A rash of Home Robberies in my neigborhood.

A rash of Home Burglaries in my neigborhood.

In the last 40 days there have been 4 break-ins in the afternoon. The thieves go right up to the front door, use a crowbar and force the door open past the striker plates and deadbolts.

I'm really concerned about security here. I live in a condo association (with the usual draconian rules about not changing the outside appearance of the buildings). I have an alarm system but I can't afford monitoring. I always turn it on when I leave and the siren is very loud indeed and I have one or two caring neighbors. I've already driven 6 inch screws into the striker plates to replace the 1 inch ones that came with the place.

I'd love to have battery powered (blackout ready) wireless hidden cameras and improved deadbolts. I'd also like to set my alarm system to call my cell phone (since it's not calling the monitoring place) cause I can get back to shoot the perps (CWP glock30 .45acp) and solve everyone's problem before the police could get there.

I don't know, maybe I'm just being a worrier. My neighbor lady ( mid 40's overweight dirty lady) caught the perps in her condo. She basically chased them out with a broom but didn't catch them. There are two of them and they are Hispanic males wearing hooded sweatshirts. (almost a cliché around here).

carbine15 said:

I don't know, maybe I'm just being a worrier.

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An average of one break-in every 10 days? Yeah, you ought to be worried.

Get a dog. Make sure that suspicious activity and new break-ins are communicated immediately among your neighbors/condo association members.

Check with a lawyer to see what rights you have if the assocation is not providing adequate security (e.g. malfunctioning ingress/egress gates, premises lighting, etc.).

If you don't have some "light" loads for your Glock, ask your local gun store for advice, although that might be a tall order for a .45ACP. A 9mm would be a better choice for in-home/close combat or a 20 gauge Remington 870. Errant shots through the walls are really not an option here, so train regularly at the range, if you aren't doing so already.

Eventually, these scumbags will be caught. If these guys are lucky, they will live to go to jail.

Sounds like ur in the market for window bars

USSS said:

An average of one break-in every 10 days? Yeah, you ought to be worried.

Get a dog. Make sure that suspicious activity and new break-ins are communicated immediately among your neighbors/condo association members.

Check with a lawyer to see what rights you have if the association is not providing adequate security (e.g. malfunctioning ingress/egress gates, premises lighting, etc.).

If you don't have some "light" loads for your Glock, ask your local gun store for advice, although that might be a tall order for a .45ACP. A 9mm would be a better choice for in-home/close combat or a 20 gauge Remington 870. Errant shots through the walls are really not an option here, so train regularly at the range, if you aren't doing so already.

Eventually, these scumbags will be caught. If these guys are lucky, they will live to go to jail.

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I don't want to live with anyone or anything that I need to clean up after: and if any living creature drops trowel and defecates on my carpets I'll use my Glock on them. So pets are out.I use Hornaday 158 grain XTP +P in my .45. That's a pretty light bullet for a .45. A Shotgun wouldn't be in my possession (and so would be in the house where the bad guys would have to be for me to shoot them legally.) not to mention I can't really afford another flashlight (let alone another gun).

Premises lighting is absolutely terrible but the robberies have been happening while everyone is at work in the afternoon. I don't think the robbers are dangerous because they strike in the daytime avoiding confrontation. A mean old lady with a broom scared the two thugs off.


I just want peace and security for me and my girlfriend (her step dad just won detective of the year in my town). Maybe there's something there. I'll talk to him over Christmas. In the mean time does anyone know of extra measures I can take on my front door to prevent entry with a crowbar?

Manzerick said:

Sounds like ur in the market for window bars

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I can't install anything that would change the outside appearance of the building. I can't even have curtains that aren't white or cream colored. If I could I'd just dig a moat and install a drawbridge. I do have glass break sensors on all first floor glass. (wish I'd spent the money for the second floor right about now.)

Sounds like you have most things covered:

Dead bolts
Loud Siren
Personal protection

Computer programs that interface with your security system should be available, and can be set up to call your cell phone. Have you checked that out yet?

I know how you feel, my Yukon XL was parked at the Tukwila Marriott Courtyard and broken into last week, I lost a Surefire A2, a Milky M20, an ROP and some other small items.

What is it with you West Siders?

