Yet another attempted break-in

addiebee

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Man, it's a sign of the times. My boyfriend lives in a pretty decent neighborhood in Detroit, but things have been going downhill recently.

Home invaders were going door-to-door, to see if anyone was home on his street, which backs onto an alley. One guy went to answer his door and right when he did, these thugs kicked in the door!!! The guy was hurt and was taken to the hospital.

They pounded on Doug's door but he opened a window on the second floor and called out and they took off.

He's really, really shook up.

All of this around 6 in the evening, if you can believe that.

He encountered a burglar last summer who broke out window, cut a screen and climbed in. Doug chased him out of the house.

He has been dragging his feet about moving out, selling the house, etc. for a number of reasons. I think his excuses are just about all used up now.

I am so relieved that he's ok. I offered to go get him (he's visually impaired and doesn't drive.) But he said no.
 

going nova

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Oh my goodness! I'd be afraid, and would move as well! Hopefully, this will convince him! that they don't try to break in again!
 

lil maggie

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Originally Posted by Trouts mom

OMG, how scary!! I would move Asap!
Wow! Me too! Brrrr, gives me chills thinking about it!

I had someone break into my car one early morning in front of my house. They didn't steal anything, I think they were looking for money but they picked the wrong person for that! I'm still paranoid and check my car from time to time when I'm home.

Hope you can convince him to move!
 

kittybernard

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Boy.. that is a bit dumb to stick around a place that obviously attracts all of the wrong people.. hopefully he'll move soon and, in the mean time, be safe.. scary stuff!!


We've had people trying to break into our cars on numerous occassions.. and once successfully by slashing the plastic window to a relative's Jeep. The idiot took a pack of cigarettes and dropped the lighter as he left. I went into CSI mode and preserved any and all evidence!
 

plainjane

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This kind of thing, (amongst many others), is why I'm going to live on lots of acrege and be a hermit.
 

angelic00

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That is why i am so glad i have dogs,the sound of 3-4 dogs barking scares alot of people(most of the time the wont even come in the gate).It is going to be most helpful when we move in the next few months to a part of the city that is questionable(yet no place is safe anymore).
 
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addiebee

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Thanks for your good vibes! He's been dragging his feet. He will get totaly socked financially trying to sell the house ... but he told me his biggest issue is that he is emotionally attached to the house. I do understand that. He hates parting with it. But I would hate even more if something were to happen to him.

This is NOT the first time. He confronted a burglar IN his home last summer. The house has been the target of break ins before - two of them successful.

I suggested that he get a big dog. He didn't want to. I suggested he put in an alarm system. He didn't want to.

He is moving in here, don't know if this will be a long term solution. Honestly, I prefer that he have his own place, but first and foremost, I want him to be safe.
 

angelic00

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For me a dog or 3-4 was the best solution i was alone alot for 2 years while my boyfriend worked out of town and well i was not fond of an alarm system as i would probably forget the code i chose,or alot of problems.I am glad your boyfriend is deciding something though.Even if he does not want a big dog there are alot of smaller dogs with big barks out there,Or just hang a guard dog on duty or Beware of dog sign that may help....
 

mrblanche

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We have an alarm system. We've had it for almost 12 years and never have had a problem. Not one single false alarm, for example.

But an alarm has problems. It doesn't go off immediately, or it would be impossible for you to get in the house yourself. Ours has a 1 minute delay, enough time to get in an turn it off. Then, it goes off for 1 minute before it dials out. So you have two minutes before it even starts the notification procedure. It does have a panic button for fire, ambulance, or police, but even that would be delayed while the alarm company checks with you before sending the police. It also has a secret "hostage code" that you can use to turn it off, say, if someone comes in with a gun, that turns off the audible alarm but goes ahead with calling police.

Also, we do have an immediate alarm on the easiest door to break into. No delay, in other words.

It can also be set up for motion detection (bad idea, with cats!), fire detection, and glass breakage detection.

But a dog is more convincing. However, a steak will take care of a dog.
 
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addiebee

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Originally Posted by mrblanche

We have an alarm system. We've had it for almost 12 years and never have had a problem. Not one single false alarm, for example.

But an alarm has problems. It doesn't go off immediately, or it would be impossible for you to get in the house yourself. Ours has a 1 minute delay, enough time to get in an turn it off. Then, it goes off for 1 minute before it dials out. So you have two minutes before it even starts the notification procedure. It does have a panic button for fire, ambulance, or police, but even that would be delayed while the alarm company checks with you before sending the police. It also has a secret "hostage code" that you can use to turn it off, say, if someone comes in with a gun, that turns off the audible alarm but goes ahead with calling police.

Also, we do have an immediate alarm on the easiest door to break into. No delay, in other words.

It can also be set up for motion detection (bad idea, with cats!), fire detection, and glass breakage detection.

But a dog is more convincing. However, a steak will take care of a dog.
In a sense a dog is a deterrent. There were breakins on the next street over about a year ago. A couple of houses right near a big and I do mean big dog... but not the dog's house. The owner believes the bad guys were scared away. I think the dog was a mastiff.
 

mai_kitties

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Don't always think that the dog is going to help the situation. It could just be worse. In Ohio recently I have heard of two instances where thieves broke into homes and either killed the dog or injured the dog severely to keep it from barking.

