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Greenbelt News Review
]greenbelters : A community discussion list for anyone who lives or works in Greenbelt, MD Greenbelt History[/SIZE] Greenbelt, MD Patch - News, Sports, Events, Businesses & Deals
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Like you, I thought of Greenbelt as a foreign country. I raised my kids basically in Kemp Mill. One made a decision to live in PG County. I was horrified.
She's still there. The other two are in different states. I relocated from Potomac MD to Garland, Dallas, TX 1990-2005. Moved back into her home in East Greenbelt. It was strange getting around, topsy turvy. Loved the community of GHI. Tried to rent in an apartment there with my dog but no vacancies. Eventually found Calverton MD apartment which was in Beltsville PG side of Calverton. Loved living there. That's when I discovered that Cherry Hill Rd was the same as Randolph Rd. Now (83YO) live in Leisure World of Md. Still keep my Beltsville and Greenbelt lifestyle here in MoCo. (Of course I'm without family.) However, I need the above information to make my life tolerable here. The very first week I moved in, almost every one I met still maintained contact with Greenbelt.
Oh no! How terrible. I'm so sorry. This post makes me very nervous as we are in the process of moving to Lanham from Silver Spring. Whatever you do, don't blame yourself. There is nothing unreasonable about expecting that your home would not be broken into. And Silver Spring is not some sort of utopia, no matter what some (insensitive!) police officer in PG county says.
I definitely agree. Silver Spring really isn't that much safer, especially depending on what part you live in. Certainly am very sorry to hear about the break in. Have you talked to your neighbors about this? Have they had a similar experience?
I spoke to several neighbors about this and they were all in shock about this too. They tell me that west Lanham is very safe and that they don’t have break-ins in or around that neighborhood. Since then, I would say that I feel closer to my neighbors than before and they always say hi to me since I spoke with them about this. I guess it must have been a break-in of opportunity. It occurred around 4:00 pm. They didn’t take much because my wife walked in on them. There were two young men possibly teenagers. They ran off to a getaway car and made it off with only 2 items. But nevertheless my front door was kicked in and living room and bedroom were turned upside-down. I am very lucky that this happened so late in the afternoon. If it was earlier, they could have wiped my house clean.
I have since installed new steel doors that can’t be kicked in, reinforced all my entry doors and added better and stronger strike-plates. I also installed a new security system, and surveillance cameras in and around my house. Fool my once shame on you… fool me twice… shame on me.
Still, I am not sure if I will stay more than a few years. I just wish Montgomery country was a little more affordable. I love owning a nice well maintained single family house within a good neighborhood. I just want to feel like I also live in a safe place too.
Whoever those two guys were just ruined it for me and everyone I know. I used to tell everyone how safe and nice PG County was and that those stereotypes and conceptions were all wrong, but since this incident, I feel embarrassed.
I spoke to several neighbors about this and they were all in shock about this too. They tell me that west Lanham is very safe and that they don’t have break-ins in or around that neighborhood. Since then, I would say that I feel closer to my neighbors than before and they always say hi to me since I spoke with them about this. I guess it must have been a break-in of opportunity. It occurred around 4:00 pm. They didn’t take much because my wife walked in on them. There were two young men possibly teenagers. They ran off to a getaway car and made it off with only 2 items. But nevertheless my front door was kicked in and living room and bedroom were turned upside-down. I am very lucky that this happened so late in the afternoon. If it was earlier, they could have wiped my house clean.
I have since installed new steel doors that can’t be kicked in, reinforced all my entry doors and added better and stronger strike-plates. I also installed a new security system, and surveillance cameras in and around my house. Fool my once shame on you… fool me twice… shame on me.
Still, I am not sure if I will stay more than a few years. I just wish Montgomery country was a little more affordable. I love owning a nice well maintained single family house within a good neighborhood. I just want to feel like I also live in a safe place too.