Bill

All your illegals make a living off the fields. Ours make a living off of us.

get a good safe!!!!

totally agree with getting a good gun safe. mine weights 800lbs+ before loading up. no one is moving a bolted down 1,100+ lb item without special equipment and a lot of fussing!

having a 98 lb German Shepard around helps too

odds are any noise maker gets burglars to pick another target. too many easy targets out there for them to mess with one with a burglar alarm going off.

Problem is most dogs will sooner lick the thief to death than attack and most burgalers know this. I love the safe idea. Any safe out there for say $100 that fits my needs?
I need the inside to be at least 24 inches high and 10 inches wide / deep.

Hi carbine15 ,

There were 2 or 3 movies .... Titled something like " Home alone in New York" ... with a young kid in it as the star . Rent , and watch it ........... you might get some good ideas .

You should request the Police to do area checks , and patrol your complex frequently till they are caught .

It is most likely being perpetrated by someone who lives in your complex . That can watch and know the routines of the residents .... Who works , when they leave , when they come back home , etc. .... I wonder if they leave on foot , or in a car ??? Are they taking small items - or large ??? If it's mostly video games , X-box's and such - then it's young kids .

Be careful who you associate with - and what you discuss in conversations about your up-coming plans , especially since it's Holiday visitation time , which leaves the home un-occupied . Many times , break-in's are done by someone you know .... or have contact with .... who knows what you've got .... that they want . Thats always been my theory.

They must somehow know which homes will NOT cause them any confrontation or detection ...... since they are doing this in broad daylight .... and going through a very visible front door , using a very large crow-bar master key !

They must have some insider information about the routines of the residents , to be doing this . Don't look too far from the tree - for these NUTS.

Just some things to think about ...... be carefull .

Regards ................. TooManyGizmos/

.

Oh ..... one other thing .................

Put tracking device / locator beacons .... on ALL your belongings .

Ha..Ha

And are they robberies - or - burglaries ......... Big difference.

That size safe you want will cost you at least $300 , if it's any good ...... (must be heavy - and secure) .

.....TMG

I don't know how much room you have but very big safes are often very cheap second hand because no one wants them.

2 pieces of steel angle iron bolted through the door, one on the lock side and one on the hinge side make it harder to get a crowbar in the crack.

A vibration sensor (called a viper here) should only be a few $ and will set the alarm off before the scumbags get throught the door

London Lad ,
Price may be cheap ..... but he'll pay an arm and a leg .... to get it delivered and brought inside his home .

They are big - bulky - and Heeeeeeaaavvvyyyyyy .

Just another thing to consider .............. TMG/ *
.

I know a local gunsafe dealer but the prices are way out of my league. I'll start looking for a used one. Thanks for all the advice. Especially liked that part about the locator beacons. What I really need is a robot servant / sentry like in the movie I-Robot.

Your title should be "A rash of home Burglaries in my neighborhood."

Ras_Thavas said:

Your title should be "A rash of home Burglaries in my neighborhood."

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Good point. There was someone home durring that one occasion. You're right though.

purchased my full sized gun safe at Sam's for $890. price dropped to $750 for basically same safe.

Sam's usually has a handy man who does home deliveries. I had them load up safe with a forklift into my truck. when I got it home..... had a what was I thinking moment.

called Sam's handy man and lucked out when he was able to come right out. He used a heavy duty dolly purchased from Sam's of course and proceeded to handle that 800+lb gun safe with no problems. dollied it right into my prepared location through quite a few door ways.

job was done in 15 minutes or so. I asked him what the charge was. he replied $45. I said no way.... that's worth way more and paid him $100. would have probably hurt myself trying to move that safe.

carbine15 said:

I know a local gunsafe dealer but the prices are way out of my league. I'll start looking for a used one.

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Get stickers that say "Alarm". Place them on all ground level windows. Get yourself and your neighbors cheap disposable cameras with a flash. Tell them to keep it close to the door. If you/they see something questionable you have the option of taking a picture without the flash. You could get the people and car. The flash could be used at night or at anytime. After seeing a camera flash once or twice they would probably leave, before they finished their deed.

You could be resourceful and put some small electric component with a wire on windows that do not have an alarm on them. The more it looks like some kind of sensor the better. I used to use those sticky sensor things that come inside of dvd movie cases. I had a few questionable younger kids in the neighborhood.

Make your place look less attractive to a burglar than you neighbors.