property(especially in my house or garages) they are "MINE". They are guilty of home invasion and I have NO obligation to retreat. ----------

[tegemu]

As previously stated, it's a great time to coordinate with your local Police Force, and starting a neighborhood watch.

[sgtD]

If the robbers realize that you folks are agressively monitoring, then they will likely move on to another neighborhood, even if they don't get caught. If every neighborhood reacts the same way then they'll be out of business.

Your neighborhood is alert, so that's great. Sounds like you did the right thing.

My only suggestion would be to work in two person teams with your neighborhood watch. More eyes; someone watching your back; and a witness to coroborate any incident.

[P95Carry]

Alertness, some liason with the cops - which seems a satisfactory 2 way deal - and yeah, possibly the start of a neighborhood watch group.

Way to go - keep the slimes uncomfortable and observed. Seems this is likely to unite a lot of sub' folks against crime and - better still - some more CCW's!

[retsupt99]

Since Monday night when this occured, I have talk to many neighbors...four of them are cops with 'cars' out in front when at home.

One of the county guys had his grill taken from the back porch. (This was several months back before all of the houses in his section were finished...allowing an approach from the back...still bold though. He was P/O'd, to say the least. When I talked to him...he seemed to 'feel my pain', so to speak.

This IS a great nighborhood with all new houses...anyone I talk to is 'just bedazzled'...here?...really?...in our neighborhood?...Wow!...

Take care...

Stay alert...stay alert...stay alert...

ret