Hey gang. Just some FYI. I live near and work in a east coast city and have found that thefts go up starting around halloween and hit full stride around Thanksgiving. The trend then stays at full steam until after Christmas. When the Ford/Carter resession was in full swing it was real bad in regards to home invasions and petty thefts. So watch you stuff, chain in down and lock it up. Then just cross your fingers. Too bad they don't brand a letter T on your forehead or thunb like they did in the 18th century.
Once you get all your doors as secure as possible, they'll just go through a window. Locks only keep out honest folks.
Hope all works out for you and the wife Kevin..............I understand about your feelings about your patrol cap and such.......I would not like someone taking mine as well.....it may seem crazy to others and the items do not cost allot.....But I wore mine thru everything as well and it means allot to me and new just will not replace them ! Those are the type of items that if they could only talk and tell story's about were they have been and seen..........Take care, Dave
Yes, if they want to get in they will. I agree it probably is someone in the neighborhood. We were hit a cople of times, once when we were out of town for Christmas. I have a good idea who it was and he lived in the neighborhood. It happens everywhere. I live in a small town, used to be you could leave your home unlocked. I don't think my parents ever locked there doors, in fact I don't think they even knew where the keys were, but that was in the 50's and 60's.
We got cleaned out in early 2002 big time. My house is a little remote and if someone wants to scale the back fence, they can get in easily without being seen. They did come in the front door which was then in a closed porch, splintered the crap out of it. My wife was out from 10am and came back at 2pm to the mess. Now we have the whole house alarmed, top to bottom, even the garage. I replaced all the deadbolt screws with longer and heavier ones. I cut the lock recess out of the garage side door frame and made one out of 6061-T6 aluminum plate and lagged it home. You should at least get a basic alarm for the house, spend some bucks on upgrading the deadbolts and reinforce the door jambs. Bob
That's a pretty sick feeling if it was someone from the 'hood that did it. I had said that if it turned out to be someone we knew from the area that we'd sell the house. I have a very nice Antiguan friend whose brother wants to buy my house since it has the big garage and likes the house too. He keeps asking his brother to ask me if its for sale, lol. That would be a royal up yours for the neighborhood to have 8 Antiguans to move into a white bread community like mine. I got no problems with them, they're super nice people. Bob
The cops think they know who did my house, but can't prove it 100% and he is some sort of addict. We were hit right after the holidays, all sorts of kids games were taken. I had gotten my wife a diamond and ruby ring for Xmas, it was out being sized so that's one they didn't get. They walked right past her jewelry box, which was stashed in the bathroom closet and missed her gold chains hanging inside her closet. Bob
get a fierce sounding dog and an alarm system. it might not stop them, but it will slow them down. i thought glen ellyn was a low crime area?
I know how You feel, They came in my place twice. first time took small stuff/looked like kids. started moving stuff but they came back before I could get it all. Sure slowed down life/ car builds (they got welders, Plasma, sandblaster and media ect... Sorry for your loss. I got an alarm and didn't advertize it. think they jimmied a window and set off a motion sencer. hasn't gone off since ! C300
medler has a good idea. ive got several motorized 360 sweep cctv cameras and the dvr unit for recording. cameras are 70 bucks each have several dvrs depending on how many cameras you use. pm me if interested
I train American Pit Bull terriers! I trained one for a guy who had a parapalegic brother, who who was paralized from the neck down. While at work theives broke in and loaded up alot of valuables right in front of the paralized brother. They even went so far as to piss on the paralized guy before attempting to leave. It sucked to be them, because the dog challenged them to try to go for the door, each time they made an attempt, one or the other got bit. By 5pm when the working brother got home, the police were already there, the theives had called 911 for an ambulance in hopes they could get out of there before the police came. There they were, sitting on the couch bleeding from mulitiple dog bites, cell phone in hand, begging the cops to get the dog so they could go to the hospital to get treatment for the dog bites and then to jail for the break in. My buddy said he had never seen anything like it, and the cops said these 2 idiots should have made it on Americas dumbest criminals. Nonetheless, they each got 4 years for the burgulary and an added 2 years for abuse of the paralized brother. I'm sure they wont be pulling any burgularies anytime soon! Hard to beat a well trained K-9 especially one that means business. Good luck!
'JimSibley' Could be worse, My dad walked in when he was being robbed. Crooks got away, and killed my old man in the process. Locks are only for honest people as I was taught when I was young. I don't ever emember us locking the doors until I was a teenager. And Jim, man this is the absolute worst thing I've read in this thread..... cowards is the one word that comes to mind. For someone to take away a father, husband, son, brother.....anyone for that matter, because their want for your personal property is greater than their common sense or humanity. My condolences Jim. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
Nothing like wakeing up and having someone standing over you with a gun....Get a dog nothing moves around here with out my dog hearing it ")
Man, I'm sooo sorry. I can't imagine what you're feeling right now. Just know that we're all here to support you in whatever ways we're able.
Just something to add here, make sure anything you have that is valuable is identifiable. Pretty much all your electronics, big tools etc have serial numbers. Write them down and keep the list secured. It's a lot easier to ID stuff that is stolen that way. In my experience I'll bet 99% of people don't have this information stored somewhere. Those that do have a lot better odds of getting their stuff back. Sorry about the bad luck.
