car window broken at mall in broad daylight (Austin: high crime, living in)

[JustTheTemp]

You know, I think that we're going to see theft like this go up exponentially. As part of my certification training, I had to sit in on night court. Was talking with one of the detectives, and he said that they anticipated a steady rise in burglaries/theft for at least 18 months (this was in December).

Two carjackings have occurred in my neighborhood - Old West Austin. I tend to think that area is safe, but one of the victims was my next-door neighbor who was coming home. Time to start locking your car doors when you drive ...

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Originally Posted by JustTheTemp

You know, I think that we're going to see theft like this go up exponentially. As part of my certification training, I had to sit in on night court. Was talking with one of the detectives, and he said that they anticipated a steady rise in burglaries/theft for at least 18 months (this was in December).

Two carjackings have occurred in my neighborhood - Old West Austin. I tend to think that area is safe, but one of the victims was my next-door neighbor who was coming home. Time to start locking your car doors when you drive ...

What kind of car does your neighbor have? Are the carjackers picking higher end vehicles or just random vehicles?

[Marblecake]

Car thieves have two general goals. Either to joyride or to part out the car. The most valuable cars to part out are popular cars that have long lifespans, such as Ford F-150s and Honda Accords and Civics.

A few people are noting that it's 'common sense' not to leave valuables in plain sight. That's true, but there's no need to be unkind. A lot of common sense is overlooked in our society. It's not your fault if someone steals your car or your stuff, even if you leave the keys in the ignition. It's smart to be careful, but some people are happier if they trust their neighbors more than the most careful of us do. It's a shame that Austin's crime rate continues to grow. It's not as safe as it used to be, and while many people boast that Austin is a much safer place than other towns of its size, this is a huge problem that needs to be addressed.

[crashoran]

I'm just wondering why they stole my backpack full of school papers. Clearly they have no use for it, and I know it ended up in the trash. Same thing with the stereo. Instead of taking the whole thing they took my faceplate so I can't use the stereo anymore...

Do they do this just to **** people off?

[Cardiff Giant]

FYI, here's an alert that I just received from the Travis Co. Sheriff:

Bunny Run / Aqua Verde Neighborhood


Vehicle Burglaries are occurring in your area.

There have been several vehicle burglaries in the area of Aqua Verde in the last couple of weeks. For the most part, the unknown suspects have entered unlocked vehicles and have stolen property.

You can sign up for alerts if you're so inclined at www.citizenobserver.com

[mark311]

Originally Posted by crashoran

I'm just wondering why they stole my backpack full of school papers. Clearly they have no use for it, and I know it ended up in the trash. Same thing with the stereo. Instead of taking the whole thing they took my faceplate so I can't use the stereo anymore...

Do they do this just to **** people off?

They took the backpack because most backpacks have either a laptop, Ipod, or Nintendo DS in them.

They probably took the faceplate because they're not very smart and assume that it has some value. I guess maybe it could have some value on ebay. People that go around breaking into cars aren't the brightest people anyway. They just try to take as much as they can as quickly as possible and they sort through it later.

[atlanta hope]

Originally Posted by ritterbride

The is the problem with a hatchback, station wagon or SUV. There isn't a trunk to hide anything. I have yet to find a solution except putting things under the seat. I always have my laptop with me on my way home from work, so if I stop anywhere then I'm a target.

I take my laptop inside with me... I keep it in a backpack so I can tote it around easily. Losing the data would be worse than the actual laptop in my case.

[Cardiff Giant]

KXAN is on the case!

Burglaries on the rise in 2009 | KXAN.com

[crashoran]

There have also been several home invasions/burglaries in the middle of the night in the Cedar Park area.

[MariB.]

Some months back our son's car window was broken and thieves took his radar detector. There was a security patrol, but they can't be in all places at once. In addition to his BMW, there was a Jetta nearby broken into. My brand-new Subaru was parked just a few spaces away, and I had left my purse in the floorboard. Duh!

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