rural area theft seems to be increasingly frequent

[Dryden]

In many states where gun laws are restrictive (NY in particular), the burglars want you to be home. You are the main reason they are breaking in. There's been a long list of home invasions that involve weekend torturing, raping and murder. One such incident occurred in a small upstate NY village when I lived there. The guy slaughtered a family of four....he took three days to do it.!!! My daughter went to school with the young girl victim and it almost caused a regional panic.
So, being home and having an unlocked door is not the wisest option nowadays.

 

[rambone]

Locally, I have heard the same thing in Schererville and Crown Point recently, and rural south Lake County. Crime is on the rise everywhere. Better be ready for it.

 

[IndySKS]

was going on quite a bit near me in westville also. reason i upped my gun ante here at home

 

[Garb]

Well not in my immediate area, but at Ball State University in Muncie there was a robbery and an attempted assault.

 

[IndySKS]

was just down in muncie last friday. seemed like a nice town. long azz drive from laporte though. ugh...

 

[teknickle]

Well not in my immediate area, but at Ball State University in Muncie there was a robbery and an attempted assault.

There were 3 assaults at BSU this past week.
Not the same suspect (completely different descriptions of attackers).
In 2 of the instances, the attacker had a gun.
Women walking alone at night through campus were the targets.
('empowerment' can make people complacent and stupid..are you really equal in an attackers eyes??? really??)
Anyway, I watched the video on it Sunday on youtube from the WishTV footage.
I was looking for more info about the 15 year old that just got his sentencing for the robbery/murder he committed last year when he was 14.
Punk was targeting Mexicans that didn't speak good English. (thinking an 'illegal' would never report him).
Well, David Harwick spoke broken English (but wasn't Mexican), so after being robbed outside his apartment he was forced to kneel and then shot execution style.

He left behind a wife and 5 kids.

Here is the video link that was sent to me by cousin of David's wife:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmjXAP3kpks]YouTube - Teen Sentenced to 55 years in prison[/ame]

Grandmother of criminal said he was a 'good boy' and had the audacity to BLAME SOCIETY for not providing programs to offer role models and support.

Where is the thug's father?
In prison, of course, serving a sentence for murder.

So the entire family is on some sort of gubment money to keep them going.
(welfare, prison, et al)
Anyone want to bring back the firing squad?

 

[CountryBoy19]

While its here, I may as well add my dad's story.

My brother bought an old farm property over a year ago. The barn was in nice shape, but the house was only fit to tear down. So now its just a barn, and they store a few things down there (a mile from home). Mostly things that get used very infrequently and are mostly just in the way. Well, turns out, last Thursday night, somebody broke in and stole a bunch of things. They got a 5500 watt Coleman generator and 3 sets of tires, 2 sets had factory GM aluminum wheels.

They've got perfect foot prints, perfect tire prints of the suspect vehicle, and a neighbor saw the vehicle there, so a vague description as well. The sad thing is that its like trying to find a needle in a haystack, even if you have those things. All, in all, they got away with about $3k worth of stuff.

 

[versuchstier147]

You'd be absolutly amazed what someone can get away with in broad daylight if they'd just act like they know what they're doing.

 

[Mgderf]

I have a fenced in yard (privacy). I have two dogs, one small, but EXTREMELY vocal, and a VERY large Lab who is quiet as a church-mouse, until he gets riled.

I have a doggie-door cut in the back wall of the house, with a small doghouse attached to the rear of the house. My dogs have unfettered access to the house, the yard, and the garage, 24/7, and they patrol it constantly!

I do have SOME "valuables" just laying around, but all of my firearms, and important documents, are in a safe.

I still lock my doors when I leave, but I don't spend much time worrying about a break-in, whether I'm here or not. I worry MORE about the repercussions of my dogs getting hold of someone who DOES break-in!

 

[Indecision]

My girl came out to find the gas cap hanging off my Jeep from someone trying to syphon gas when she was going to work one morning. It was almost on E to begin with, there's no way she drove a week and didn't notice it. This was in NC, but still, we live in the back corner of a quiet neighborhood. Not particularly nice, but not slumming either.

 

[Indy317]

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

Our system allows you to hit a button on the wall switch that will "lock" the door. This is so if you have to leave cars parked outside, anyone who breaks into those cars and gets a report won't be able to open it.

Former co-worker now working for metro said burglaries are almost every day. Said plenty of Geist area homes with their back doors being kicked. Pretty much taking electronics, jewelry, cash, and guns. Vehicle break-ins are common now as well:GPS, fancy radios, laptops.

My fear is that once people start taking physical security seriously (alarms, harden their home's soft spots, etc.), some of these people may turn from burglary to robbery.

 

[hotfarmboy1]

Yup its up around here as well. A couple of months ago I know of 3 houses in my area that within the span of a couple nights had their unlocked vehicles broken into (most just forgot to lock them) and items stolen out of them. One of them was the old car of a friend of mine, and the keys for that car were stolen, but not the car ?? While there was also a spare key on that set of keys for his mom's fusion. They just stole some stuff out of the trunk of the fusion, but not that car either.

Then within a week of that a house down the road got broken into during the day and had a moped and some old guns stolen. Even got a description of the truck from someone driving by that knew it wasn't theirs. From the description we believe we know who it is, but he hasn't been arrested WTF?

And yet dad still thinks we are safe out here in the country and no one is gonna break in. I really wish I could get him to wake up. I know he is just trying to think positive, but he needs to be realistic!!

 

[IndyBeerman]

Our system allows you to hit a button on the wall switch that will "lock" the door. This is so if you have to leave cars parked outside, anyone who breaks into those cars and gets a report won't be able to open it.

