[Ladybug]

We live in a fairly nice neighborhood, but on the edge of a not-so-great neighborhood. The past couple of weeks three of our neighbors have gotten their cars broken into, one car got stolen, and someone stole my cell phone out of my car (I forgot to lock it and am kicking myself) which was in my driveway. When I talked to the cop, he said "well, to be perfectly blunt about it, the criminal element has discovered that you white folks have gotten really 'comfortable' around here." And it's true - we all know each other, and we love our little neighborhood. But how are we supposed to let them know that we are NOT comfortable?!? I found out our police department is short 50 cops, and the city is broke... no way we can get more patrols around here (the ONE cop who patrols this area has a HUGE area, including some much, much worse neighborhoods). I'd love nothing more than to sit on my porch one night with my .45 and catch someone breaking into a car - but I don't want to end up in jail. So, aside from locking everything, and being careful, how do we get our neighborhood back? I'm getting soooo MAD!!! :fire: :fire: :fire:

[Mark Tyson]

Satisfying as it would be to pop a car burglar, it would be a sticky legal situation at best, unless you live in Texas or somewhere similar. Plus you don't want bullets flying around a neighborhood anyway. Park your car in a garage or well lighted place and think about video surveillance.

[chaim]

I live in the same kind of area and sorry, no easy answers.

I moved back in with my parents a couple years ago (lets me afford to work as a substitute teacher for experience related to school psychology to get into grad school, and now lets me afford grad school). The neighborhood I grew up in (where I am now living) has always been a good family neighborhood.

However, near a shopping center less than a mile away many of the apartments and some townhomes went to section 8 housing. Ever since the shopping center has become dangerous after dark and a haven for drug dealing. Well, over the the past couple years things have gotten worse and they seem to be spreading down the street towards us. They still aren't to my street, but sometimes things get "shady".

The house directly behind mine was broken into this past summer. About a month ago my next door neighbor had his car broken into. In the two courts bordering mine several houses have been broken into in the past couple months. About a month and a half ago a SIX year old little girl was raped at a pond/mini-park about 100 yards from my house. About a week ago I heard .22lr gun shots and later that night I heard them again and what sounded like someone banging on something.

About all I can say (other than I know where you are coming from) is keep your situational awareness up. Keep yourself prepared. If you are in a CCW state, carry, if not carry what you can (I carry pepper spray and a pocket knife regularly and other things when needed and possible). Keep your guns cleaned and loaded at home and keep up your practice. Most importantly, be careful.

[jrhead75]

Neighborhood Watch/block patrols. Also, arm yourselves to the full extent local law allows. Just say "no"!

Not as simplistic as it may sound.

[Black92LX]

a big one would be a light with a motion detector that covers your whole driveway. and in numerous other places around your house. get your neighbors to do the same thing.

[Standing Wolf]

a big one would be a light with a motion detector that covers your whole driveway.

Good idea. My neighbors have one. I'll talk to them this week.

[Ladybug]

Thanks guys. I've calmed down a little bit but I'm still mad. We do have motion detector light at the end of our driveway, so I'm going to start pulling way back there.

We were talking to some of our neighbors who are mad too, and we are thinking of taking turns staying up at night and just sitting on the porch. I promise I won't shoot anyone (unless they come near me, of course), but I'll call 911 in a heartbeat if I see anything even remotely suspicious. The bad news is, the ONE cop who patrols our area has such a big area, it would probably take him 20 minutes to show up. :fire:

My husband suggested we take turns sitting on the front porch during the day, cleaning guns... there's some "criminal element" people who wander the streets during the day - maybe if they see us out there enough they'll get the word out. What do you think?

