No Soliciting

Since the burglary, we've posted a "No Soliciting" sign on our mailbox, which is located next to the front door. Our neighborhood seems like it's a magnet for door-to-door solicitors, from kids whose parents literally drive them from other neighborhoods, roofers and tree trimmers, to scammers posing as underprivileged high school students trying to sell LA Times subscriptions. These scammers come to our neighborhood wearing fine jewelry and counter sales objections like pros, not at all like high school students. They work with others casing a neighborhood or attempt to steal identity info by asking for a check or credit card payment for the newspaper subscription.

Although we have the No Soliciting sign posted, these door-to-door folks, legit or not, don't always heed the sign. We simply don't open the door for solicitors. You shouldn't either. It's another way for burglars and other indecents to learn about your home, your activity, etc.

We'll let solicitors know, without opening our front door, we're not interested in anything they have to offer. If you have dogs, you may want to let them do the talking for you. This happened today at our house and I admit I found it rather amusing. Bias tell me it's often more effective with larger dogs or dogs that have a deeper bark or growl.

When solicitors knocked on the door this morning, our two dogs let them know loud and clear they weren't welcome. Good dogs.

Jesus Knows You're Here

A little comic relief if you've gone through a burglary. Forwarded from our former pet sitter:


Jesus Knows You're Here

A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around,looking for valuables when a voice in the dark said, "Jesus knows you're here."

He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off, and froze. When he heard nothing more, after a bit, he shook his head and continued. Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard, "Jesus is watching you."

Freaked out, he shined his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice. Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot.

"Did you say that?" he hissed at the parrot.

"Yep," the parrot confessed, then squawked, "I'm just trying to warn you that he is watching you."

The burglar relaxed. "Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?"

"Moses," replied the bird.

"Moses?" the burglar laughed, "What kind of people would name a bird Moses?"

"The kind of people that would name a Rottweiler Jesus."

Valuable Info in Local Police Blotter

For the first couple of months after the burglary, I searched online every couple of weeks to see if there was any news in local online newspapers about burglary suspects getting caught for burglaries in our city. While the criminals in our case are still running a muck, a search for "[our city]+burglary" via Google would serve results that included new activity in our city regarding burglaries. This piqued my interest and made me wonder, "what other shady activities should we be aware of that are happening in our city?"

While I've never seen a formal police blotter from the police department published in the city paper for the residents of our little surburban city of just under 51,000, one of the Google searches led me to a website called Patch.com. The site focuses on local information for several cities in 20 states. Not all cities in the states listed are included but info includes updates on recent police activity and crime (and other stuff like what to do locally on the weekend, local politics, community issues, and more).

Knowing what's happening in our city - what the bad guys are doing - not only reminds us the threat of being burglarized again is very real but gives us an opportunity to remember normal precautions that can potentially prevent us from being targeted. For example, I read about items stolen from vehicles where an owner left an auto unlocked. I think when you've lived in an area that has always felt like a very quiet, safe neighborhood, it's easy to be careless due to a false sense of security. Now, even if a car is locked, items left in a vehicle which are attractive to crooks include tools (apparently a very popular category of items to steal) and electronics of all sorts (laptops, gps units, etc.). And, cars parked on the street vs. in your driveway = easier target for thieves!

These are just a handful of lessons we've learned or relearned from staying updated on local police activity in our city. Find out what's happening in your town. The knowledge could help prevent you from being a victim!

Maintaining Vigilance

It's been 8 months since the burglary. While we're not so hypersensitive anymore to every unfamiliar car driving on our street, we've maintained a steady vigilance in our neighborhood. It's easy to let your guard down when there is no crime or everything seems calm and hunky-dory.

That's just what burglars want. For you to let your guard down.

When people believe, "nothing happens in our neighborhood," they start neglecting to lock doors or don't bother to check if all the windows are closed and secured before they leave the house. They become less attentive to surroundings and potentially suspicious individuals.

Stay vigilant. Hold regular neighborhood watch meetings. Read the local crime blotter. Talk to your neighbors. Get to know them. Be aware of what's happening on your block and in your neighborhood.

Burglars want to get in, take your belongings, and get out. All unnoticed.

Maintaining vigilance and having neighbors who are vigilant can be what stops your home from being burglarized.

