Close and lock your doors.

[jrclen]

I live in a very rural area far from the city. And a long walk from the nearest small town. So I'm not accustomed to bringing the car keys into the house nor locking the doors. But this is becoming a very different world than what it was in the past. So, I really need to start doing the right thing. Great new years resolution. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Kronos]

I grew up in CA....

Even though I'm in WV if you asked me to not lock a door I'd look at you like you have a ding dong growing out your head

 

[BB57]

I stopped locking my car at work after the second broken window. .../

/...

This is wrong thinking. Insurance will replace the window. More importantly, you have allowed the criminal to train you to help them. You can do what you like, but I'm not inviting the criminal to steal anything from me. Rather than give in, we should be taking steps to correct the aberrant behavior.


My father gave me some sage wisdom when I was small. He said, "The determined thief cannot be stopped. With enough time and planning, any security system can be breached. The idea is not to prevent any kind of thief, but to slow them down as much as possible. By doing that, the less determined thief will seek sport elsewhere."

I could live in a prison and drive an armored car. That will stop almost any thief. However, I don't like either of those things so, I compromise. I don't leave my doors unlocked and I try to keep my head on a swivel.

I don't like blaming the victim, but, friends, leaving the keys in your ignition is just stupid squared. I wouldn't do that out of habit, but I probably could if I have my dog in the car:

I'm with gonerydin on this one, so let's discuss this "wrong thinking" a minute. My vehicle was broken into in Arlington 10-12 years ago. The thief saw a suction cup ring on the windshield and thought there might be a GPS in the vehicle. There wasn't but he caused $2500 in damage when he used a screw driver to break the window by prying on the edge from the frame.

That still cost me $250 for a deductible, and it cost me even more money when I later traded it off. While it was fully repaired with a new door, since the amount was over $2000 it showed as an "accident" on the title search and my insurance didn't cover that resulting loss in value either.

Fast forward to about 2 years ago, we started having a rash of auto break-ins in our normally crime free neighborhood. My vehicle is usually clean inside with nothing worth stealing anywhere other than in the console safe. So I left it unlocked. One morning I discovered someone had rifled through it, discovered the safe (left the console open), left with nothing and without damage to my vehicle.

Given his pattern of behavior, leaving it unlocked didn't allow the thief to "train me to help him", since he got squat.

As you yourself stated above about your own conduct, I recognize the realities and I compromise when it makes sense to do so. The safe slowed the thief down enough not to even bother, but he also didn't break my window.

 

[Richard Simmons]

We keep our residence locked at all times. The neighborhood is great, large lots with single family homes, cul de sac so no through traffic, etc., but be that as it may we keep things locked.

Some of my neighbors though take a different approach. Not sure if they smoke in the garage, generally ranch style home with attached garage but the garage doors open at dawn and don’t go down until after dark. I’ll bet the door between the garage and the rest of the house is never locked either. Seems like it would cost less in heating and cooling to keep the garage door shut let alone the security aspect but they are open every day, all day.

As far as vehicles go mine are locked 100% of the time. One of my BIL was stationed in Europe as an officer in the Army back when the Red Brigade and other terrorist groups were looking to kidnap U.S. military members. Even after all these years he locks his car doors as soon as his butt hits the seat. I do the same.

Never leave your keys in your car and for sure never leave your car running.

 

[lawandorder]

With regard to car break ins...........................

..............they are often passed off as minor crimes. If the total dollar value of loss on average day in this country from car break ins was known I think folks would be staggered.

The main target of the theft is purses. Usually left in plain sight in a locked car. Once the purse (or wallet) is obtained the thugs run to a nearby Wally world or like establishment. They find clerks who are simpatico, think as the thug does, and purchase open gift cards to the max amount allowed on the stolen credit cards. Not much in the way of doing anything about it when the employee does not bother to check IDs.
Time is of the essence! Before thefts can be reported.

The second favorite target is law enforcement vehicles or those displaying NRA or other stickers indicating gun ownership. Can you say Truck gun?
An amazing number of these hits were perpetrated before folks began getting wise to it.

Think these are isolated incidents. Google Felony Lane Gang.

 

[sotexas]

Having my vehicle entered without my permission 2X in the last 14 months I know the feeling that others speak of. The first time my vehicle was locked and they broke windows. This incident was at a Dr's office after a range trip. The second time the doors were unlocked and in my driveway and loss was very minimal. Looking at those two incidents I believe it was the value of the items that was the cause of the windows being broken. I drive a pick up so my 2 rifle cases, scope box, spotting scope, ammo bag, hunting coat, boots, pistol bag, and cooler in the back of the truck were all visible. This was done in a public parking area in daylight. Whether you lock your doors or not is a personal decision but when the doors were locked I did feel I tried to protect my property. Insurance company was great on #1 ( HO/Auto ) but my biggest mistake was not planning my day better so I could go home and unload before the Dr's office

 

[Ranger17]

Madison has had waves of auto thefts by groups of teens, as young as 12-13. It is a near daily occurrence, often with chases and crashes to follow. They can be seen on Ring videos running thru neighborhoods checking every car door. An open door may allow them access to garage and then into the home to get car keys. Near every car stolen (or those that had items taken) were from unlocked doors.
The sad thing is the car owners end up bearing more “punishment” than the punks taking them. We will see constant reminders to lock doors but the kids continue to get out and repeat the offense.
Both situations are just more sad evidence in how our culture has changed.