Whoever those two guys were just ruined it for me and everyone I know. I used to tell everyone how safe and nice PG County was and that those stereotypes and conceptions were all wrong, but since this incident, I feel embarrassed.
You shouldn't feel embarassed. The fact that your neighbors were shocked is probably a good sign. As cliche as it sounds, crime happens everywhere even in the most quiet places. You definitely have to take the precautions that you have taken, but also check to see if this is a trend. It may turn out to an isolated situation. That will give you the biggest indication of what kind of neighborhood you are in. But thank goodness it didn't turn out worse and that your wife is safe. If it happens more, I would definitely say you would need to look at moving, but I would take this situation as a something to think about.
I spoke to several neighbors about this and they were all in shock about this too. They tell me that west Lanham is very safe and that they don’t have break-ins in or around that neighborhood. Since then, I would say that I feel closer to my neighbors than before and they always say hi to me since I spoke with them about this. I guess it must have been a break-in of opportunity. It occurred around 4:00 pm. They didn’t take much because my wife walked in on them. There were two young men possibly teenagers. They ran off to a getaway car and made it off with only 2 items. But nevertheless my front door was kicked in and living room and bedroom were turned upside-down. I am very lucky that this happened so late in the afternoon. If it was earlier, they could have wiped my house clean.
I have since installed new steel doors that can’t be kicked in, reinforced all my entry doors and added better and stronger strike-plates. I also installed a new security system, and surveillance cameras in and around my house. Fool my once shame on you… fool me twice… shame on me.
Still, I am not sure if I will stay more than a few years. I just wish Montgomery country was a little more affordable. I love owning a nice well maintained single family house within a good neighborhood. I just want to feel like I also live in a safe place too.
Whoever those two guys were just ruined it for me and everyone I know. I used to tell everyone how safe and nice PG County was and that those stereotypes and conceptions were all wrong, but since this incident, I feel embarrassed.
They broke into your house in broad daylight?!! We're moving to PG but honestly, if this happened to me, I would be very inclined to change my tune very quickly as well, and I would probably leave. One year is not long enough to feel committed enough to a community to stay in that situation. The blase "why would you leave Silver Spring?" reaction from the police officer you talked about earlier would also have p---ed me off to no end.
I'm very sorry to hear about the break-in. The cameras and other safety features should help deter any more attempts. But I know it must be a feeling of violation for you and your wife.
I would feel the same way you do, although I know that it's not just a Lanham issue; I've heard of break-ins in various neighborhoods in Bowie and elsewhere. Burglars case houses and neighborhoods where they think they will have easy access to lots of valuables. Yes, that would include Silver Spring, but I totally understand your perspective, because you didn't encounter a problem there.
I lived in West Baltimore for many years and never had a problem with a house or car break-in (although my mother had her car stolen). But living in Cleveland Park in DC one year, my car was broken into twice. The only thing this proves is that this stuff happens where it happens, although some areas are more susceptible. I worry now because thieves don't live too far away, and that's one of the problems in PG.
Best wishes as you try to move past this incident.
They broke into your house in broad daylight?!! We're moving to PG but honestly, if this happened to me, I would be very inclined to change my tune very quickly as well, and I would probably leave. One year is not long enough to feel committed enough to a community to stay in that situation. The blase "why would you leave Silver Spring?" reaction from the police officer you talked about earlier would also have p---ed me off to no end.
Breaking in during broad daylight, when most people are working, happens a lot. Easy access. But I agree I would feel like moving. There is the intellectual knowledge -- that a break-in can happen anywhere. Then there is the emotional reaction of feeling violated.
They broke into your house in broad daylight?!! We're moving to PG but honestly, if this happened to me, I would be very inclined to change my tune very quickly as well, and I would probably leave. One year is not long enough to feel committed enough to a community to stay in that situation. The blase "why would you leave Silver Spring?" reaction from the police officer you talked about earlier would also have p---ed me off to no end.
