Written by Bernie Carr
There seems to be an uptick in property crimes in the general area. I like to post about safety so I thought I’d share some of recent incidents in the neighborhood. To paraphrase a quote from Dragnet: The stories you’re about to hear are true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Purse snatching
One of the neighbors, Sally reported she was sitting outside a clothing store at an upscale mall. Sally set her purse down right next to her. It was a pleasant Sunday afternoon and there was a lot of foot traffic nearby so she felt safe. Sally’s sense of security was shattered when a man came up to her and suddenly grabbed her purse. The thief ran off with her purse and ran into a waiting car.
Another lady, Kathy, was at a Costco parking lot in the middle of the day. Kathy had finished shopping and was getting ready to unload her groceries. The first thing she did was place her purse on the front passenger side seat. She then proceeded to load her purchases into the trunk of her car. As Kathy entered her car from the driver’s side door, a man quickly opened the passenger side door, grabbed Kathy’s purse and ran away. The thief got into a waiting car and drove off before anyone even noticed.
Avoid getting your purse snatched: Hold on to your purse or keep the strap on your shoulder at all times even if you feel you’re in a safe area. Lock your car door even when you step away just for a second. “Sliders” , which started spreading a couple of years ago are still around. You can never leave your door unlocked, even when you are right next to it.
Catalytic converter theft
John and Mary visited a strip mall and ate a restaurant. They parked their car in the parking lot. When they returned and tried to leave, their car would not start. Their catalytic converter was stolen. I don’t know much about cars so I had to look up what is a catalytic converter. A catalytic converter is part of car’s the exhaust system. It is located between the engine and the muffler, likely closer to the engine. John and Mary ended up having their car towed to the mechanic and later found out it would cost at least $1200 to get their car fixed.
Car break-ins
A lot of people park in their driveway instead of inside their garage. There have been a lot of car break-ins happening in people’s driveways. They have outdoor cameras, but the thieves were hats and masks and are hard to identify. Because their car is in their driveway, they feel it is safe enough and some even forget to lock their car doors. Thieves walk around trying to open cars, and ransack any cars that have unlocked doors. One couple said their daughter was visiting from college and parked her car in the driveway. That night, someone got in her car and stole the laptop along with other belongings. Police are telling citizens to lock their cars even when it’s parked inside a garage, as there have been garage break-ins as well.
Home burglary
Very recently, Fred and Kat left their home to go to work around 8 am. They have a doorbell camera that recorded a woman approached ringing the doorbell and waiting for a few minutes. When no one answered, the woman and her male accomplice walked to the back sliding door and broke in from there. The robbers stole jewelry and some electronics. The same woman was seen at other doorbell cameras in the neighborhood.
Carjacking
This one is the scariest one. Janie was driving near a shopping area and her car was rear ended. She pulled over to the side of the road to inspect the damage and exchange information with the other driver. Janie exited her car to look at the damage. As soon as she left her car, the other driver pushed her to the curb, jumped into her driver’s seat and drove off with Janie’s car. Janie’s mobile phone and purse were in the stolen car. A witness called the police and Janie’s parents.
With times getting tougher, crime is sure to rise. Avoid getting targeted by criminals with these tips.
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Bernie Carr is the founder of Apartment Prepper. She has written several books including the best-selling Prepper’s Pocket Guide, Jake and Miller’s Big Adventure, The Penny-Pinching Prepper and How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget. Bernie’s latest e-book, FRUGAL DIY has just been released on Amazon. Her work appears in sites such as the Allstate Blog and Clark.com, as well as print magazines such as Backwoods Survival Guide and Prepper Survival Guide. She has been featured in national publications such as Fox Business and Popular Mechanics. Learn more about Bernie here.
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