Thanks to Matt for sending this alert circulated on a Gatewood list:
“We received two emails from folks around Heights Place SW & 41st Ave SW (2 blocks east of California; area shown on map at left) and both had cars broken into last night. One just rummaged through glove box but the other had a checkbook stolen. One also reported their neighbor had his SUV stolen last week.”
Come on people – don’t leave anything of value inside your car – your just feeding the beast.
And if you have a garage – clean it out and start parking in it!
If everyone cleaned out their garage and didn’t park on the street, and didn’t leave valuable stuff in their cars — then the “beast” would be more motivated to break into our homes. Keep feeding the beast out in the street. Besides, people should be able to leave stuff in their cars. Homeowners policy covers stuff stolen out of your car. People who break into cars will break into houses too. The only ones to blame are the thieves, don’t blame people for leaving stuff in their cars or using their garage for storage — afterall, seattle houses have no storage inside for sure –charming and quaint = no storage.
I wasn’t aware that a petty car prowler would break into your house . . . I’ve studied criminal behavior (in college and for professional reasons) and your assertions that by removing the temptation to break into your car (i.e. remove visible objects) would lead a criminal to commit a more serious offense are absolutely unfounded.
Car Prowls are usually committed by youth (thats right, your non-disciplined offspring) and inexperienced criminals that require very little resources and/or planning – the most you can be charged with prowling cars are Class C and B felonies – PSP (1 – 3) , Theft (2 or 3 – Theft being a Misdemeanor offense), Prowling, Possession of Theft Tools, etc . . .
Home Burglary requires a vast array of tools and foresight, most home burglaries are perpetrated by parties that have to feed drug habits and/or have a tenured criminal history. The penalties are much more severe, instead of being petty property crime you’re charged automatically with a Class A Felony, Residential Burglary is also classified as a crime against a person not just a property crime.
Fred’s not blaming the Victim’s, he is just attempting to HELP by pointing out the so common, lack of common sense!
I’ve traveled the world and country (lived many places, too) . . . when/where do people leave high value, small items in plain view, protected by only a thin plane of bendable safety glass?
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