If you have a remote exterior keypad you better check it, because ours DOES NOT with the lock control function on the main opener switch.
I found this out the day after we installed the opener.

Also is you have a garage door opener older than 15 years old, there is electronic equipment thay can be made to send out signals as would be thief's are driving down the street, and the older models can actually be opened by aircraft as they pass overhead.

Found this out at my best friends house 20 years ago. He had been complaining that he was coming out to leave every morning and his door garage door was wide open for weeks on end, so one weekend me and him had a trip planned and I was pulling into his driveway at 4am and all of a sudden his door pops up. Thinking he opened it for me I strolled in just like I always do and got a startled "WTF" how did you get in here look.

Told him that I thought he seen me, he said no, all he heard was the jet flying over ( he lives on the inner marker of the approach for Indy ), so we shut the door and walk out the side door while we are both giving each other the look and as we are rounding the garage to the front a jet passes over head and the door starts going up. Come to find out, anytime a (can't remember) certain airline keyed the mic as they went overhead it was the same exact freq that was for the garage door.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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.

As a note to people who go the route of Mr & Mrs Gungho, just by unplugging the door will not prevent it from easily being opened, make sure you also secure it with the slide latch. If you don't have one they are easy to install, because you can quickly drill a half in hole in the top of the door and open it with the emergency release cord.

Sometimes you just have to sit there and think like a thief

in order to secure your home and belongings.

 

[Boilers]

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.

I have never entered my house with a key. I can't. Garage doors only. And some say, what about when power goes out? Well, I just installed two battery-back-up garage door openers. And again, I don't leave opener in car(s).

Anyway, just leave them the CAR key and that is all. I also take all info out of the car. If they need an address, I have a personal mailbox.

Neighbors last week got cars broken into. But they did not step foot on my property. (I reviewed the tape, so to speak)

At home, everything is shut and locked at all times. Dog. Two sets of CCTV cameras, on power backups. Just installed and will be installing more security lights. All outdoor motion is detected and logged (has been for 14 years) in my computers.

example:

Here is photo of security light installed. Menard's everyday price is $29. Very bright.

Be LESS of an easy target than your neighbor(s) this way.

I also installed a 100W Metal Halide. Brightest thing Menard's has as far as I can tell. Night into day. $69 ($85 at Lowes)

I have two more lights to install, then all the moths will know where I live.

In addition, since this time last year, I have removed about eight trees and shrubs that block sight lines to my house and/or would allow someone to lurk.

Want to save files? Use DROPBOX. Free up to 2 GB. Syncs with all your computers, too. Google/download it.

 

[Paco Bedejo]

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.

IMO, there's just as much likelihood that your safe deposit box will become compromised as your gmail inbox will be. Your safe deposit box is secured by people local to you. Your information is much more valuable to those in your locale. My gmail inbox is secured by people in other states. My information is of very little value to them.

Personally, I don't rely upon writable optical media. Too many people question the longevity of the dye layer.

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......

We will later refer to your post as 'Exhibit F'...

 

[MrsGungho]

As a note to people who go the route of Mr & Mrs Gungho, just by unplugging the door will not prevent it from easily being opened, make sure you also secure it with the slide latch. If you don't have one they are easy to install, because you can quickly drill a half in hole in the top of the door and open it with the emergency release cord.

Sometimes you just have to sit there and think like a thief

in order to secure your home and belongings.

I think like a thief now and then too and the door is also bolted with the slide latch too.

 

[IndyBeerman]

IMO, there's just as much likelihood that your safe deposit box will become compromised as your gmail inbox will be. Your safe deposit box is secured by people local to you. Your information is much more valuable to those in your locale.

Ahhhh..... It requires 2 keys to open a safety deposit box, the likelihood of it being compromised is highly unlikely, and to this day it's one of the most secure places to store valuables. Tell me when was the last time you heard of a safety deposit box broken into other than on TV?

My gmail inbox is secured by people in other states. My information is of very little value to them.

Grasshopper you must learn that just because you think it is secure and not valuable to someone in another state, that it does not mean it can not be hacked by an intruder or not valuable to someone there, pure gullibility.
If you can access it via internet, then a hacker can also. If you really think it is that secure, I used to a person whose nickname was the "Fry Guy" and hacked into the SS Administration just to get himself a new wheelchair, he would do this just for grins and giggles to show you how secure it really was. His goal other than the SSA was for fun, real hackers are for keeps.

Personally, I don't rely upon writable optical media. Too many people question the longevity of the dye layer.

I have CD's that I burnt 11 years ago with MP3's on them that work just fine today. Got DVD's older than that with movies on them just as good. Besides this is something that should be updated on a yearly basis to include new and updated info, not sit there and be outdated when you need it.

 

[Indecision]

Beerman, couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[DestructionDan]

There really look for houses with a lockbox on them.
I have had 4 in the last 6 months get hit.
Not for much but a door costs $150+ to install. & you don't claim under 1k on insurance.

 

[Indy317]

Here is photo of security light installed. Menard's everyday price is $29. Very bright.

Be LESS of an easy target than your neighbor(s) this way.

I have two more lights to install, then all the moths will know where I live.

In addition, since this time last year, I have removed about eight trees and shrubs that block sight lines to my house and/or would allow someone to lurk.

I disagree about the lighting the house up like a Christmas Tree. For starters, that one photo the light is soooo bright, if I was a neighbor, I likely would just figure it was you.

I am OK with some lighting, but I think lights that are always on just make it easier for someone to see the layout of your home. A totally blacked out home will require a flashlight. A bit of a flash of light here and there likely would get someone's attention. I also like motion sensor lights, as things are dark and neighbors come to notice that it is usually dark...then when there is movement, the unusual light is likely noticed by the neighbors. The whole point is to get others to notice.