IT SAYS OT, SO PISS OFF IF YOU DON'T WANNA READ SOMETHING THAT'S OT.
Our local newspaper tracks crime in our area. Generally, its the same places over and over for things like domestic disputes etc etc. However, last week the apartments 2 buildings down were robbed. This week the apartment building NEXT DOOR was robbed.
Am I paranoid for thinking that we are next??? They are stealing the same type of things from these people, all electronics. We have some nice ones too. My real worry is that they break in when no ones home - hang with me, this makes sense, I swear. We only have one car, so when one of us is at work, it may APPEAR that no one is home, when in reality, there is almost ALWAYS someone at home (because Justin and I work opposite of each other)
I am actually REALLY nervous about sleeping alone for the next week.
Hey, if it makes you feel better, I have the same thoughts. Because I am home when there is no car in the front yard.
I use to really freak myself out when hubby worked 3rd shift. I would be home by myself at night with no car in the drive way, and at one time we had a string of burglaries in our area.
To make me feel better, hubby screwed all the windows shut, and added more locks for to lock on the door, but it worked for me for a while, then I thought about they can break the glass in the windows if they wanted in really bad. So, I started staying at the in-laws house until hubby got home from work at night.
Oh and then there is the other thing... that everyone knows I am home when the car is not in the drive and that means hubby is not home, and I am afraid someone will try to kidnap me. I do not know why I have this fear of being kipnapped, but I do.
I think they might just bring you back if you were to go on an OT rant.Katie,
Always keep your doors locked even when Justin is there with you. If you're home alone, it may be a good idea to leave a light or the TV on just to make it appear someone is home. That would make me a little nervous too because it would seem based on the pattern that your building will be next however it also may not be. I say that because I'm sure local law enforcement has seen the pattern too and they will add more patrols to your area. Just some suggestions for you. I have a big dog. Well, not huge but not a chihuaha either.
that is scary Katie, and now that I dont have my car anymore I worry about that too. It was nice though that we got the dog when my hubby started working overnights for those 2 weeks...This dog is small but she sure has a big bark lol..She barks at EVERYTHING, if the wind blows somethin the wrong way OMG she goes crazy, quite amusing though. It did make me feel safer having her here. Maybe you could train your kitten to be a watch cat.Oh you really think they would give me back? I sure hope they would because if they want ransom for me they would not get much of anything.
Next, are you in a first floor apt.? If you are on a 2nd floor, I would think it is less likely anyone would try. But regardless which floor, I would put in a dead bolt (if it's okay with the owners). Also, a "beware of dog sign". Sounds dumb, i know, but they are less likely to risk it.
Also, maybe a cheap motion detector when you go to bed or when you are not home. They have the kind that turns on a light or sounds an alarm. Just have it aimed at the door. (of course, you'd have to figure something out for when Justin comes home, or you'd scare the pee out of him
If you can get hold of a sign, like they put up when an alarm system is installed, they don't know if you have a system or not. We did that at one house we were in. They say something like "these premises are protected by ADP Security Systems)
Just a couple of suggestions. Might make it easier to sleep when Justin's not home.
Take care,
Hugs, Nini
maybe you could get one of those "Beware of dog" signs but cross that dog out and put Cat in big black letters...think that'll scare em off?hahahaa... I can see it now... they enter the apartment, and disregard the "Beware of Kitty" sign, and they are then mauled by a tiger. Which is what kitty becomes when she is frightened or pissedI'd be pretty upset. You're not being paranoid. Also, talk to your neighbors about a neighborhood watch. Post a sign that says neighborhood watch organization in action or something like that.
This type of robbery is opportunistic so don't give them any reason to want to break in your place. Lindy
You all dont know where I live but I dont lock things, car, doors, windows... I have a son and hubby who are paranoid. My car has an immobiliser on it so its going nowhere without the key.... I can never remember where they key is.
I'm lucky there are always neighbours (oldyuns) in who do the net curtain thing... plus we belong to a neighbourhood watch scheme.... do you have anything like that over there?
Good locks (all ours are the 5 bolt type), they seem to come standard with doors and windows these days....
The big barking dog machine sounds a feasible idea
We are on the first floor, so that is part of my paranoia. When I left for work today, I looked next door at 518 (the last one to get robbed) and realized JUST how close they really are....ugh.
Justin called me and he threw up, and now feels TONS better, he said he's just exhausted at this point. We think he ate bad chicken wings. :(
Thanks for making me feel not-so-crazy!!!
glad you have some sort of defense system at your house. Sorry Justin is feelin yucky today.
That sounds really scary Katie. My house would be easy for someone to brake into if they wanted to and it bothers me. I would agree with keeping the t.v. on and the lights as well. Can you put sticks in the window wells? You HAVE to have a dead bolt. Could you find some kind of a siren that you could turn on? I know that sounds funny, but some kind of loud noise that would scare the crap out of somebody? Short of having a weapon, I don't know. Thinking of you!!We have a really good deadbolt......but all of the apartments are the same. So if they've figured out how to breach one of them, they've nailed them all. Make sense? We *all* have the same doors. It's like a little Nazi town. LoL
As far as the windows go, well they pretty much don't open, so that part I'm not worried about. I *always* leave the kitchen light on, and our computer is on 24/7. I do have the cats that run back and forth all night, so maybe that would make them nervous??
I doubt it. Samus would just lick the intruder and try to her him to cuddle her. She's such a dork....
BAH!!! Now that I look into it a bit more, 511, 516, and 518 have all been robbed in the past 3-4 weeks. (we're 520) *sigh* Only, all of them were TOP FLOOR units. We're bottom.....Hmm........I need to quit reading the crime tracker.....EEEWWW Katie now I will be worriedI also have another thing for your to check into. Renter's insurance. It would be an excellent thing for piece of mind, in case of robbery, but also in case the apartment upstairs floods, or there is a fire, or anything. At least look into it for mom, okay?
I do have renters insurance. Thankfully. All of our units are outdoor entrances. And I think my "neighbors" somewhere on this street are the ones involved in the crime. This isn't the best stretch of folks.....My neighbor DIRECTLY next to me, who shares a living room wall with me, is a sex offender! Isn't that lovely????Lovely, just lovely.
Have you talked to anyone who was robbed to find out what time of day it happened and how they got in?
no, I read the reports online. One of them left their backdoor unlocked (STUPID!) and the other two had the front door kicked in. I didn't look at what time it happened, I have no idea why.......that escaped me! That's scary Katie. They have these alarm systems that we used to sell on HSN when I worked there. They're operated by battery and they work much like a regular alarm does. You hook them to your windows and doors. What happens is if someone opens the door and the connection between pieces is broken, an alarm will sound. An alarm going off may be enough to scare an intruder away. I think they also sell them elsewhere but I'm not sure where off the top of my head.
Katie I have seven doors leading to the outside
Can't blame you there. Sliding doors are lovely but in my opinion a huge security risk. I know some people who place sticks in their sliders to reduce that.
Yeah well our builder was an idiot and put the tray on the outsideLMAO Mona! That's the dumbest builder I've ever heard..... OMG - my house has them that way too Moana. It's terrible because you can't put a stick in the door to block it from sliding. And if it's locked, all they would have to do is pry it off. How did we both have fools who couldn't figure that out?
LOL Karen I have NEVER seen any but mine that way!! Maybe we had the same idiot builder is all I can figure.
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