I just want to put up a bunch of signs saying "WE ARE NOT COMFORTABLE! WE'RE UNCOMFORTABLE! AND WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT!!!" :mad:

[St. Gunner]

Motion sensor lights are a good start also, rig em to look over the cars, also if you look around you can find some that emit a siren if set off. Some are adjustable for the size it takes to set them off. Or simply aim the sensor so that it doesn't pick up dogs and cats. I had a buddy used to leave his truck unlocked, but before he left he put a stuffed rattlesnake in the front seat. The idea isn't for you to snag these guys, just make it easier for them to bother someone else. If your neighbors don't want to exert the effort, then it isn't your problem.

Most cops here claim that the number one reason criminals give for not hitting a certain house or residence is the presence of a big dog. Pitbulls scare the crap out of most thugs, and are great family pets and loving companions. Butch is about as sweet as can be, unless you mess with his family. I firmly believe he would attack an elephant to defend my little girl and he has been known to growl at folks for looking at me funny. I've only had him a few months. If you go to most animal shelters, they have pit crosses and in some cases full bloods. You will have to go through a rigorous screening process and agree to not have more than this one dog most places, but when you get an animal from a place like that, they bond with you in ways you can't imagine. Butch came to me weighing 20lbs, really underfed, had never been wormed, the guy was feeding him twice a week. He weighs 55lbs today and is always a gentleman.:D

If you don't have kids, don't have many visitors and don't want either, invest in a fila brasilio, this is the baddest dog on the block. I am a dog guy and I won't go near one of these. I have never seen a dog so protective, guy came by my house once, had two in a box in his truck 8wk old pups, they wanted to kill me. :what: Nasty animals, sorta a go out in the morning and bury the leftover pieces of the thiefs type dogs. :uhoh:

We had sorta the same situation, but I handled it a little different, but I live in a state that has very lacks rules regarding lethal force or the threat of such. I introduced them to Butch and some of my metal friends. Had a cop inform them it would become shoot first ask questions later, and pretty soon it got real quiet, we haven't had a tire squeal on our street in a few months now. Just don't ever let em know you are scared, they seem to feed on that. If everytime you greet em, you are armed and calm, the message does get across. If you run out screaming bloody murder and sound like a crazy, they'll know you are terrified. I calmly explained to my friends from behind cover that it was time to leave, or time to be shot; then I went inside and shook like a freakin leaf in the wind for about an hour.

[Denver]

Local vandals were removing private property in a neighborhood in which I lived. It became sport for the rascals until three or four of the bigger/meaner neighbors hid in the shrubs and ambushed the goblins. After restraining the tykes, our vigilantes suggested to them that it would be simple enough for the hoodlums' bodies to be found in a nearby street looking like roadkill. Problems suddenly ceased.

The hoods in my story were not armed so the outcome was bloodless. Point was they understood the 'Peace through Superior Firepower' axiom.

I like the cleaning of the guns on the porch. I saw a sticker on a door that announced,"This home protected by Smith and Wesson" right next to the one that said,"We don't dial 911. WE DIAL .357"

[KC]

A bit of personal experience. One person cleaning their collection after a weekend of shooting out in the desert is an invitation for the neighborhood hoplophobes and Francophones to come out in force. The 3-5 other people you went out with, all cleaning guns on the front porch, sends an entirely different different set of signals. Leaving the heavily perforated steel plate targets on prominant display is also nice.

[rayra]

Same answer as jarhead - Neighborhood Watch. That or Volunter Police patrols - and warm up those video cameras - on the neighborhood, with the Patrol, in the patrol vehicles. Be ready to document EVERYTHING that is done and said.

[JohnKSa]

Find out if you have a constable in your area.

If so, take him out to dinner and discuss your problem.

Often, constables aren't as heavily tasked as the police and are more available during the times police officers are typically very busy.

If you can hit it off and he has a man in the area, you might be able to get an LEO on the scene in just a few minutes instead of 20 minutes.

The only problem with letting everyone know you have guns is that guns are the #1 theft item. You may make your house a target for theft. You can't be home all the time...

Video surveillance is a great idea. There are some pretty fancy car protection devices on the market these days as well.

You might at least tell us which state you live in. That would help you to get some information which might relate more closely to the laws in your area.

