A reader wrote to tell us her home, on N. 40th (west of Sunnyside), had been burglarized during the day on Monday. The burglar kicked in the back door and, she writes, “Everything of value in the house (2 computers, a camera, two phones, a ring) was stolen.”
The reader adds, “A man, a possible suspect, arrived at my neighbor’s door and asked if this was the (Bensons? or something) residence. She thought something was funny, so it might have been him/one of them. Sigh.”
dislike!
i really hate to hear this!
they seemed to know for a fact that you weren’t home.
ya gotta keep a large pair of shoes on the back porch always.
makes it look like some big dude lives there.
Boo! Very sorry to hear, hope you can regain peace of mind in your own home soon. Just curious, did you have an alarm system? I always wonder how effective these systems are in action…
I hate hearing stuff like this too. Sigh
I’ve heard to have dog accessories around the yard. Big dog toys/bowl. Dogs are more likely to be home when their people are away.
I live just a few blocks away. My house was hit as well. Same form of entry and same things stolen. My neighbors as well. Same repeat mystery person a few weeks later. REPORT EVERYTHING TO THE POLICE. The more they know, and more they get similar descriptions, the more they can do.
Then get a security system.
If you cannot afford a security system, get some ADT stickers or make your own. It is a good deterrent until you can afford the real thing
Yesterday evening (Tuesday) someone really reefed on our front door knob, trying to open the door. It was loud! Our lights were on and we were home. My husband went out to look around, but didn’t see anyone. We are on the 4400 block of Densmore Ave N.
what a terrible feeling and experience for you. the items are replaceable, piece of mind ain’t so easy.
what we need are laws that prevent these sort of crimes.
So sorry to hear this. We were burglarized in April, also a forced entry with extensive losses. Our neighbor was hit in December, although I believe their back door was left unlocked overnight. We were burglarized while we were away for a one-night trip. Statistically, daytime burglaries are the most common because you’re away for long and predictable periods. We did not have a security system at the time, but we have one now, and have added a number of other layers of security. Even if you can’t afford a security system, there are a number of steps you can take to make your home and belongings safer. Also, these burglaries tend to happen in waves, but we all need to be vigilant all the time. The worst part is the sense of violation and that you no longer feel secure in your own home. It does get better with time though, so hang in there.
Margaret and others I’m sorry about the break-in, loss of property and so sorry for your loss of peace of mine. Would love to hear ideas on how we could be proactive in slowing down the spread of crime in our neighborhood. Also any suggestions for good/affordable/local security coverage could be helpful
One relatively inexpensive security measure is to install commercial-grade deadbolts and commercial-grade strikeplates (steel cups that are bolted into the studs) on exterior doors. Those make a door harder to kick in.
Dear neighbor,
I am so sorry for the theft! That’s horrible. Thank you for letting your fellow neighbors know. That type of crime takes only minutes, it’s similar to a car smash and grab.
If you do get a security system, please consider getting one that is wireless. That way, the burglars hopefully won’t cut your telephone wires and more importantly, it will still work regardless of the status of your land line.
I also recommend getting security cameras. I love the ones we have (see website). It could act as a deterrent, but even if it doesn’t, it is nice to be able to place a face/body/exact time/method of entry on the crime. It is helpful to the police too.
Again, I am so sorry.
this one got higher ratings…
http://www.costco.com/Q-See-16-Channel-Security-System-with-1TB-HD%2c-7-Bullet-Cameras%2c-1-PTZ-Camera.product.11762124.html
Actually the Seattle cops don’t recommend monitored alarm systems (like ADT) – most of the calls are false and they’re in no hurry to respond (yes, ask them). And in the 10 minutes (minimum) that it take for them to respond if they did, the thief has grabbed the high-value stuff and is long gone.
Upgraded doors and locks make sense, as does wireless video; most of this is done by the same people.
That’s interesting to know, John. I have to say that for my house, I couldn’t justify the cost of a security system. I’ve made sure my windows and doors are as secure as they can be, put some interior lights on timers, added locks to my fence gates, that kind of thing. I might add cameras at some point. I had a couple of companies come around last year to pitch me alarm systems but I didn’t really see the point after talking to them. I just don’t see how they’re much of a deterrent – I was told that the siren isn’t actually very loud so it doesn’t annoy the neighbors. . .what good does it do to detect someone breaking into your house if they have several minutes at least to go through and take your stuff anyway? I don’t know, am I wrong on this?
I really hate to hear these this are happening in our hood, but I should not be too surprised living in the city. From reading the posts and my basic understanding this my approach (in order):
1) Install quality dead bolt locks, and use them.
2) Install alarm or at least put up fake ADT stickers.
3) Get a dog, or fake like you have a dog.
4) If any crime has been committed report it to the Seattle Police.
5) Know and talk to your neighbors.
Staying home with a shotgun is probably is not worth the effort.
@neighbor — “what we need are laws that prevent these sort of crimes.”
