quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Another tip, remove your garage door opener if you are parking the vehicle outside, it's easily taken and used later to get into your house, or even then for them to get into the garage.

Though the average "low risk opportunity thief" pulling on door handles typically won't take the much bigger and riskier step into garage burglary, some will, so it's not worth the risk.

And like locking your doors, it's an extremely simple and low effort step to take.

With large number of apartment units in Tucson, thieves are having a field day roaming thru parking lots, checking car doors, peering into windows for stuff to grab.

Also, apartment parking lots are ideal places to dump a stolen car.

quote:

Though the average "low risk opportunity thief" pulling on door handles typically won't take the much bigger and riskier step into garage burglary, some will, so it's not worth the risk.

True, but that doesn't mean the gang they are in doesn't take them for use later...

Our semi-gated neighborhood had a rash of car burglaries a few weeks ago. Everyone a'twitter about the thefts, purses, wallets, cameras, cash, guns, etc. etc. Ultimately came out that this was a pair of guys doing just what's described above, and not forcibly entering so much as a single car. Yes, all that stuff was left sitting in unlocked cars outside overnight. What a bunch of maroons.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
Yes, all that stuff was left sitting in unlocked cars outside overnight. What a bunch of maroons.

It's ridiculously common. Locking your doors seems like a basic smart habit that everyone should automatically exercise due to the crazy low effort vs. the protection it provides, but clearly it is not. Common sense ain't common.

Similarly, people will leave their cars running with the keys in the ignition and the doors unlocked while they go inside the gas station, hit the bathroom for their leisurely morning constitutional, fondle the hot dogs, mix up their triple flavor Big Gulp, peruse the magazines, and drool over the candy bars, and then are shocked to find that it's gone when they finally head back outside.


Believe it or not, there are even people here on this very forum who don't lock their car/house doors, and further openly claim that they don't need to "because I live in a good area/rural area, and I've done it for X number of years with no ill effects".

Then extrapolate that out into the general population, who I'd wager are even less astute or aware of crime than the average forum member here.

You're not a victim until you are.

quote:

Originally posted by oldbill123:

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
People are hurting out there financially and resorting to petty crime.

I don't believe these people have no other recourse than stealing. People are stealing because they are too lazy to work and it is easier

Consider, you work whatever hours you set and set your own profit limits working the street as much or little as you want. Bonding with your accomplices, what's not to like unless you get caught? And then what? Can't do that at Mickey D's.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
These thieves love traveling to small towns and the "good part of town", where people are much more likely to be in the mindset of "I live in a good area/small town, so I don't need to lock my doors."

Yep. Never understood that mentality. If I were a criminal, that's where I would find my victims. They're the least suspicious.

Many (most?) apartments don't have garages but what confuses the hell out of me is when people store junk in their garage and park their $30k car outside with valuables in it and leave the doors unlocked. Yeah, it's junk if it's cardboard boxes stacked up to the ceiling, if it was that important, it wouldn't be in the garage.

Saw that in my old neighborhood where this guy had nothing but junk piled from the front of the garage to the back of the garage with just a walkway cleared out. He had 2 Toyota Sienna XLE vans parked out front. Those things are $40k brand new...

It is happening a lot here in McKinney, North of Dallas.

We are not behind enemy lines here, mostly conservative.

Prior to purchasing a four camera c.c.t.v. system,
I asked my three apt. Neighbors if they had any questions or concerns.

Two of them were dead set against it,
No way no how,
It was an invasion of their privacy.

So I saved $750.00

Just remember the saying === A lock only slows down a honest person. If they want it then they will try and take it. Have seen on the local tv news showing videos of several "hood rats" going thru neighborhoods even the "upscale areas" trying car doors as well as home doors several nights in a row and at the same time of night. If you want to keep it keep it out of sight and locked up. ....... drill sgt.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
Prior to purchasing a four camera c.c.t.v. system,
I asked my three apt. Neighbors if they had any questions or concerns.

Two of them were dead set against it,
No way no how,
It was an invasion of their privacy.

So I saved $750.00

^^^^^^^^^ If your rental / lease allowed the personal installation of the camera system I possibly would have been inclined to tell them to go fly their kite by themselves and if MY cameras caught any activity that had been directed towards them or their property that you would not share the video for going after the not so nice offenders. ...................... drill sgt.

I like the way you think, drill sgt

These are the best neighbors I've had in 35 years of apt. living,

Am not about to ruffle any feathers after 12 very good years.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Smart. Good neighbors are worth their weight in gold.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
These are the best neighbors I've had in 35 years of apt. living,

Am not about to ruffle any feathers after 12 very good years.

Sounds more like they're willing to ruffle yours and damned the consequences.

Maybe... but one thing I have learned is to try and keep the peace with your neighbors and do not carry grudges.

What rogue said. For us, it's been late teens to early twenties. The worst offender has been lazy ass 18 to 23 year olds, who either have a dead end job and don't care, or no job and don't care. They aren't using it as means cause of wanting to buy food, just as a means of easy money.

We had a string of them in our neighboring township, and then it spread around a few others. One of our supporting agencies finally were able to identify them, and our department and two others tied them to just over 100 car break ins. I can't foresee them getting out anytime soon just based on the sheer number of counts they got hit with.

Less work than standing or wheelchair sitting at an intersection begging for money

I am the youngest tennant at age 63,
one neighbor is 77, another is 84, the other is 89.

They are considerate,quite and conscientious .

Those qualities ,all combined in an apartment building are all but extinct in society today.

And even if they had a few annoying habits, I wouldn't cause problems for the land lord , who hasn't raised my rent in 9 years.

Finding one other total stranger to share a hallway, parking area, basement, common walls and garage with, amicably, is a big challange.

Finding three ! others, is in heard of.
Especially in this price range.

I can't live back in Iowa City, as I'd be paying 3 - 4 times the rent.

quote:

Originally posted by smpsmp:
What rogue said. For us, it's been late teens to early twenties. The worst offender has been lazy ass 18 to 23 year olds, who either have a dead end job and don't care, or no job and don't care.

Ours trends a little younger. More like 15-20 years old.

Lots of teens getting other teens into what they call "car hopping", through word of mouth about the easy money.

This has resulted in packs of teens roaming the area like locusts and pillaging unlocked cars.

2-4 of them will start out on foot somewhere local to where they live, and then they'll usually be able to eventually find at least one unlocked car with the keys left in it, which they then utilize to spread further out and increase the area available to them. Then the group will spend the evening driving the metroplex hitting various neighborhoods and parking lots in numerous different jurisdictions, then head back towards where they live, ditch the original stolen vehicle, and head home on foot with their haul. Rinse and repeat the next night, or whenever they get bored again or decide they want some more money.