Disturbing

[Taz Baby]

Disturbing
I just read a very disturbing article on another site that had the link to the story. It was about a women being burglarized, along with sexual assault with her newborn next to her. She had left her glass sliding doors open to let the fresh air in. That got me to thinking how many of us without thinking after spending the winter closed up in our homes, open our doors and windows when it is warm. Now common since will tell you to shut and lock your doors and windows. But do you open the windows to let the air in? Yes we do, they have screens on them right. Well with everything that is going on and people are getting desperate to find ways to feed their families, the crime rates are going thru the roof everywhere. Even if you live far out in the boonies and have guard dogs outside and inside, you still need to lock your doors, doggie doors, screen doors, all windows even if they are up high. Basement windows and doors. If you need to have fresh air, open the windows in the room that you are going to be at ready with gun close by. BTW the baby was not hurt and the guy was caught because the woman dialed 911 and left the phone on so they could find her. But the police surrounded the area, with helicopters too and caught him after he left. He assaulted her three times before leaving. Makes you wonder what the police where doing all that time. I am guilty of leaving my place open when I check the mail even though there is only one way in and I am going that way. But still I am going to be a lot more cautious and even if it seems silly to lock up just to check the mail who cares.
Gary L. Holmes Arrested For Beating, Raping Coral Springs Mom As Baby Lay Nearby - The Huffington Post

[helomech]

I never lock my house. I rely on a factor of things, including a half mile walk from my gate to my house, then the 3 very large dogs. Then us with guns. I fugure a locked door will do nothing to stop anyone, other than cause me to have to change a window also. No one can tell if someone is home or not by just looking. We have extra vehicles so there are always at least 1 vehicle there, usually two of more. My older dog Akira will not allow anyone into the house, she had my mother in law backed up against her car just a couple weeks ago.

[ladyhk13]

I do kind of think it does depend on where ya live. We really don't need to lock our doors but my dh does even when I forget. I have left my purse in the car overnight and we never lock our cars, forgotten my gun - dh's too out there. We have left our workshop and "apple" barn with 4 wheelers, motorcycles and tools...you name it wide open all night and no one in our area would ever think about taking a thing. I would almost even smile if I came out the next day and if someone needed something there would be a note saying "I borrowed your tractor, bring it back back by 3" LOL. But really, my sister NEVER locks her doors even when she leaves for the whole day. But we both live in areas where there really is NO crime at all. I think it's more a guy comes home drunk and his wife smacks the shit out of him or someone gets caught speeding. The City-data.com crime index (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 319.1) and it's 51.9 in our town so we are very lucky. I looked up Coral Gables and it is a 254.1 so am I surprised that a crime like this happened? No. Will this incident make me change the way I live my life? Nope. That's why I don't live in Fl. anymore. I couldn't change those that lived around me but I could change those that I lived around. That was actually my first step as a prepper but I didn't know it at the time. Funny how our instincts sometimes guide us.

[LUNCHBOX]

Lady, I agree with you to a point. Your area might be ok for now but think about if things get even harder, those individuals will travel to get anything they can. We have used houses for sale being stripped of copper, new houses losing the ac unit...you name it and its getting stolen. We lock up and even post one of our free range chickens on the front porch....lol. (it actually started roosting on the table there) IMO, no matter where you are, its time to start putting more thought in to overlooked security/safety.

[helomech]

[QUOTE=ladyhk13;21750]\ The City-data.com crime index (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 319.1) and it's 51.9 in our town so we are very lucky. I looked up Coral Gables and it is a 254.1 QUOTE]



Do you have a link to this. I really doubt my town comes up on it though, we only have 300 people in the town nearest to me.

[helomech]

Lady, I agree with you to a point. Your area might be ok for now but think about if things get even harder, those individuals will travel to get anything they can. We have used houses for sale being stripped of copper, new houses losing the ac unit...you name it and its getting stolen. We lock up and even post one of our free range chickens on the front porch....lol. (it actually started roosting on the table there) IMO, no matter where you are, its time to start putting more thought in to overlooked security/safety.

But locking a door does no good to stopping anyone. It only leaves you with stolen things and a broken door/window. 400 to 500 lbs of dogs does a much better job, than a door lock.

[Stormfeather]

Very similar attitude in our area, although big city crime is starting to filter its way into our area alot more Ive noticed in the last year and a half. There is a heroin & meth problem in the area that seems to have taken hold, and the cops are very proactive now about stamping it out. The biggest thing we used to have to deal with would be a DUI or something similar, now we've had a few break-ins, a actual strong arm robbery, and the local PD ending up shooting a teenager 2 weeks ago who came out of a house high on meth and pointed a shotgun at them. Kid survived, but was very lucky. Cant wait til they get a handle on this crap so maybe things can go back to normal somewhat. Im lucky in the fact that theres usually someone home, Between the wife, myself and our door gunner who is staying with us, we usually always have at least one person home. But in the same aspect, we are like LadyHK, our doors are never locked, and if something was missing, I usually find a note from one of my friends saying they borrowed it and will return at such and such date. Lucky to have good friends I guess

[Stormfeather]

\ The City-data.com crime index (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 319.1) and it's 51.9 in our town so we are very lucky. I looked up Coral Gables and it is a 254.1

Do you have a link to this. I really doubt my town comes up on it though, we only have 300 people in the town nearest to me.

go here

Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, crime, house prices, cost of living, races, home value estimator, recent sales, income, photos, schools, maps, weather, neighborhoods, and more

[helomech]

go here

Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, crime, house prices, cost of living, races, home value estimator, recent sales, income, photos, schools, maps, weather, neighborhoods, and more

Here is the closest town to me. I don't live in the town, but it is the closest one to me. I don't see a crime rate.

Latexo, Texas (TX 75849) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders

[Taz Baby]

It might be all right to leave things unlocked now. But if you are in the habit of doing that now, what will happen later when it gets bad and people are going hungry, desperate to find food and things to survive. I think the first places that will be hit are the towns and houses close to them. But then again if people think that, the houses way out in the woods would not be patrolled by the police and go unnoticed. The police will be busy trying to control the town not the houses out of town. Those are going to be the ones people run too. Everyone knows that farmers have food and supplies and live off the land. How long would it take the police to notice a house out in the boonies that was burglarized and the people killed? The phones might not work so you couldn’t call 911 for help.
As far as big bad dogs go to protect you, dogs can be shot, poisoned ect, so dogs will only slow them down a bit or scare them off until later. You might or might not be alarmed by the intruder in time to get your gun even if it is close by. Why make it easy for the intruder by leaving the door unlocked? As for me, I am going to get into the habit of locking things up as tight as possible. That way if they do want in, they have to break a window, that I will hear, or bust a door in that I will hear and I will have time to get my gun. Even with all the security camera’s, silent alarms, and OTHER security measures we have taken, I am prepared if they fail. Dogs will give you a little time but most people who are going to steal from someone case the place out for awhile and watch the peoples routine to see when is the best time to do that. All I am saying is to think and get prepared and in the habit of locking up.