[Ladybug]

Sorry, I live in Arkansas - Little Rock, which is rife with many problems much worse than stolen cell phones! Video surveilence is a great idea - I'll see what it would take. Also, I've been reading online about volunteer patrols - there was one town in Fla. that had a set-up where civilian volunteers were trained by the police department and outfitted with radios and magnet signs to stick on their cars - they would just drive around the neighborhoods and report anything suspicious. Crime in neighborhoods that had the patrols went down 75%. Considering how strapped our city is for cash, maybe they would go for something like that? I know several people on my street alone who I know would be willing to do something like that. Constable? How do I find out if we have one? I thought those only existed in Mary Poppins movies, lol.

[45crittergitter]

If you folks somehow got a reputation for always being armed and always suspicious and always around and come running to each other's aid everytime a dog barks, I bet the neighborhood will get real quiet...

[duckfoot]

Criminals understand strength

This is so true, it's hard for some people to understand. Pit bull: small, angry, powerful, lots of teeth, no fear, and all bite, no BS = go find someone else to rob/hurt.

After living in a few large cities, and mostly in really rough neighborhoods taught me a few things.

Criminals will rob/hurt you for four main reasons
1. Large groups seem to showoff for one another (ex. who can hurt you the most, if you get caught alone)
2. They think that they can get away with it (no reason, see reason #1)
3. You hurt their pride or make them look stupid in front of their peers, (now it becomes personal)
4. They see you as weak, and can be pushed around.(it's a dominance kinda thing)

After living in Camden NJ, south Boston MA, north Charleston SC, and a few smaller ratholes ahhhhh I mean places, you learn to cover your own, to pick your battles very carefully, and move out as fast as you can. I could have made war on every thug on the street, but when out numbered and in a place where a dead body in a dumpster is not a big deal, it's better to become wallpaper and escape when you can.

Criminalsdon't want to face a neighborhood army, they would rather move across town for softer pickins, than face a armed camp.

just .02 of my life

[Pilgrim]

When I talked to the cop, he said "well, to be perfectly blunt about it, the criminal element has discovered that you white folks have gotten really 'comfortable' around here."

Interesting comment. It's not too hard to visualize the criminal element from that.

The constable is a constitutional officer whose primary responsibility is enforcing civil judgments of courts of lesser jurisdiction such as justice court. In most states the constable is a peace officer with powers of arrest. However, since his primary duty is not law enforcement, he is pretty much free to do what he feels like doing when not acting as a levying officer.

The only other thing I can think of doing in addition to the other suggestions is for the neighborhood to establish a personal relationship with the chief of police or sheriff. If that doesn't work, then go the political route with the city council or county board of supervisors.

Pilgrim

[sm]

Ladybug,
see you made it to the City of Klinton.
All good points made, motion detectors, personal surveillance cameras (with or without film...) neighborhood watch...

I have an idea what neighborhood, a couple in that area I know have the aforementioned and a dummy person. dummy is dressed ( well seen from outside shadowy outline) watching TV, dummy moves to other areas, like a bedroom.

Part of the deal is Politics, you see the cops are short-staffed,"blue flu for a raise". 600K is being proposed for surveillance cameras to protect us, they want a tax increase for that too ( ahem nevermind). If people are getting broken into, they will vote for tax increase in turn for protection. Some $ will go for popo, but the real reason is they want surveillance cameras to protect the Klinton library and all the businesses.Promote the area the klintonites invested in DT. That is the politics...your tax dollars at work.

Of course if the power goes out -so goes the cameras, say like a real riot, tornado, ice storm, that'd be when I'd loot if I were a BG...city ain't that smart.

Everything they say boils down to money ,sex and greed. Well they named the library correctly. :)

See Chenal has new money, some power players...a bunch of their security is out of their own pocket.

Sorry but its up to you , just sharing what is really going on. Kinda like the state idgits, if you can catch them sober and present ( city idgits)...good luck...you and other neighbors/students might make headway.

