rural area theft seems to be increasingly frequent

[dradef]

I live in Bourbon, (small town located between Warsaw and Plymouth) normally a pretty quiet area but in the last couple weeks I have heard reports of 3 home invasions. Also there was one stolen vehicle, which belonged to a lady I work with. She said she got up and looked out the window only to see of her van headed down the driveway... It was a newer Toyota Sienna, and was recovered just over the line in Illinois a few days later. She said they found camping gear in the back and a receipt (or something) from the Indiana dunes park.

Two of the break ins involved one of my sisters teachers, and some friends of my parents. From what I understand they were broken into during the day when nobody was home.

I was wondering if anyone else in my area or in similarly rural areas noticed a sudden increase in home invasions or other robberies? It's too easy to become comfortable feeling "disconnected" from crime out here in middle of nowhere..

 

[1032JBT]

As the economy is in the tank.....it will be happening more and more, just like it always does. As Christmas approaches, it will get worse with people freaking about not being able to get presents for their kids. So they will steal from others to get $$$ to get their own stuff.........Hmmmm, change we can belive in.

 

[WhitleyStu]

I live just east of you between Columbia City and Fort Wayne. Two weeks ago some one stole both of my 60 gallon trash bins from the end of our driveway after they were emptied. I heard the garbage truck come around 8 AM to empty them and a few hours later when I opened the front door both of the bins were gone. My driveway is 350' long so I didn't hear any one stop and take them. Small loss, but I keep them pressure washed so they don't smell up the garage. I guess there are too many folks driving around without any thing to do. Sure would like to know where the thieves live...

 

[Big John]

As an earlier poster said...

Tis the season to be theivin...

I too live just past BFE and there has been a raise in crimes lately the last guy they caught was from Cal. City so we are seeing those from just across the border coming out to the sticks.

 

[IndyGunSafety]

If you have any internet savvy whatsoever you may try this:

I took pictures of all of my valuables and wrote down the serial numbers. I then created a secret web site and published the information to the site. I posted the pictures, descriptions, and any flaws or unique marks and the serial number. Even if my computer is stolen and they manage to get into all of my email accounts the site is still out in cyberspace and I can retrieve it for the police from any computer.

I know it seems the odds are against you if your firearms are stolen. But they are gone forever if you don't log the serial numbers at a minimum. A few years back I had a handgun stolen. (A snubby .38) I got it back almost 3 years later after it was found during a trafic stop! Had I not logged the serial number and REPORTED the theft, it would have been gone.

 

[Leadeye]

Keep in mind that when you take a vehicle in to be serviced a common trick is for a thief or a spotter to copy your registration and key. They just go to your house at night and drive off with your car if it is outside.

 

[csaws]

Keep in mind that when you take a vehicle in to be serviced a common trick is for a thief or a spotter to copy your registration and key. They just go to your house at night and drive off with your car if it is outside.

Great leadeye now I am gonna have to start doing my own wrenching again... thanks for the tip though

 

[stilllearning09]

It seems like burglars are happening during the daylight. You would think someone would notice something suspicious and call the police.
A friend of mine just happened to go home during lunch hour and noticed a suspicious truck in the driveway. When asked what he was doing there, he gave the "I'm lost" excuse. In rural Indiana, I know it's possible he was telling the truth, but you can't be sure.

 

[dradef]

If you have any internet savvy whatsoever you may try this:

I took pictures of all of my valuables and wrote down the serial numbers. I then created a secret web site and published the information to the site. I posted the pictures, descriptions, and any flaws or unique marks and the serial number. Even if my computer is stolen and they manage to get into all of my email accounts the site is still out in cyberspace and I can retrieve it for the police from any computer.

I know it seems the odds are against you if your firearms are stolen. But they are gone forever if you don't log the serial numbers at a minimum. A few years back I had a handgun stolen. (A snubby .38) I got it back almost 3 years later after it was found during a trafic stop! Had I not logged the serial number and REPORTED the theft, it would have been gone.

I have a sync system setup between my personal computer and the company server for offsite backups of our family business' documents, cad drawings and pictures that I could add some personal things to, that would at least get them at multiple locations if my system is stolen. I think we have some unused web server space that I could set up a password protected area on our site to host things like this in a remote location.

The business was broken into a few years ago, mostly things were trashed, not stolen. They dumped coffee grounds all over the computers (why??). They drilled the lock on the pepsi machine to get the change inside; thing is they used a brand new $250 Milwaukee drill but left it lay..

I have been trying to get my father to install a surveillance system at the business since it happened the last time. My argument is it would only take one or two computer systems being stolen to equate the cost of a surveillance system that could possibly help locate equipment and identify the thiefs.

 

[IndyBeerman]

It seems like burglars are happening during the daylight. You would think someone would notice something suspicious and call the police.
A friend of mine just happened to go home during lunch hour and noticed a suspicious truck in the driveway. When asked what he was doing there, he gave the "I'm lost" excuse. In rural Indiana, I know it's possible he was telling the truth, but you can't be sure.