Burglary happens in every neighborhood. Even in Potomac, Little Falls, etc. Would you leave a $1.5 million home because it got broken into ONCE? My uncle who lived in a wealthy neighborhood in DC was burglarized. He stayed. I know people in Bethesda that had their homes broken into. They stayed. It happens. Now if your house gets repeatedly broken into, well, that could give someone pause and make them consider moving. I live in what some would call a "questionable" neighborhood. My next door neighbor had his lawn mower stolen. Thankfully, my house has never been touched. So, it's hit or miss and not a frequent event for any one homeowner. At least I don't think any one home gets repeatedly robbed. And the frequency I'm talking about is at least once a year.
Like I said a long time ago, the only crime that would make me consider moving is if my home was invaded while my family was in the home and we experienced personal injuries or God forbid, we were tied up. That's enough to make anyone move. But usually when that happens the person knows you somehow. We had a home invasion in our neighborhood last year where the residents were tied up. But they were involved in drug dealing.
Most people are practical and resilient to where a random burglary wouldn't cause them to uproot their family to move somewhere else.
By the way. My car window got busted out two years ago. Teens were going around the neighborhood looking for GPS systems. I believe this also happened this week in a NOVA neighborhood. You can move. But that doesn't isolate you completely from crime. I'm not sure how gated communities fare in this regard. I'm sure crime is a lot less in those communities.
You also have to be smart about protecting your home. Making sure dark areas are well lit. Having a 6ft+ fence around your back yard makes things more complicated for thieves. Locking up your yard equipment in a shed helps. Bulgar alarms are also good deterrents. Shrubs with barbs on them in front of ground level windows can help to deter crime. The burglar always wants to take the path of least resistance and usually looks for the more visibly hidden entry points. Take those options away from the thief and your house is less vulnerable. That's the way I landscaped my house and perhaps it has helped. I also have a burglar alarm. They actually sell extra alarm signs so it appears that you may have an alarm when you may not. Some simple deterrents than don't cost a fortune.
I've always wondered if this sign would be an effective deterrent to an intruder.
Ugh. Maybe I'll just get a big dog.
And I'm not saying I would just get up and leave because my house was broken into, but if I had been there less than a year, I would seriously consider it. There's a difference between being a long time resident and having something like this happen and being someone who is just giving a place with a less than stellar reputation a chance. The OP was already wary because of the schooling situation and now he has this to add his concerns. I'm saying this as someone who is moving into the area, you have to have your eyes open to the reality of a situation.
I've always wondered if this sign would be an effective deterrent to an intruder.
Ugh. Maybe I'll just get a big dog.
And I'm not saying I would just get up and leave because my house was broken into, but if I had been there less than a year, I would seriously consider it. There's a difference between being a long time resident and having something like this happen and being someone who is just giving a place with a less than stellar reputation a chance. The OP was already wary because of the schooling situation and now he has this to add his concerns. I'm saying this as someone who is moving into the area, you have to have your eyes open to the reality of a situation.
The same should hold true if it happened after a week of moving in. And what happens if their house never gets broken into again for 20 years? I'm not sure timing would be an issue here. Purchasing and moving into a home, to me, takes a huge investment of time and money that any one random burglary still wouldn't sway me from staying or even considering relocation. I mean I look at the more desirable areas that I wouldn't mind moving into if money wasn't an issue. What happens if I get robbed after a month of moving in? Am a just to assume that the neighborhood is just not worth it? Life throws you curve balls sometimes. I guess some people are able to shrug things like that off and others may take it more seriously.
PS. Love the sign! It is so true!
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How terrible. I'm so sorry. This post makes me very nervous as we are in the process of moving to Lanham from Silver Spring. Whatever you do, don't blame yourself. There is nothing unreasonable about expecting that your home would not be broken into. And Silver Spring is not some sort of utopia, no matter what some (insensitive!) police officer in PG county says.
What people have told me