I'm in a different area, a bit safer known for old money...I travel through others, never without my little friends.

[Urban Warrior]

I can tell you from vast experience if you have "ONE cop who patrols your area , and some of the other worse areas." He's spending all of his time in the "worse areas" answering their 911 calls and NOT patrolling your neighborhood.

You've gotten some decent advice. Get a DOG!! the bad guys don't like houses with dogs and get some good lighting. You need to make your place as unattractive to the bad guys as possible. Let them go down the street a few blocks.

As far as the confrontation, taking up arms, and generally showing off that you have guns, They'll all be great things the attorney for the bad guys that you end up shooting because you unneccessarily (sp) escalated the situation. Save the rambo crap for the movies.

If you have a CCW be very cautious, and think before you act. Other wise your neighborhood will turn into a not so nice one when the bad guys move into your house, after the lawsuits.....UW

[Shane]

My husband suggested we take turns sitting on the front porch during the day, cleaning guns...

No.

Bad strategy, IMO. Criminals are drawn to guns liks flies on rotting food. I can almost guarantee with certainty that if criminals see you cleaning guns, word will spread and they will try to break into your HOUSE (when you are away most likely) to steal those guns. IMO, you're best served NOT showing your hand.


As far as preventative measures. A dog is a good idea. Something like a Boxer is good with kids, can be socialized to be good with other animals, and is in general NOT a breed that bites without provocation. Yet, if their family is threatened, Boxers typically have the strength and mindset to take care of business. Despite their grumpy look to them, deep down its a gentle breed--especially when socialized and raised with a firm but caring hand. I post this out of experience, in my dealings with this breed I find it to be tempermentally sound and a good pet--yet it still retains a protective instinct toward its family.

OTOH, even a Labrador can make a good watchdog. While they usually won't be the first breed to attack an aggressor, even if they bark they give you time to get to your weapon(s).

In regards to Pit Bulls (I believe one poster mentioned them), while I agree they are good family dogs, IME they are NOT suited for homes that have other animals. Pit Bulls typically IME are super animal aggressive--especially to cats; or, dogs of the same gender as they are. There are always exceptions of course though.

[BluesBear]

If your neighbors are like minded then a neighborhood watch is a great idea. There are lots of inexpensive walkie talkies out there as well as CB radios. Put up signs advising that it is a Block/Neighborhood Watch area. make sure that there is plenty of lightning. Always remember that cockroaches prefer darkness.

Get on the good side with the local Police Chief or Sheriff so that if your watch group calls they will know it's something real and not just someone crying Wolf.

After you get your neighborhood watch started make sure the local TV stations know about it. They usually love those kind of stories and don't forget that BG's watch TV too.

Also find out if your local Police department has an Auxiliary or Reserve force, if so, maybe you and a few of your neighbors could join. If they don't find out why.



Just my tuppence.

[St. Gunner]

In regards to Pit Bulls (I believe one poster mentioned them), while I agree they are good family dogs, IME they are NOT suited for homes that have other animals. Pit Bulls typically IME are super animal aggressive--especially to cats; or, dogs of the same gender as they are. There are always exceptions of course though.

Shane, sorta like kids, you just have to raise them right and take a firm hand if need be. Butch was 4yrs old when he came to live with me. He is food aggresive, but towards other dogs he is a sissy. My 23lb mutt named tugger bullies him around. I have one of Butches sons, named Bandit, he stays in the same kennel as my catahoula male. I think a large portion of controlling these dogs around other animals is being there when they are introd to other animals. I have one pit, a pit cross, a catahoula, a Lab, a mutt, and a blue heeler. The only female is the heeler.

Th problem most people have is when they are 6-8wks old they let them fight, think it is cute, cause no blood is flying. But when those dogs reach 40-50lbs they are capable of violence that far exceeds most other breeds. Older dogs can be acclimated to other animals, "Butch" wasn't much of a fan of cats, but he has learned to tolerate them.