You know why burglaries happen in the daytime a lot.... it's because the majority of people are at work and they are hoping for the percentages to be in their favor that they will not get caught.

This is why a nice dog with a really unfriendly bark is your best friend when not at home, they make great a statement to burglars.

 

[Arm America]

This is not just happening in rural areas.
A suspicous white van or white pick up
(how can these be confused with each other) was seen in the area of 4-homes that were ransacked just last week.
I don't get it. If something is out of norm, take notes, call for law inforcement.

We are the good guys, we need to show it. Help a neighbor,
help law inforcement, get involved.
It is only going to get worse as it gets colder.

 

[IndyBeerman]

This is not just happening in rural areas.
A suspicous white van or white pick up
(how can these be confused with each other) was seen in the area of 4-homes that were ransacked just last week.
I don't get it. If something is out of norm, take notes, call for law inforcement.

We are the good guys, we need to show it. Help a neighbor,
help law inforcement, get involved.
It is only going to get worse as it gets colder.

I'm the second house of a street with a cul-de-sac that has a branch off street half way down that leads to 2 other streets and a alternate exit.

I always take notice of any car going down the street, and have more than a few numbers of people who live around.

Me and a few neighbors have been thinking of doing a street get together hot dog grill to have a small meet and greet with a talk about preventive awareness of strange vehicles in the area with a sort of loose watch program.

 

[PwrCruz]

Also remember to remove your garage door openers in vehicles parked out side. Had a friend get his quad stolen that way while he and his wife were in the house sleeping.

 

[IndyBeerman]

Also remember to remove your garage door openers in vehicles parked out side. Had a friend get his quad stolen that way while he and his wife were in the house sleeping.

We don't have the normal openers in our cars, it's tha factory onboard system, but our cars are never parked outside at night, they're in the garage.

My opener came with a automatic outlet to turn on a light when the door is opened, and it's in my bedroom so if it goes up, it's an auto wake up call for me and the dogs.

People need to check to see of this is a option to purchase for their opener.

 

[teknickle]

If you have any internet savvy whatsoever you may try this:

I took pictures of all of my valuables and wrote down the serial numbers. I then created a secret web site and published the information to the site. I posted the pictures, descriptions, and any flaws or unique marks and the serial number. Even if my computer is stolen and they manage to get into all of my email accounts the site is still out in cyberspace and I can retrieve it for the police from any computer.
-

You don't need a 'secret' website.
You can create an .htaccess file on a Linux box and setup password security to view an contents of that folder or below.
(you can also do this through IIS, but through folder management).
Then with WEBDAV enabled, you can drag-and-drop files back and forth.
But that sounds a bit convoluted for average Joe.

How about just create a free email account through gmail, yahoo...whoever.
Then just email yourself the photos and notes.
Your free email account will keep all of photos and notes.
You can access them from anywhere in the world with any web-enabled device.
(oh and just tag the message or drop into an 'assets' folder to organize better)

 

[IndyBeerman]

You don't need a 'secret' website.
You can create an .htaccess file on a Linux box and setup password security to view an contents of that folder or below.
(you can also do this through IIS, but through folder management).
Then with WEBDAV enabled, you can drag-and-drop files back and forth.
But that sounds a bit convoluted for average Joe.

How about just create a free email account through gmail, yahoo...whoever.
Then just email yourself the photos and notes.
Your free email account will keep all of photos and notes.
You can access them from anywhere in the world with any web-enabled device.
(oh and just tag the message or drop into an 'assets' folder to organize better)

Geez how about just burning all that important info to a DVD and just put a copy in a safety deposit box or give to a family member or trusted individual.

If it's on the web and a hacker finds it and has any skills at all that info belongs to him and the world as soon as he gets it.

 

[czar996]

We are having lots of problems in our area as well. Seems every week there are 3 or 4 break ins. 3 years ago, 1 a month was a lot.

I have taken some "security" measures around my place!

 

[G McBride]

A buddy of mine pulled into a neighbors barn lot because there was a vehicle there that he didn't know. He asked the men what they were doing and they told him that the owner of the property (by Name) would be there shortly. He thought they were going to be working with him so he left.

Turned out these guys were actually stealing everything they could get out of the barn. They were not nervous at all when questioned. This was in daylight.

 

[silentvoice71]

i am laid off and hardly go any where.....I welcome a break in while im home.......my gun is by my side no matter what room im in.....hehehe o please let me take a retard off the street......

 

[MrsGungho]

Also remember to remove your garage door openers in vehicles parked out side. Had a friend get his quad stolen that way while he and his wife were in the house sleeping.

Something else to mention, if you have an older garage door opener a universal opener can be bought and the burglar can stand outside your garage and keep searching until he finds the code.
We had that very situation happen to us about a month ago. No openers in the cars as we don't park in the garage (or have an opener that works), service door was not tampered with, unattached garage, yet we went out and found the garage door standing wide open and the garage ransacked.
We keep the garage door opener unplugged now as we never go in that door, we've always used the service door then opened it from the inside.