Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Car thefts have always been high in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Almost 8,000 cars are stolen a year...just in Mecklenburg County. That is averaging -22- a day!
The pros can steal your car in about 30 seconds they say! Glad my parking deck is gated and you can't leave without an opener which I never leave in either car!
Reading all these posts about the South Charlotte crimes and the police response time gives me a greater appreciation for when I lived in the Charlotte area most of my years there, I lived in Concord. I did have to call the police several times and THANKFULLY each time I called them, they arrived very quickly, in under a couple of minutes. Even one time when I called the non-emergency number over something that was not urgent 2 officers were at my door in just a minute. Maybe this will help someone who's reading this thread, who's looking for somewhere to move to. (Although I'm not at all saying someone shouldnt' consider Charlotte or that there's something wrong with the CMPD...I had a couple dealings with the CMPD as well when I lived in the University area and thought they were very responsive...) I think the police in certain areas of Charlotte get so many 911 calls that how quickly they respond depends on dumb luck, if you happen to need to call at the "wrong" time when they have a bunch of calls coming in at once, is when the problem comes in.
I will be following the breakins in SoCLT, hopefully it IS just a couple of the same perpatrators and they will be caught. I do agree that until it starts making the news that homeowners are armed and shooting some of these criminals as they break in, not much will change, but maybe if just one time someone does happen to get retaliated on as they break in, that'll be enough incentive for the criminals to think twice next time.
I'd like to take the opportunity to put a plug in for all the little towns around Charlotte who have their own police departments and give pretty good response times - one of the best is Huntersville, but also Mint Hill, Matthews and Pineville. If any of you are concerned about CMPD response times maybe you should consider living in one of these towns instead
Car thefts have always been high in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Almost 8,000 cars are stolen a year...just in Mecklenburg County. That is averaging -22- a day!
The pros can steal your car in about 30 seconds they say! Glad my parking deck is gated and you can't leave without an opener which I never leave in either car!
30 seconds! OMG! You are kidding me . . . I had no clue. I mean I have seen stuff in movies and on tv shows - pulling wires out and hotwiring. I have seen a movie where someone popped out the ignition and did something - I guess the screw driver trick. That is unreal! 30 seconds.
I thought cars "froze" - you know what i mean - the steering column - I thought if you have your alarm on and someone tries to mess w/ your ignition, the whole steering column freezes and so no one can steer the car. Or something? Am I nuts??????
By the way, not in Mecklenburg County, but my brother-and-sister-in-law were building a house across the street from my father in law. One night someone tried to steal their building materials from the homesite (lumber and supplies like that). My father in law saw them and went OVER there with a gun. He didn't even stop to call the police. My mother in law called the police in a panic and told them that someone was stealing lumber from the house being built and that my FIL was headed over there with a gun. About 6 police cars came flying over.
I'd heard of one other situation in Charlotte where someone told the 911 dispatcher that they were armed and it got a fast response- maybe it's a coincidence or maybe the police do respond faster if they think the homeowner is going to handle it for them?? I don't see why it would make a difference though, but it does seem to get attention...one of the calls I made in Concord I made when I thought someone was messing around a window on the side of our house...I wasn't sure because I was too afraid to look and I was trying to keep my toddler quiet because I was home alone with her and it was about 4am. But I was definitely hearing something unusual at the window and I'm not too easily spooked, so I was pretty petrified on the phone call and I was sort of rambling on in a whisper trying to figure out what I needed to do until the police got there to check on it, and I told them I was locked into the bedrooms with a loaded pistol...they came right away.2 officers, and when I saw their car and knew they had enough time to at least make sure the outside was clear I came to the door...one officer came right up to talk to me and his partner hung back and off to the side looking at me and asked him if I had the gun on me. LOL!!! I guess he was being cautious for their safety as well, making sure I didn't fire the gun in a panic or it didn't accientally fire or something...I held out my hands where they could see I was actually holding a Maglite. I had forgotten all about telling the dispatcher that I was scared and had a gun..but the officers were aware of it and proceeding as such.
So at least that does get their attention, and the dispatchers. The problem is that if someone had made it into my house through the window that night, I am still to this day not sure if I could have fired. I was in such a panic I froze...more worried about keeping my toddler quiet and comforted...until homeowners DO demonstrate that they will shoot an intruder, these creeps will continue to break into homes. But I am so afraid that if someone is bad enough to break into your home, that if they start to think people are armed, they will just come armed too. I'm very scared of surprising an intruder in the act because of the news stories you hear about homeowners being killed after doing so, when it seems they probably would have been ok had they not accosted the cirminal in the act--so it seems like if you're going to stop them you have to be the one to shoot first without even trying to be nice.
30 seconds! OMG! You are kidding me . . . I had no clue. I mean I have seen stuff in movies and on tv shows - pulling wires out and hotwiring. I have seen a movie where someone popped out the ignition and did something - I guess the screw driver trick. That is unreal! 30 seconds.
I thought cars "froze" - you know what i mean - the steering column - I thought if you have your alarm on and someone tries to mess w/ your ignition, the whole steering column freezes and so no one can steer the car. Or something? Am I nuts??????
Our SUV is suppose to freeze...if not cranked with a correct key you are suppose to go only as far as the gas in the line...not the tank. I don't want to test that theory though!
But I am so afraid that if someone is bad enough to break into your home, that if they start to think people are armed, they will just come armed too. I'm very scared of surprising an intruder in the act because of the news stories you hear about homeowners being killed after doing so, when it seems they probably would have been ok had they not accosted the cirminal in the act--so it seems like if you're going to stop them you have to be the one to shoot first without even trying to be nice.
If someone was trying to break into my home & I was armed they wouldn't be getting "nice" from me. Most likely if they shot first & I was able to return fire they would be dead.
If someone was trying to break into my home & I was armed they wouldn't be getting "nice" from me. Most likely if they shot first & I was able to return fire they would be dead.
I am right there with you. Shoot 1st, ask questions later.
We are lucky. Our building is 7 years old and we have never had a single breakin or a car stolen from our building. Or at least that is what our HOA says. I do tend to believe them.
I am right there with you. Shoot 1st, ask questions later.
We are lucky. Our building is 7 years old and we have never had a single breakin or a car stolen from our building. Or at least that is what our HOA says. I do tend to believe them.
It can happen anywhere though at anytime!
That is the thing about crime - it is typically random.
I have had the blinds open and been watching for the black Taurus today, LOL, and so far only the mailman and school buses and a few neighbors have been out on the street. Don't guess the dredlock gang is gonna come down to our culdesac.
I sure hope someone spots these guys and gets them off the streets - and out of our homes.
Last edited by brokensky; 02-21-2008 at 01:21 PM..
Reason: misspell
Our SUV is suppose to freeze...if not cranked with a correct key you are suppose to go only as far as the gas in the line...not the tank. I don't want to test that theory though!
Well, I thought that these new vehicles were supposed to quit running or freeze up somehow if not started w/ the key. So I am just wondering if these thieves are heisting particular models of cars that don't have that feature . . . ???
That is the thing about crime - it is typically random.
I have had the blinds open and been watching for the black Taurus today, LOL, and so far only the mailman and school buses and a few neighbors have been out on the street. Don't guess the dredlock gang is gonna come down to our culdesac.
I sure hope someone spots these guys and gets them off the streets - and out of our homes.
I can drive about 1 mile or 2 to Greenville, Belmont or Biddleville and get some homies to cruise your culdesac if you want some excitement!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