Labs are decent dogs, but most just aren't aggresive enough to stop people and most folks don't realize they will bite. I had one when I was a kid that was horrible towards folks, i've lost track of how many folks she bit. I've owned a few since and none where that way. I feel the same way about Boxers, i've never had a boxer even make me nervous, most come up wiggling their butts wanting to be petted.

Pits are not real fast at being aggresive towards folks,but they by simple bum media wrap are feared by all sorts of folks. Which in most cases is what you want, unless you have a high fenced yard. The perception of aggresion over anything, but in reality a dog that only attacks when you are directly threatened. Amercian Bulldogs, Dobermans, German Shepards, Rotts, and a host of other breeds are really people aggresive and you need lots of training and time to avoid law suits.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ladybug if you can get a neighborhood watch off the ground, do it. I simply could not find enough support here, people were mad enough to complain and whine about it, but they didn't want to actually do anything. I found three people willing to help out of about 20 I asked, we are a rural county road.

So out of frustration I finally did what seemed the only prudent thing left to do. Some seem to think it was an escalation of the threat. But they had already shown they would murder and commit arson, so it was them who brought it to the next level.

Lights, Dog, cameras, and unity and you should be ok.

[kernal_panic]

having been a condo ninja for years criminals really hate being watched. start a neighborhood watch. arm everyone with a flashlight, frs radio, and a cellphone. be visable. the point isn't to catch anyone its to get the word out you're patrolling and observing. criminals will go elsewhere to easier pickings.

[mtnbkr]

Neighborhood Watch/block patrols. Also, arm yourselves to the full extent local law allows. Just say "no"!

I just want to add that official Neighborhood Watch programs dictate that the participants be UNARMED, not even a knife.

I lost interest after that. I'm not going to go around looking like a target and not even have a knife on me. Besides, I keep an eye out for suspicious stuff anyway, so being an "official 'hood watcher" wasn't going to offer much.

Chris

[Bill Hook]

Sorry if someone mentioned this, but I assume you have a garage?

If so, use it. If it's full of crap, clean it out. A car is usually the second most valuble thing you own, so it deserves the proper security precautions. Next time, they may take the whole car, and not just what's inside.

This does nothing about the criminal element surrounding your neighborhood, but it does make the crooks look for easier pickin's.

You can't always be vigilant. A dog and motion-activated lights would help.

[bogie]

I had a friend who bought a house in the city for a rehab job about 10 years ago.

They had a few problems.

Right after he bought the place, he shows up to inspect it, and finds a bunch of gang sign sprayed in the road in front. He wanders around the house, and finds someone has installed a nice heavy metal door for the basement entrance, with a hole cut in the middle. This is _fresh_ because it hadn't been there a week or so before when he'd initially looked at it. But nobody's home... So he goes home, gets an AR and some black spray paint, drives back, parks, and while holding the AR commences to spray paint the gang sign out of the street. While he's doing this, a car stops behind him. He slowly turns around, and it's a cruiser. Cop asks him what he's doing, then asks him if the AR was loaded. "Good." Drives off.

One night, he's watching from a comfy third floor window, and sees a car cruise the place several times, with the occupants looking in other car windows. So the next time it goes down the block, he lights up the windshield with a laser. Took 'em a few seconds to figure it out, and they sped up and didn't come back.

[Ladybug]

I just want to add that official Neighborhood Watch programs dictate that the participants be UNARMED, not even a knife.

That is RIDICULOUS! I would never myself go out to "watch the neighborhood" without being armed, and I would never ask my neighbors to do it either. How can you ask for volunteers and then take away their rights?!? Maybe we'll start our own form of neighborhood watch - make our own signs, our own rules. Basically, I think anyone who volunteers to come out at night and keep an eye out should be allowed to arm themselves to the full extent of the law (so whatever THEY are normally allowed to carry).

By the way, we DO have a dog, and do NOT have a garage. No one in this neighborhood has a garage - these are fairly small houses (most under 2000 sq. ft.), on small lots, built in the 1920s and 1930s.

