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.
We were just burglarized and nothing was taken. We have video and pictures of the burglar and the police has copies. Some neighbors would like for us to post the pictures. Others do not because it would make the neighborhood look bad.
My question is, would you do this or should we allow authorities to handle this?
I'm sorry to hear someone broke into your home. It is very upsetting. About a month ago I had someone try to come into my house. I was in the garage organizing when I heard someone trying to come in the door. It was locked. I looked out front and it was a group of teens trying to be funny. I called the police. The interesting thing is when I talked to my neighbors some seemed really concerned and others gave me a look of like I must have done something to cause this. Our sub has a website and I posted what happened. No one replied to me. Heads in the sand kind of attitude. Then a few weeks later there was a rash of car break in's. Then that got people's attention. The idea that wow, it could happen to them as well, woke them up. I don't regret sharing the information even though I didnt get much support in the beginning.
I agree that you must be feeling very violated and vulnerable. However, if nothing was taken, I doubt the police are going to do anything. Do you think that you came home while they were there and so interrupted the theft?
Do you know how they gained access to your house? Be sure to change your door locks, as, unknown to you, the burglars may have taken keys.
Where would you post the photos? Does your neighborhood have a website?
If nothing was taken, I doubt the police are going to do anything. Where would you post the photos? Does your neighborhood have a website?
The police were very interested because, according to them, many houses have been burglarized in this area. They did say they would post the pictures but I need to ask where. Many neighbors gathered around our house outraged that this has happened again.
We don't have a neighborhood website but I did send this information to a city news website. They posted video of a local house that was burglarized. He was caught in the act, however.
[quote=texasfirewheel;24383357]I agree that you must be feeling very violated and vulnerable. However, if nothing was taken, I doubt the police are going to do anything.
Quote:
Do you think that you came home while they were there and so interrupted the theft?
No. It was 10 in the morning. He was seen talking on his phone while picking up my laptop but then dropped it and ran out. It was very fast. Everything less than 3 minutes.
Quote:
Do you know how they gained access to your house? Be sure to change your door locks, as, unknown to you, the burglars may have taken keys.
Yes, they busted through a patio door window. That was their entry and exit point. He did not open any doors or windows. The alarm did not go off until he got to the living area. They cannot kick the door open since all exterior door open out. We have all copies of our house keys.
Quote:
Where would you post the photos? Does your neighborhood have a website?
Wow. First thing to do is get glass breakage included in your alarm system. Many of my neighbors who dont have it have lost computers, TV's, etc in burglaries. The crooks get what they can before they finally trip the alarm.
Yes, I'd post the photos everywhere I could...the mailbox clusters, light poles, signs in the esplanades, the neighborhood house front doors, etc. In this litigious society, the burglar might actually sue you for interfering with his livelihood (dont laugh...it's happened) but the chances of that happening are slim.
Wow. First thing to do is get glass breakage included in your alarm system. Many of my neighbors who dont have it have lost computers, TV's, etc in burglaries. The crooks get what they can before they finally trip the alarm.
Yes, I'd post the photos everywhere I could...the mailbox clusters, light poles, signs in the esplanades, the neighborhood house front doors, etc. In this litigious society, the burglar might actually sue you for interfering with his livelihood (dont laugh...it's happened) but the chances of that happening are slim.
Police have told us that burglars have 15 minutes before they arrive. We have a better chance of catching them if we used a camera system that emails us immediately.
We have this but for some reason it stopped sending emails and my husband delayed fixing the problem.
I wouldn't post pictures. I'd hand out pictures to neighbors via knocking on their doors. While you are at their doors talking to them, discuss starting a neighborhood watch program with a phone tree.
Our neighborhood had a very brief slew of someone stealing music CDs from cars. A neighbor initiated a neighborhood watch program and the petty thefts stopped immediately. We suspect it was a neighborhood kid who heard about the neighborhood watch and stopped. So just having a neighborhood watch deters crime.
Police have told us that burglars have 15 minutes before they arrive. We have a better chance of catching them if we used a camera system that emails us immediately.
My suggestion would be to use the camera system in conjunction with a security service.
If you dont want to do that, you can get window/door alarms that produce a shrill screech whenever the window/door is opened. I have an alarm service with glass breakage coverage and I also have those screechers on all my windows (not on my doors).
And you can also buy, on a well-known internet auction site, signs for your yard and windows that advertise you're protected by a well-known security alarm service.
It's always better to prevent a burglary than to try to catch the burglar. The signs are excellent deterrents and the screechers are too.
I also have DOOR DEVILS on all my exterior doors. They're guaranteed to prevent doors from being kicked-in.
Crop one of the pictures so it just shows the face. Put it on facebook saying that the person won an award worth a lot of money and ask if anyone knows him.
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.
Our sub has a website and I posted what happened. No one replied to me. Heads in the sand kind of attitude. Then a few weeks later there was a rash of car break in's. Then that got people's attention. The idea that wow, it could happen to them as well, woke them up. I don't regret sharing the information even though I didnt get much support in the beginning.
