Stolen property

[omahas]

Last night, while we were asleep, someone broke into our car and stole our 10-CD changer CD player. We're pretty sure that the person is someone in our neighborhood, probably some teenage kid, because we live towards the end of a dead-end, private road. The car was unlocked, so it wasn't technically a break-in...the guy probably just walked down the street and looked in with a flashlight, saw the CD-player and that the car was unlocked, and took it.

Worse, Elf never wrote down the code for the player, so we will probably never see the damn thing again (or the CDs in it). Also, we can't get access to the radio either, because the way that the player was hooked into the system included the radio, and when the player was ripped out, the antenna wire was ripped out as well.

So, from now on, no more going to sleep with the doors unlocked or the windows wide open. We'll have to keep everything, car and house, locked tight. Once this neighborhood was peaceful and secure. I don't think so anymore.

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I think perhaps, instead of circling your wagons, it's time to go pound on some doors and get the neighbors together. At bloody least they need to know what's going on; perhaps a parent, confronted with a face on the crime, might shame a kid into fessing up.

Just a thought.

[fallenpegasus]

That sux, I'm so sorry.

I had my jeep broken into a few years ago, and they broke my dash to take a CD player that was useless without it's faceplate.

It also was probably just some local punk teens. It really sours one on one's "stranger neighbors".

[giefu.livejournal.com]

I had a car broken into a few years ago too. I was still driving a pink geo tracker (no snickering please). It was definitely a couple of kids because, get a load of this one, they used a lighter to melt the window plastic to get it. Yep, the back unzips, and the side windows will fold out if you just pull on a corner. Instead the took a cigarette lighter and pushed it to the window, waited for it to make a hole, and continued until the got about 6 holes and then ripped the plastic in between. They were able then to reach through and unlock the front door. The only thing they took was my book bag. It had my appointment book (the only thing I really missed). The rest of it was a few books mostly from church. It was a joke for awhile that the most expensive thing they got was a book on ethics. I wasn't worried about the names and numbers in the appointment book because it was done so sloopily that I am pretty sure they were more interested in getting rid of the stuff. I kept checking the garbage cans just in case. That was the second time, the first time, the doors were unlocked. Kids again. They took a pair of scissors and pried it into the ignition. They broke off. They even left a Dr. Pepper can by the door. I just removed the pieces with a pair of pliers and it was A.O.K. I am not sure why they were so interested in that car. Did I mention it was a really pink geo tracker?

[kendaer.livejournal.com]

Ugh.. Sorry to hear about that.
I think Glenn is right that you might want to talk to the neighbors, both on your street and one or two over as well. If it was a neighborhood kid, you might just manage to weed them out. At worst you have more folks on the lookout for strange goings-on.

the experts say (if i remember right)

[dion.livejournal.com]

..that once a place is broken into, it has a higher chance of being broken into again. So you're right on the mark with making sure that things are kept locked up better from now on.

Back in the 80s before moving here I lived in some pretty craptacular neighborhoods and found the only thing that kept me from being a regular target from the lowlife neighbors was regular car vigilance, in the form of locking lugnuts, locking doors and an alarm... and owning a dog. The big 2 dogs kept the neighbor scum out of the property more than once, and alerted me to car shenanigans more than once as well.

Not suggesting you follow suit, but just a thought. Definitely invest in some car security though, windows down / unlocked is just not the way to go (hindsight 20/20) ... I have security parking now and I still never leave things in the car to attract unwanted attention, or leave it unlocked.