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<p>That’s a lot of work.</p>
<p>I guess they haven’t been watching the news reports that say hard work doesn’t pay anymore. 
We need better informed criminals.</p>
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<p>We had a 100 lb dog when we lived in the city, but he was really a softy. He did bark at people passing in the alley, a very deep bark. We would let him have a woof or two (but not more, didn’t want to annoy the neighbors, then we would bring him in). But when someone did break into our house, he was no deterrent at all… found him enclosed in the front door foyer when we got home one night, back door busted open with TV and stereo gone. We figure the most good he would be in a real situation would be licking the burglars to death…</p>
<p>That’s our situation, too, intparent. However, the dogs just by being a presence are a deterrent. My dogs <em>might</em> be able to lick him to death but they sound vicious when you’re walking by and there are two large dogs barking their heads off. Much easier to just go to another house without dogs. (Not saying it’s a perfect system, but thieves often go for the path of least resistance) </p>
<p>Our NEIGHBOR’S dogs (various artists) bark enough to save the world, and drive all the cats to OUR house. We live at the end of a cul de sec at the edge of town, and anybody in the area is highly suspect if they are not one of the few who have a reason to be in the area.</p>
<p>I grew up in Queens with bars on the windows but I often forget to lock the doors. When we first moved to the area, it seemed so rural that I was terrified by the thought that no one hear me screaming and pounding on the walls. I had lived in an apartment in the Bronx before that. Husband always remembers and often locks me out via the garage if he gets home first. </p>
<p>My 6 foot son grew up here, but finds the back yard scary at night. It is lit primarily by the moon, opens onto an unpopulated area with various fauna (we were made aware that we would hear “idiots and morons” hunting for turkey) and the entire back of the house is glass doors and windows. I am not sure what the locks add. </p>
<p>We have an alarm system but shhhhh! We never use it. Son used to set it off for kicks as a toddler, and we got a lot of fines from the police. </p>
<p>OTOH, I am compulsive about not leaving stuff visible in their car. Can I add on a question? </p>
<p>Yes, shrinkrap, you may add on a question.</p>
<p>How about leaving stuff on car seats? That seems like ASKING to have your windows broken to me. When I lived in DC, I took to leaving the windows open and the glove compartment open. But my husband who checks all the doors every night would leave a TABLET on the car seat during an outting, and his car keys and wallet in the car when home!</p>
<p>I don’t leave stuff in my cars, mostly because the only things I ever bring into the car with me are things that I need wherever I’m going. My wallet and phone are always on me, so those aren’t getting left. Plus, living in the north, it’s always too hot or too cold to leave any electronics on the seat. </p>
<p>OTOH, my dad leaves everything in the car- wallets, netbook, keys in the ignition. Drives my mom up the wall. However, we’ve had three cars stolen that did NOT have keys in them (one out of our driveway and two in downtown Detroit) so I guess at this point he figures that if they want the car, they’re going to get it with or without his “assistance” Since moving to our very safe neighborhood about 10 years ago, we’ve had no issues. Our crime rate is one of the lowest in the state. </p>
<p>I do not leave stuff on the car seats, and if I have luggage in the car while traveling I use the cover thing that stretches over the back (I have a wagon). People here often leave their cars running in the winter–I could never do that. I have had things stolen out of my car in various places I’ve lived around town–people seem to think it’s bored teenagers, but it doesn’t matter–so now I am vigilant about locking my car at night.</p>
<p>One thing I have always been really lax about that I am trying to get better at is not leaving my purse in the shopping cart at the grocery store. Bad, bad habit.</p>
<p>Parents of autistic children who elope are often shocked to find out how many neighbors leave their doors unlocked. I was, in our suburban neighborhood, during the couple of years when my non-verbal S thought it was hilarious while walking through the neighborhood to run up to other people’s houses and try their front doors. (He could be very, very fast, including after he had gained entrance.) I am glad that our neighbors knew us, and him, and the few times he got out of the house unnoticed he did not get very far. (Unlocked cars were also attractive to him.)</p>
<p>OTOH, I grew up in an urban area where we were always careful to lock doors, and were instructed never to flaunt items that could be attractive to thieves or even make us look “wealthy.”</p>
<p>^^ “autistic children who elope”? If that’s a typo, I can’t figure out what word you meant. If it’s not, then I’m really confused!</p>
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<p>60 Minutes or some show like that had a feature on pickpockets who focused on purses in shopping carts. It was revealing. They had a guy who carried a “portfolio” type envelope, and held it over the purse to shield people’s view of what he was doing (trying to swipe the wallet from the purse). But even more revealing was that he had a female accomplice. As soon as he successfully had a wallet, he instantly was on the move, and passed by the accomplice, surreptitiously handing her the wallet. Had someone observed the original theft and gone to report him, there would have been no evidence unless they’d been able to see the hand-off to the accomplice. Quite clever. </p>
<p>I don’t leave my purse in the grocery cart, but I have had numerous opportunities to steal the purses of the ladies who do.</p>
<p>When my kids were younger, one of my favorite past time is to read real detective stories from the NW. I think the author was a cop from Seattle. So there was a crime scene that a driver picked up mail and left the mail open face in the passenger seat, i.e. the address and name was in clear view. This gives a murder an address to go to commit a crime. Whatever you do, don’t be cavalier about your address and name. There are 1001 ways you can be a victim unknowingly.</p>
<p>Elope is an older word for running away/escaping. </p>
<p>In the old hospital records I work with (1900s-1950s), they use “elope” rather than escape. </p>
<p>If someone breaks into your car - can’t they just look for the registration to find your home address? Do people keep it someplace other than the glove compartment? </p>
<p>Your GPS may give the supermarket as your “home” but I think your registration has your real address on it. </p>
<p>Not breaking, just looked through the window. This is not robbery, this is murder crime.</p>
<p>This might seem obvious, but why does having an address make you a target for burglary? I can totally see it making you are target for something personal .</p>
<p>Not burglary, I think that is a possibility. But it was target of a murder crime. Gruesome murder. There are sick mind out there, you never know who you are exposing your address to.</p>