I give you an A+ on the use of IRONY. Which laws do criminals obey?
As John said, alarms can be much more trouble than they are worth, and having a screaming siren set off by “nothing” gets real old real fast.
My opinion is that back doors are attractive points of entry because the generally provide a less-well-observed place to execute nefarious plans AND back doors are typically weak. You can change this by “HARDENING” the door. It does not have to be impenetrable, it just has to look daunting. Theives are dumb and lazy: if thet were not, they’d work for a living like we do.
Make sure your door does not have so much glass that it becomes an open door when the glass is broken. Make sure it is a solidly constructed door, not hollow core or foam core. Steel doors are nice.
If your door is wood, you can add some decorative wrought-iron “decorations” made to make a thin door panel or a door window impossible to get through.
Then “HARDEN” the door frame by re[lacing the typically short hinge scews with with screws 3 ibches long, and reinforce the door striker plate with a product like the ones found here:
http://www.asafehome.net/
http://kickproof.com/
Get to know your neighbors and help them by keeping an eye out for them. If you see something “funny” call the cops or CHALLENGE the intruder. Just call out, “I’M CALLING THE COPS” in a nice loud voice – they don’t have to see you; the effect may be better if they can’t see where the voice is coming from. If they are Bible Salesmen they won’t mind. 🙂
If they come through the door while you are home you can either avail yourself of your 2nd amendment rights and protect yourself and your family or trust that the cops will treat your corpse with respect when they take it away.
I locked myself out of my house a few years ago, and decided it was a fine time to see if my back door ‘hardening’ (beefier screws in the strike plate, and plexiglas in the window) had worked. I went around to the back, gave the door a good, solid kick right next to the knob…. and hurt myself, a little. 😛 But the door held.
I found another way in.
Maybe there’s a technique to it (there probably is) but I’m fairly happy with it.
/r
We were burglarized midday back in 2001. The burglars took a lounge chair from next door and climbed in though a jimmied window. Windows are usually considered secondary points of entry by experts in the crime prevention field. The Police gave us these tips:
1) if you have double-hung sash windows, install long screws through the top of the bottom window frame into the bottom of the top window frame. This prevents both window frames from moving up or down. A wrench must be used to remove a screw when one of the windows need to be opened. The same technique can be used on windows that slide horizontally from side to side.
2) Tune a radio to a talk radio station – either in the kitchen or in an area close to a door on the main floor. The ambient “talking” can be construed as voices coming from inside the house.
3) Leave a bathroom light on (main floor) and close the bathroom door.
I am not aware how ADT monitors their systems, but the security system we have is through Alarm.com and we are really happy with it. With our system (and probably many others), you have the option of NOT paying a monthly fee to have the system monitored. If you choose to self monitor (the police won’t be notified when it goes off) you can get email/text messages whenever they system is armed and/or disarmed. We can monitor it on-line and also arm/disarm it remotely.
If your alarm goes off because of an illegal entry, you should always contact the police yourself. John is right, responding to home alarms is low on SPD’s priority list. If you call them, they will respond much sooner. If you choose to display an ADT sticker and you might want to make it look authentic. We have a system and stickers are placed at every point of entry that is monitored and also our telephone box.
You also get a small discount on your home owners insurance if you have an alarm system. BTW, ours is as loud as hell and we haven’t had any false alarms. If I were a burglar, I would choose a house that didn’t have an alarm.
Also, forgot to add, I know our system is not foolproof. If someone wants to get in badly enough, nothing will stop them. I just wanted to share other security options for folks. I’m sorry for the break in Margaret, hopefully you’ll never have another one. Also, I wanted to thank everyone for sharing their tips. I think neighbor awareness and being pro-active are also good deterrents.
Hrm, that’s an interesting option. Who did the initial install of your system, Kris?
Hi Whitney,
It was MES Data Comm Security – 206.340.9300
Please correct me if I’m wrong…I think the City of Seattle will charge you for your false alarms.
As a former Block Watch captain for my street I spent some time studying the burglary issue. Locks, lights, alarms, trimming shrubs, communicating with the neighbors are all important things to know about. If you don’t have a Block Watch system, think about organizing one. And if you have a house that is secure you are much safer. A police officer once told me that it’s not “crime prevention” so much as “crime displacement”, i.e., if your home is really difficult to break into, the intruder will move on to the next (easier) target.
Any description of the possible suspect?
@Darlene, I’ve asked the tipster/reader and haven’t heard back. But the reader did want to thank everyone for the supportive comments, adding, “By the way these were smart (burglars), not at all dumb. They literally turned over (but did not trash) everything in the house and took only items of value. Next discovered loss: a book of checks.”
There’s a website to help neighborhood residents communicate quickly and respond to whatever is happening. It’s free, but right now there are only a handful of Wallingfordians signed up. homeelephant.com
Dude. Please quit spamming here, it’s not very “neighborly.”