Security professional here. These are some tips to help out. 1. keep all doors and windows locked even when home. 2. Get an alarm system. 3. Post an alarm system yard sign and stickers on windows and doors. 4. Post a "beware of dog" sign on fece gates on side of house. 5. Get a dog. Golden Retrievers a great because they will let you know when anyone is near your property. They also have the big dog bark. 6. If you can aford to put cameras outside do so.
Damn Kev, sorry to hear about this. Guess I'll keep some of these suggestions in mind when I start looking for a house in IL.
Middle of the day burglaries are very common in my area. Everyone is out working. Sounds like Meth heads. I hate thieves
I was robbed in the middle of the day in the middle of the week, while all my neighbors were home. They went right through the front door and took about $10,000.00 worth of stuff. I have reinforced all the entries, and bought an alarm, but I feel uneasy whenever the garage door is open as people seem to slow down and stare at my stuff. The other day, this guy walks up on me within a foot or two while I'm grinding a frame in my driveway, asks a bunch of stupid questions, then checks out my garage. I am currently in the process of trying to sell off all my stuff so I can afford to move. Some of this stuff I've had 20 years. It sucks, but I feel I have no other choice. That's not even mentioning the shooting incident...
Sorry to hear that man. Only time I was robbed, they did it while I was away for the military and the wife was out of town. I knew that the neighbor kid did it and threatened him that if I could ever prove it, Id squash him. Being MP, I had a few city cops stop by and talk to the dad a few different times. They moved away the next month. I wouldve been livid if he wouldve taken my old drill sergeant hat from when I was on the trail. There is just no way to express the feeling of violation of knowing that someone was in your home un-invited. I hope you catch em and they suffer for it.
Why steal from poor people? Go to the neighborhoods where people actually work. That way they won't be home.
My house & garage were boosted in March of 08 when I went back home to my Mom's funeral. Very few new that I had left I the place was hit the night we left. They were in both places a long time & got a lot of stuff. I have had many talks with detectives,current & retired, other victims, & ex thieves. The common point is that the thief usually knows you. My place was messed up & well picked over, they had a lot of time to shop. Since then I have installed a security system, stronger locks, although they came in thru a basement window, and listed valuables. Recently my truck was stolen & vandalized by amatures. I am now re-armed very well and ready to give the next thief a warning shot to the head. And they say the crime rate in Denver is decreasing. RIGHT!!
As some of the others have said, look around to those that you might know. My house was hit a few years ago while my wife and kid were there.... after a lot of detective work (by me of course) found out it was a friend of the nanny. Got him to admit it on the phone. He now gets regular visits from very spooky fellas when he is not prepared for them. He won't soon forget about me, doing any more than that is just not practical after the fact. Many years ago I lost 5 titles to cars, all of the pictures of my first complete build my '40, and most of the money I had in the world. Again, after some detective work it was my old man's girlfriends ex husband. He admitted to being in my house but said he didn't take anything - the local PD let him off. Again, close to home. Got hit at the shop, the container in the yard - my partner lost some very nice stuff for his chevelle..... curry 9", new Brodix heads, guages, NOS kit, etc etc.......... Turns out it was a guy that was working for us at the time, he suddenly quit coming to work without explanation the next day. His older brother was very good childhood friends with my partner. Point is that with the multiple visits in between your schedule you need to look real hard close to home. Good Luck
heres a tip, these scum are thought to have been watching the house. we all go about our lives without taking notice of whats going on around us. look around your nieghbourhood often. take note of anything that dosent look right. if you look out your windows enough, yourll know when something looks wrong. in all my years working in tattoo studios, ive got real good @ spotting things that are wrong and ive headed several bad situations off at the pass.
Sounds like you need to get a couple of 38's... teach the wife how to shoot and let them come back just one more time ... there luck is going to run out..... If you shoot the bastards and need any bail I will post it......
Sorry to hear about your loss.My house was robbed several years ago and it is a really odd feeling knowing a stranger was in your house.Besides cameras there is always a television on.It seems to deter crooks.I also do this with the TV when working on houses or condos when no one is living there.A good watchdog is priceless & makes a good friend too.
If it's for home defense I'd say no because if you actually use it for its intended purpose the weapon will be (at least temporarily) confiscated. Better to use a cheap brand. I have an EAA witness subcompact, very inexpensive and very user friendly. The only downside to mine is a weak spring causes stovepipes once in a great while, but I could correct this for next to nothing. Also, it has very little to no kick, especially when compared to a 1911 framed handgun. The intimidation factor is just as high though, the hole at the end of the barrel does all the talking. P.S. a cheap handgun doesn't need to be as well maintained as a Kimber either...just sayin'
Sorry to hear this,I know how you feel we lost about $3000 plus in nostagic parts. Some guy broke in to my husbands garage and took them and scraped them. They caught the guy but he would only confess to taking a $35 oven we used for powder coating small parts. The eye witness wouldn't get envolved. Hopefully they will catch these A******
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