Home Insurance Premium Increase Due to Burglary Claim

Our insurance agent just informed us our home insurance premium is going from $570/year to almost $800/year because we filed a claim from the burglary last year. Even though we've installed an alarm system since the event, it only lowers our bill by $48. Then our agent "warns" us that we're unlikely to get approved for a policy elsewhere because we've had a claim in the last three years or other companies will just tack on a big surcharge...just like this company is doing. Are you serious???

So, first, the burglars screw us by breaking into our home.

Now, the insurance company screws us by jacking up our premium 38.5%.

Just effin' lovely. Also, the insurance agent wants to cross-sell us life insurance because then he can offer a 3% discount on the home insurance policy.

Greedy monsters.

Trauma of Burglary

I will never forget the ripple of "oh my God, this is not happening" when we realized our home had been burglarized.

That was the beginning of the effects of the burglary.

The monetary value we lost was trivial compared to the sentimental value of items stolen. Electronics taken included our camera and laptop. Digital negatives of our wedding, birthdays, anniversaries, vacations...all gone. And if these jerks were looking through the photos, they had no right. Absolutely no right. Those memories belong to us. Not them.

We don't have much jewelry but included in what was taken - a wedding band, rings passed down from an auntie and my mother, earrings my mother gave me for my 18th birthday...how dare they...

On top of that, we were afraid to leave the house. Fear of being burglarized again, being violated again, made us not want to go to work and leave the house unattended. We were fearful to run simple errands like grocery shopping. We cancelled vacation plans. Essentially, it temporarily paralyzed us.

Then, the fight response really kicked in to high gear. Police told us to expect these jerks to come back and try breaking in our home again. Part of us said, "hey, ok, you come down our street...we'll kick the crap out of your big bad a$$."

These are just a few examples of what goes on in a victim's mind after a burglary. Criminals breaking into one's home, where a person is supposed to feel most safe and at ease, is a very traumatic event. If you've recently experienced a burglary, you're not crazy for thinking/feeling some of these same things.

Initially, it helped a lot to talk with family and friends. Now that a few months have passed, I don't really want to talk to them anymore nor do I really want to talk about the event. I know some healing has occurred because the nightmares are gone. However, I'm still battling other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Particularly:

• Exaggerated response to things that startle me
• Excess awareness (hypervigilance)
• Palpitations

Now would be a good time to consider talking to a counselor or therapist. We're fortunate our employers offer an EAP- Employee Assistance Program. Find out if your employer offers this as part of your benefits. Typically, an EAP program provides 2-3 free counseling sessions over the phone. After the comp sessions, if you want to continue with counseling or therapy, the Employee Assistance Program will provide referrals of mental health professionals located in your community that specialize in PTSD.

Speaking to a professional (vs. friends/family) can be extremely helpful - this person's only duty to you is to help you understand how to heal and move forward, including how to navigate through the PTSD symptoms.

If you don't have access to an EAP, check with your city if there are any type of support groups or local organizations that can provide assistance in helping victims heal from mental and emotional trauma.

Don't let the jerks who did this have power over you. They've taken too much already. Have courage and allow yourself to heal.

What Would You Do?

I really wish more people would stop worrying about getting into someone else's business when it's crystal clear something is wrong.

Earlier this year, we started watching a show called What Would You Do?. Actors play out precarious and/or morally-questionable situations and cameras capture how people react...if they react. If they are compelled to take action.

For example, on tonight's show, one of the scenarios focused on a guy slipping a powdery substance in his date's drink while she went to the bathroom. Not everyone who saw what happened actually spoke up. Few said anything. Most wanted to stay out of it, even though they clearly saw the male actor drop what looked like drugs into his date's glass of wine.

One of our neighbors saw the guys criminals who broke into our home. Although she felt strongly suspicious about the men knocking on our door, running away from our home, and speeding away in a vehicle, she did nothing.

She needs a major wake-up call and she needs to watch What Would You Do?.

Hopefully, people watching this show have their eyes opened a little wider and their brains tapped a little harder.

It's not about being a hero but it does involve a little common sense plus courage.

Don't be afraid to speak up. Be a nosy neighbor. Don't just stand by and do nothing. You could be stopping a crime. Perhaps even saving a life.

The Golden Rule feels appropriate right now. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.