I kinda like the idea of hiding in a tree or on a roof (comfortably concealed and armed, of course) with several laser pointers. If someone suspicious walks or drives along, I can "light them up" as they walk/drive by. :D

So what's the consensus on letting "the criminal element" know that we're armed? Yes/no? I do NOT want our house broken into... but my husband works out of our house, so there is usually someone home, pretty much all of the time. When we go out of town or something, guns get locked up. Of course, that doesn't stop them from breaking in and looking anyway. We haven't really had any HOME break-ins, just cars. Part of the reason I'm really upset about this is that I DON'T want things to escalate past "easy" crimes.

Thanks for all the responses!!

[Guy B. Meredith]

Ladybug,

Letting the dirt know you have guns makes you a more valuable target for supplying their needs. Keep them guessing--that tends to keep them 'honest'.

[Futo Inu]

Establish neighborhood association. Have regular meetings. Have regular citizen vehicle patrols, with flashing light and magnet stickers on vehicle. Lotsa motion sensor lights. Shoot anyone caught red-handed with a taser or full-auto paintball gun with OC pellets. Dunno beyond that.

[Balog]

They make OC pellets for paintball guns:what: ? Sweet:evil:

[rayra]

They also make hard nylon pellets, too.


Forget the talk of announcing weapons, forget about going unarmed as well.

The primary purposes of a 'Neighborhood Watch' should be as a local presence, and to collect evidence. IF you think you are some armed militia, or vigilante group, you'll quickly get yourselves into trouble, and lose any support or cooperation from 95% of police orgs.

Simply establish a visual presence. Forge a bond with local law enforcement. Work on community awareness, and all the low-hanging fruit regarding better security - outside / motion lights, basic homestead security measures.

Those things alone will drive the hoods to another, easier target.

[Shane]

So what's the consensus on letting "the criminal element" know that we're armed?

Again, bad idea. The slimeballs will try to break in and steal your guns. Even if they don't, since they know you are armed they are more likely to use weapons themselves if you ever got into a confrontation with them. Let them guess, and keep the element of surprise.

[Shane]

The primary purposes of a 'Neighborhood Watch' should be as a local presence, and to collect evidence.

That is good advice. If you belong to a neighborhood watch group, arm yourself with a CELLPHONE and alert the police if you see suspitious activity. Do NOT confront the bad guys. Confronting bad guys (with a weapon) while on a neighborhood watch program could lead to vigitalantism, mob mentality, or cause legal problems. If you do your part (alerting the police), chances are the police will do theirs.

[Topgun]

http://www.budkww.com/partsview.asp?action=lookup&partno=XL109&subject=U10&catpos=11

And paintballs. OC or just paint.

Oh, by the way, it is always prudent to be careful when reloading. Sometimes a whole box of shells can be loaded with compressed loads of Bullseye. If you happen to leave these shells where someone could steal them, there's a good chance they'll blow off a finger by trying them in their gun and would sue you.

Be careful!

Also some garden centers and www.birdbgone.com sell bird netting, an almost invisible tangle mess that can wrap up in careless legs in the dark and even be connected to cans full of pebbles that get noisy.

And always be careful about leaving exposed nails in boards anywhere near your vehicle.

And never pee in screw top beer bottles and put them back in the 6-pak

Remember, scumbags need understanding.

[Dave Markowitz]

Bad strategy, IMO. Criminals are drawn to guns liks flies on rotting food. I can almost guarantee with certainty that if criminals see you cleaning guns, word will spread and they will try to break into your HOUSE (when you are away most likely) to steal those guns. IMO, you're best served NOT showing your hand.

I agree with this. You're not going to have the house occupied 24x7x365. The crooks know this and will just wait for the right time to come by and do a little "shopping."

Neighborhood watch sounds like the best idea to me.

