Another fun third-world trick. Folks in the big cities of Lae and Port Moresby have been known to walk up to cars stuck in traffic, try a cardoor, and if unlocked, grab what's in reach and run off.
Another fun third-world trick. Folks in the big cities of Lae and Port Moresby have been known to walk up to cars stuck in traffic, try a cardoor, and if unlocked, grab what's in reach and run off.
"You win 100% of the fights you avoid. If you're not there when it happens, you don't lose." - William Aprill
"I've owned a guitar for 31 years and that sure hasn't made me a musician, let alone an expert. It's made me a guy who owns a guitar."- BBI
I’ve always locked my doors. Maybe its because my dad was a cop and running into people he arrested off duty while we were out and about was more common than ANYONE ever would like. Getting my girlfriend to lock them constantly is something I still work on.
I work for a city that averages around 650ish car burglaries every year. I’d easily put money down that well over 3/4 of those are unlocked cars. Breaking car windows is usually reserved for something expensive in very open view. Every single BMV report I take the victim asks what they should have done to stop it. Why a grown adult needs to be explained why they need to lock the doors and keep valuables out of sight is beyond me.
Took a report a couple weeks ago for a bmv. Victim asked the regular question. I give he regular answer. Her response? That’s what the officer told me to do last year when this happened to me too I must have forgot last night. *facepalm*
Forced entry BMVs and residential burglaries are rare. A forced entry BMV without visible expensive items (including your purses ladies) is extremely rare. Most “residential burglaries” are drug rips or relationship issues not random. Do they happen? Yes. Regularly? No.
Theirs a gang of juveniles from Chicago whose MO is solely cruising the suburbs and trying unlocked cars that are left in driveways with the keyless start fobs sitting in them. They drive your car right out of your driveway to do with as they please because taking your fob inside and locking your door was too much of a hassle.
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In my town, window smash auto boosts are the norm...even if the car is unlocked. They don't even bother to.check. And we average several hundred burglaries a week. A lot of this is regional...but if you're going to San Francisco, forget the flowers in your hair...rent your vehicle in the.city (local ordinance prohibits the little barcode sticker on the window that ids the car as a rental to thieves), leave your valuables at the hotel...and leave NOTHING visible inside the car. 'But I was only gone 30 minutes! It happened so fast!' Really....how long do people think it takes to pop a window?Originally Posted by cmbarny2
Not just a third-world problem (unless you consider parts of SoCal third-world...)
One of the very first calls I ever got as a rookie cop (1981) was a theft of bicycle. I go talk to the lady and she's all indignant because her kid's new bicycle got stolen right out the garage. Further investigation revealed that the garage was left wide open with the door open because "we don't usually bother" to close the door at night. They didn't have much info on the bike other than color and manufacturer, no serial number or anything. The lady was indignant because I wouldn't dust for fingerprints inside the garage. I explained that the thief didn't have to TOUCH anything to steal the bike -- all he had to do was walk in the open garage, grab the bike and go. She complained to the Chief that I had a bad attitude. He tuned her up in a polite way in response and was quite proud of himself for being tactful.
In my career I've had one full time job and also worked for three other small departments as a part time officer (all of them pretty average in their activity level). Back in the middle 90s I worked for a township that had a part time police department. One summer evening I got dispatched to a house fire. It was a big, relatively new and fancy home in a sub-division of nice homes and it was fully involved when I rolled up with the fire department.
The Sheriff's Department arrived to assist. In the crowd of people walking was one guy who was talking to himself and acting agitated and when the deputy went to talk to him, he ran and we chased him and ultimately caught him. Further investigation revealed that he was a delivery boy for the evening newspaper. Many of the people in the neighborhood recognized him. On the day of the incident he was seen cruising around the neighborhood. Further investigation revealed that he had entered this house through the unlocked front door, found that nobody was at home, he stole a few items which he took out to his car, and then he lit the house on fire.
I interviewed the father while we were watching the house burn down. He and his wife were next door at the neighbors and his daughters were down the street at a friend's house. Because it was daylight and they were "just down the street for a minute" they didn't think to lock the front door.
Momma and both teenage daughters (11 and 13 or something like that) were attractive ladies. I think it possible the suspect knew that and entered with intentions other than being an arsonist, although that was never established. It couldn've been a real tragedy had a few things been different.
Last spring in one weekend in one of the towns of our county three guns were stolen from the interior of unlocked cars. All Glocks of different models. Two of three or three out of three of those guns were later involved in gang related shooting incidents in the city.
Locking your car and locking your house doesn't mean you are "living in fear". It means you accept the reality of the world.
Last edited by Jeff22; 05-22-2018 at 02:27 AM.
Again, not exactly doors but I'm surprised at the number of people who leave windows wide open. I live in an apartment complex just off of one of the main roads in Colorado Springs. A lot of homeless camp in the area and there is a robbery or burglary in the neighborhood every couple of nights.
I'm always surprised when I walk my dogs late in the evening or early in the morning at the number of bottom floor apartments with their windows open. I know most of my neighbors at least by face and a lot of these open windows are single women.
I learned that the hard way. I was burglarized through an unlocked window. Punk got my guns laid out for cleaning. Luckily, I got them back because he wrecked his stolen car before he had time to fence them. Windows are now closed, locked, and alarmed, except when the weather is fine enough for live ventilation. Then only while I am awake.
I am a confirmed door locker. It amazes me that visitors have trouble getting OUT because I locked the door behind them when I greeted and admitted them.
Code Name: JET STREAM
I live on the second floor and all my windows are on a flat wall so I leave them open when I'm at home.
I don't live on the second floor any longer. I bailed out the upstairs window of a burning house which kind of cured me of two stories. But that is a different tale.
Code Name: JET STREAM
I'm a nerd. We actually have an emergency ladder in our bedroom
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