Some people are just evil to the core and a dog is not going to stop someone from doing what they want. It might scare off the idiots looking for drug money or to smash and grab but if someone with a gun or a knife really wants to get the goods they are most likely prepared to kill an animal that they view as expendable.

A security system is the best option you have really. A dog can't auto dial police while a system can. An intruder knows this and will think twice before breaking into a home that has one.
 
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addiebee

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That's true. There isn't much you can do about a crook that is THAT determined. Most of these break-ins have been by petty thieves with crude and simple tactics.

They don't want to encounter people and they want the easiest marks. Anything that would deter them means they move on to the next place.

I mean, kicking in someone's front door?
that's not an easy "in". So I don't know about these guys. The last couple of times, the crooks came in through windows they broke in the back of the house that face the alley, where there is less traffic. The front doors of these homes face a pretty busy street.!!! That's brazen. And to me that is the most dangerous. If they are brazen enough to kick in a door, what would they do to a home owner they catch there?

The family on one side of my BF - they have little kids. What if these goons had busted down the door on their home. What if the teenage girl was home alone or home with the two little ones. That really makes my stomach do flip flops. They're really really nice people.

Yes. He needs to move as soon as he can. He has stepped up the work that needs to be done in order to put the house on the market. He is worried that if he moves out completely and the house seems abandonned that scavengers will strike - stripping the home of ANYTHING they can sell - from copper pipes to bathroom fixtures to... you name it. It happens here... and other places.
 

ancientsanskrit

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Dang...Where is he located?

All this talk about police, but very few know much about "Detroit" Police. Like any big, crime-infested city, police response is a joke. His first route of action should be to get out of Detroit and relocate to somewhere outside the city. If this is not possible, I would be to become friendly with the neighbors and watch each others' backs, so to speak. Thirdly, while most probably won't agree is get protection.

The entire vicinity of outer downtown is getting worse. It was bad to begin with, but it's exponentially declining as the city and outside cities have very little budget to maintain police services. Heck, I used to hang out over in the Brightmoor area off Schoolcraft long, long ago, but man, last time I was in that part of the area, it was sketchy. Don't even get me started on Zone 8 off Grand Blvd. I recall going to WSU for some classes and one wrong turn and you're in the middle of a war zone.

Persuade your bf to get out of there. If it's a matter of cost, he can still get by in safer cities like Redford, Oak Park, River Rouge if he needs to be near the city. If not, hell he could probably be get by in the Wixom/Walled Lake area where I used to live. Quite affordable living out there, and too far from the city for all the crime.
 
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addiebee

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Originally Posted by ancientsanskrit

Dang...Where is he located?

All this talk about police, but very few know much about "Detroit" Police. Like any big, crime-infested city, police response is a joke. His first route of action should be to get out of Detroit and relocate to somewhere outside the city. If this is not possible, I would be to become friendly with the neighbors and watch each others' backs, so to speak. Thirdly, while most probably won't agree is get protection.

The entire vicinity of outer downtown is getting worse. It was bad to begin with, but it's exponentially declining as the city and outside cities have very little budget to maintain police services. Heck, I used to hang out over in the Brightmoor area off Schoolcraft long, long ago, but man, last time I was in that part of the area, it was sketchy. Don't even get me started on Zone 8 off Grand Blvd. I recall going to WSU for some classes and one wrong turn and you're in the middle of a war zone.

Persuade your bf to get out of there. If it's a matter of cost, he can still get by in safer cities like Redford, Oak Park, River Rouge if he needs to be near the city. If not, hell he could probably be get by in the Wixom/Walled Lake area where I used to live. Quite affordable living out there, and too far from the city for all the crime.
His house is near Mack and Moross on the far east side - on the border with Grosse Pointe Woods. Actually, the cops responded pretty quickly. (Several cops live in the neighborhood. One of them theorized the bad guys might have been after guns.)
 

tara g

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How scary! I would definitely be trying to move out if I were him!

We had someone break into one of the houses we lived in in NJ. They came in the bathroom screened window and stole about $25,000 in my mom's jewelry and some coats. The only reason we noticed when we got home was because of a glove on the floor outside the closet.

When we moved to NC, my parents had an alarm installed, but one night I heard someone jiggling the handle on the back door (my room was downstairs). I barricaded myself in my room with the phone
My mom said she saw a flashlight sweeping around outside their window and heard someone jiggle the sliding glass door off the porch.

I have a 9mm and Rob has a 12ga, (once tax returns come back I'll have a 20ga and Rob will have a .40cal), and I wouldn't advise anyone to break in to my house! There's been a few in Charleston recently, but none nearby me that I'm aware of. Rob's family keeps all their doors unlocked, no alarm. I HATED that living there. My house is locked up tight and we also plan on getting an alarm. Seems the crime IS starting to seep from N. Charleston into Summerville.
 
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