[duckfoot]

I like the laser Idea

laser pointer or laser site

things to ponder

[Holly76201]

Ladybug,
you've gotten some great advice already, so I'll just reinforce what they've already posted.
Neighborhood watch/ agreement for mutual protection
Lights / surveillance
Dawgs.
I have a friend whose 20 year old daughter let their 130 pit/Engligh cross jump the fence and nail a would-be car burglar to the ground for the 15 minutes it took for the PD to respond to her 911 call. When the cops cuffed the perp and got him on his feet there was a large wet stain on the front of his pants. She was standing just outside the door waiting for the police with her hand behind her back holding one of her Daddy's glocks, which she knows how to use. When she saw the police cruiser turn the corner, she set it on the table by the door.
The web site for animal planet has suggestions for which breed would best suit your needs. Just type in Animal Planet in your search bar. Then hit the animal shelter. They will have requirements, but probably nothing you wouldn't do anyway, such as spay/neuter, regular vet checks, sufficient living space.
Good Luck and let us know how it goes.
Holly

[Horsesense]

"Oh, by the way, it is always prudent to be careful when reloading. Sometimes a whole box of shells can be loaded with compressed loads of Bullseye. If you happen to leave these shells where someone could steal them, there's a good chance they'll blow off a finger by trying them in their gun"

Theirs also a good chance that someone who didn’t steal them could get heart. Imagine the headline, "a two year old was blinded today, when her fathers gun exploded. A day of plinking turns tragic as a local man tried out some reload ammo, he bought at a gun show"

[September11]

Unfortunately, this has become very, very common. I live in a middle class neighborhood next to another middle class neighborhood. The guy two doors up the hill is a county sheriff! This past spring, we had four houses broken-in to on our block. It all happened in the middle of the night, while the families were home. Talk about guts. Finally, they got to my next door neighbors and were interrupted by two of those annoying little yappy dogs… who said they were good for nothing!?! The burglars frightened by the barking, ran like hell and jumped into the open bed of a waiting pickup truck in the driveway. These guys knew what they were doing. They had tools for getting in the front door, disassembling the stereo equipment, etc. They left their tools and ran. Rubber gloves, no prints. It turns out they were making the rounds through all the neighborhoods…

The last place I lived was also a middle class neighborhood which experienced a crime spree every spring and fall. The police said it was local high school kids just before school started and just after it got out. According to him, it was normal. Not to say that he was apathetic, just stating the facts.

I guess my point is that it may have nothing to do with where you live; you have to be prepared - Motion detectors, neighbors who know each other and watch out for each other, etc.
:banghead:

[RobW]

See, this is USA 2003! The police, the judical system, and the politicians are not able nor willing to protect law abiding citizens. If you help yourself effectively, you will be in trouble very soon (you will be sued up to your *** if your dog bites one of this poor criminals!)

How dit the politicos threaten us (in Nevada) if we don't agree with their raise of taxes as high as never before? "We have to empty the jails and close the schools".

Sounds more like a banana-republic doesn't it?

As Pat Buchanan said: "in 50 years, we well be a third world country".

[Ladybug]

Oh my God!!! I thought I was angry before, now I'm REALLY (I mean really, really) upset... I just found out that the same night my cell phone was stolen, the guy two doors down had a GUN stolen out of his truck. I swear it was all I could do to keep from hitting this idiot -- he just insured that, if they weren't already, these thugs are now definately armed. I am just seeing red!! The guy said "well, I had it hidden under a blanket." Like, uh, the criminals are just going to see that blanket and step back, saying "well, we definately can't lift THAT up..." Oh I'm soooo mad!! :cuss:

Yeah, I'm mad at the city too -- we're so broke we can't hire enough cops to patrol the streets (they are running from call to call, apparently), yet we waste the money to buy street signs for the new "President Clinton Avenue" :barf: and to built the Clinton Library :barf: :barf: :barf:

:banghead: I am feeling the need to use every single angry :mad: and otherwise unhappy :barf: emoticon I can!