 

[shovelhead]

One of the premises of securing property is that you want to make your property more secure than your neighbor's, the bear chasing someone joke comes to mind. For them to find a softer target, whatever.

I used to work in a Harley dealership. Anytime you would see a disc brake lock depicted in a photo it is always on the front wheel. WRONG!

I would tell the prospective customer to put it on the rear disc. Why? Because on the front wheel two guys pick the bike up by the front end and roll it into a trailer, no resistance as the rear wheel is turning. Picking up a bike by the front end, well two muscular guys can do that pretty easily. Now by the back wheel, another story. More weight i on the back of the bike plus they have to deal with the front forks turned and locked so the bike is turning making more resistance.

Sure four guys with pipes though the wheels "could" lift and carry it or they could just drag it or use a winch. But you are making it harder, taking more time and hopefully attracting more attention to what they are doing.

 

[ParadiseRoad]

...probably the ultimate lock your doors and load your guns story...

...the Clutters...slaughtered in their home in Holcomb Kansas in 1959 when two miscreants entered through an unlocked door in the middle of the night...

 

[Smoke]

but when the doors were locked I did feel I tried to protect my property.

How'd that work out for you?

 

[Marshal Tom]

Police in Midland, Texas, says people are coming from all over the western part of the state ...to steal stuff out of cars. Why? Because people there tend not to lock their cars. “We had a guy who had his car broken into and had a gun stolen and about two months later had his car broken into again and had another gun stolen,” says Deputy Chief Jerad Fain. “So, the same person left his car unlocked twice and had two guns stolen. So, that’s what we’re dealing with right now.” There have been more than a thousand car burglaries in the city this year, and the vast majority of the cars were unlocked. Among the haul: more than 50 guns. The thieves call Midland “The Candy Store”. (RC/KOSA Odessa)

 

[Rastoff]

If the doors are unlocked, it's not a break in.

 

[SMSgt]

If the doors are unlocked, it's not a break in.

Maybe, maybe not. According to FL case law, opening an unlocked door is forced entry as some measure of force is required to open the door. Crowbars not required.

 

[usmc2427765]

My wife's grandfather had an interesting saying, " people are no damned good". In my LEO career, I saw little that would change his opinion.

 

[Smoke]

Maybe, maybe not. According to FL case law, opening an unlocked door is forced entry as some measure of force is required to open the door. Crowbars not required.

Could you cite some specific cases please?

 

[SMSgt]

Could you cite some specific cases please?

Jon Gutmacher addresses it in his book in the link below, including specific cases. In short, the judge ruled even an unlocked door requires some level of force to open.

Florida Firearms - gun & weapon laws explained

 

[Smoke]

Jon Gutmacher addresses it in his book in the link below, including specific cases. In short, the judge ruled even an unlocked door requires some level of force to open.

Florida Firearms - gun & weapon laws explained

Interesting.

I wonder at what point it becomes precedent. As in any criminal who enters through an unlocked door is charged

 

[Ziggy2525]

Interesting.

I wonder at what point it becomes precedent. As in any criminal who enters through an unlocked door is charged

IANAL, but far as I can tell case law is the same in Nebraska. These are a couple case law annotations tacked on to NRS 28-507 - Burglary.

The opening of a closed door is a "breaking" within the definition of burglary. State v. Tyrrell, 234 Neb. 901, 453 N.W.2d 104 (1990)

Evidence of any act of physical force by which the obstruction to entering is removed, such as opening a closed screen door to enter an apartment, is sufficient to prove a breaking under subsection (1) of this section. State v. Zemunski, 230 Neb. 613, 433 N.W.2d 170 (1988)

 

[hdfinder47]

About 20 years ago I had the opportunity to travel to a factory in Kansas. It was a small town with only 1 motel, gas station, restaurant and convenience store....and a factory.

I stopped with my rental car one day after work at the 7-11 and noted that the cars in the lot were all running. I commented to the plant manager the next day and he said that there were only honest people in that town. Just for laughs the next day at lunch I walked thru the plant parking lot and 100% of the worker's cars had the keys in the ignition.

Maybe there still are places that honest people live. All I know is that those Kansas people were some of the nicest i ever met.

When I was a LEO we had a pet name for nice folks like that:
VICTIMS.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

In my city, the thug behavior du jour is kids, probably 14 to 20, that walk down the street around 1 to 2 am looking for open car doors. Then when they find them (no shortage), rifling through the car. People post multiple surveillance videos of it pretty much every day on Ring and Next Door.

It’s probably more common in “good” neighborhoods than bad.

Excellent point! Bad neighborhoods have their share of problems, but good neighborhoods are a magnet for thieves and prowlers. Just because an area "looks nice" does not mean it is a safe area.