[Ladybug]

And a confession...

In a rage-induced insanity, I actually found myself thinking that there should be a law or something to keep some people from owning guns. :uhoh:

[sm]

My thoughts on your other thread.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=543604#post543604

I do not advertise I have anything of value, especially guns. I used to be in a business , in another life, and "advertising" cost cutomers a lot of theft, and grief. By nature of business, and just by being seen and "assumed" I had keys to business, alarms, safes...etc. I was a prime person to be kidnapped, robbed, shot at, or killed. Some interesting experiences...like the time I came home and met 2 steps into my door looking at muzzle of revo. Thoughts of tranquil evening shot to hell...

I go to range,hunt...etc. My firearms and gear in everyday stuff,like backpacks. Long guns in safe off site, but even so, carried in collasible lawn chair , pup tent canvas type coverings. People figure I'm gonna use a folding chair at a ball, game , backyard cookout.

Think like a theif.

[Moparmike]

Ladybug, have you considered joining ARPA? PM me and I will send you the 1st District At Large's email address. He can get you set up with a membership app, and discuss your problem and maybe help you with the politicos. I dont know how much pull ARPA has in LR, but anything that helps. Every ARPA member who lives in LR (especially Jeff) knows about the crime in LR.

I wish I had some helpful advice for you, but I dont. I wish you the best in your quest for a crime-free(er) neighborhood.:)

[Lord Grey Boots]

My parent's neighbourhood had a similar problem. Lots of break-ins, car prowls, tire slashings, etc. With the full blessing of the local RCMP, neighbourhood patrols went out.

Typically it was 3 or 4 groups of 4-5 men each. Each group had a CB walkie-talkie provided by the RCMP, and every man had their dog and a big flashlight.

Hey, the dogs needed to be walked anyway.

Another neighbour acted as "homebase" and had another walkie talkie, and the police on speed dial. The patrols went out Friday and Saturday nights which seemed to be the worse for B&Es.

The patrol covered an area of 10-12 square blocks. Periodically a plain clothes Mountie would join us.

Several burglars were caught in the act, and were arrested by quickly responding officers. IIRC, one or two found themselves hiding in a back yard, with a dozen or so barking dogs and lots of people within 20 yards or so.

Unfortunately, none of the crooks tried to hide in the yard where the monster Ex-RCMP Police Service german shepard lived. Biggest german shepard I have ever seen.

Couple of other advantages, the neighbourhood dogs got to know each other, so they barked less at night, and the neighbours got to know each other.

Local crime dropped hard and fast. The local punks got the message.

[Hal]

Who let the dogs out (woof, woof, woof, woof)
Who let the dogs out (woof, woof, woof, woof)
Who let the dogs out (woof, woof, woof, woof)
Who let the dogs out (woof, woof, woof, woof)

We lost the "doodle dog" just about a year ago to cancer.:( Doodle was a good ole boy, and for a Great Dane, he lived an unbelievable 13 + years. He was pretty much a "couch 'tater" his whole life, and just wandered around the house while we were at work. One of his favorite pastimes was standing and looking out the front window.

'magine the sight of head/neck AND back of a dog just standing there all being visible in the window was enough of a deterrant. :D

[Bruce H]

Maintaining order takes killing. Always has always will. Their are those who will prey on the unsuspecting reguardless of all the watches. They move to easier pickins with a show of force but they are still out there. The current problem is there are as many bad apples on both sides. Their are a few lawyers, judges, and prosecutors who need to be in the ground just as bad as any criminal.

[ysr_racer]

Park your car in a garage or well lighted place and think about video surveillance.

Yep, and an alram wouldn't hurt.

[hso]

The only good suggestion I've not seen is contacting a private patrol company to find out what the price would be for car patrols late at night. If your neighbors are half as concerned as you are they may all be willing to chip in and pay for the service. Add this to a neighborhood watch that suspends ops early enough for everyone to get enough sleep and you may have enough visible coverage to deter the criminals.