My car was broken into last night

[Theb]

I woke up at 4am to the dog barking. There was a cop at the front door. He noticed the dome light was on in my wife's car and there were CDs spread out on the road near the driver's side door. Apparently it's been an ongoing thing where someone's breaking into unlocked cars.

From my wife's car they took her employee badge, her coat, and my daughter's backpack. From my truck they took < $1 worth of dimes and nickels.

My wife is always riding me about locking my truck and she's compulsive about locking her car (but forgot last night). I've always felt like it's a safe neighborhood and what kind of lazy thief would be deterred by a lock? So it turns out I'm wrong the neighborhood isn't quite that safe and there are some lazy ass thieves who only steal when there's no lock involved.

My wife and daughter are pissed. I'm not that bothered. I figure it's probably just teenagers. Hopefully the little bastards get caught, punished, and straightened-out before they do anything too stupid.

/bro story, cool.


** update **
The backpack and my wife's work badge were both found in people's yards. When we contacted the officer he told us a bunch of people reported random things taken from unlocked cars and a bunch of other people reported random things found in their yards. I bet finding out who was absent from school yesterday would create a shortlist of suspects for this little crime spree.

 

[CrazyAznDriver]

do you leave your house unlocked too?

 

[Juddog]

It's not a break-in if the car was unlocked.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Ain't that a bitch. If the CDs in the road are Justin Beiber then I don't think it's teens doing it.

 

[Schfifty Five]

I woke up at 4am to the dog barking. There was a cop at the front door. He noticed the dome light was on in my wife's car and there were CDs spread out on the road near the driver's side door. Apparently it's been an ongoing thing where someone's breaking into unlocked cars.

From my wife's car they took her employee badge, her coat, and my daughter's backpack. From my truck they took < $1 worth of dimes and nickels.

My wife is always riding me about locking my truck and she's compulsive about locking her car (but forgot last night). I've always felt like it's a safe neighborhood and what kind of lazy thief would be deterred by a lock? So it turns out I'm wrong the neighborhood isn't quite that safe and there are some lazy ass thieves who only steal when there's no lock involved.

My wife and daughter are pissed. I'm not that bothered. I figure it's probably just teenagers. Hopefully the little bastards get caught, punished, and straightened-out before they do anything too stupid.

/bro story, cool.

Sucks that your cars got broken into. Fuck thieves.

But I also must say how much of an idiot you are for not locking your doors. You probably are right that even a locked door probably won't deter a determined thief, but it takes you literally less than 1 second to lock your doors and the benefits of locking your doors FAR outweighs the < 1 second spent locking it.

 

[Wyndru]

That sucks, hopefully they catch them. I know what you mean about the neighborhood being safe...our neighborhood is supposedly safe, we have village patrol cars that roll around all night, and it's not near any poor areas. Yet, there was a bunch of home break-ins last year. They did catch they guys, but it still makes me think it's not a safe area and I lock everything now.

 

[Farmer]

Where the hell do you live? You leave your doors unlocked, and they only take a few coins.

Most of the time, they'll take the whole car even if you lock the doors.

 

[Theb]

do you leave your house unlocked too?

I generally lock it unless I'm not going to be gone long. Is that really a deterrent though. Do thieves go
"I'll commit a burglary, but I'm not breaking a window to get in, that's a line I'm just not willing to cross." If they're going to commit a burglary why not go all in and break a window or cut some glass?

 

[Ns1]

lololol @ leaving doors unlocked

 

[Ns1]

I generally lock it unless I'm not going to be gone long. Is that really a deterrent though. Do thieves go
"I'll commit a burglary, but I'm not breaking a window to get in, that's a line I'm just not willing to cross." If they're going to commit a burglary why not go all in and break a window or cut some glass?

breaking a window creates noise & is suspicious

opening an unlocked car door has neither of those issues.

 

[deadlyapp]

I generally lock it unless I'm not going to be gone long. Is that really a deterrent though. Do thieves go
"I'll commit a burglary, but I'm not breaking a window to get in, that's a line I'm just not willing to cross." If they're going to commit a burglary why not go all in and break a window or cut some glass?

There are plenty of thieves that are just petty and will just try doors until they find one unlocked.

You are correct in thinking it won't deter criminals whose goal is to break in. But just think about how lucky you are it wasn't someone who could hotwire the car and steal it. Really the hardest part about stealing the car is getting into it without setting off an alarm.

 

[moshquerade]

It may or may not be an issue depending on where she works, but you should alert your wife's place of work that her employee badge has been stolen.

 

[Schfifty Five]

I generally lock it unless I'm not going to be gone long. Is that really a deterrent though. Do thieves go
"I'll commit a burglary, but I'm not breaking a window to get in, that's a line I'm just not willing to cross." If they're going to commit a burglary why not go all in and break a window or cut some glass?

Again, how does taking less than 1 second to lock your doors (house or car) take any effort at all? It provides so much benefit at the cost of one simple gesture of turning a key/knob.

 

[Mike Gayner]

I generally lock it unless I'm not going to be gone long. Is that really a deterrent though. Do thieves go
"I'll commit a burglary, but I'm not breaking a window to get in, that's a line I'm just not willing to cross." If they're going to commit a burglary why not go all in and break a window or cut some glass?

Err, didn't you just learn that this can be what happens?

 

[bignateyk]

I always leave my car doors unlocked. I'd rather the thief open the door and realize there's nothing inside worth stealing than smash my window in to find out there's nothing of value inside.

I've never had an issue doing this in 5+ years.

 

[Theb]

It may or may not be an issue depending on where she works, but you should alert your wife's place of work that her employee badge has been stolen.

Yeah it could be an issue. They've been notified and they canceled the badge and issued a new one. It could still be an issue, but the barcode can't be swiped anymore so as long as everyone is following policy it shouldn't get them anywhere.

 

[CrazyAznDriver]

I generally lock it unless I'm not going to be gone long. Is that really a deterrent though. Do thieves go
"I'll commit a burglary, but I'm not breaking a window to get in, that's a line I'm just not willing to cross." If they're going to commit a burglary why not go all in and break a window or cut some glass?

Idk think of all those 'door to door' salesmen that come through neighborhoods. I know for a fact that a couple have tried to open my door after I didn't answer.

 

[Theb]

I always leave my car doors unlocked. I'd rather the thief open the door and realize there's nothing inside worth stealing than smash my window in to find out there's nothing of value inside.

I've never had an issue doing this in 5+ years.

I had a window broken out of a car years ago. They didn't take anything, just broke the window. That cost me a lot more than this did.


Edit: I was living somewhere else then.

 

[Farmer]

I always leave my car doors unlocked. I'd rather the thief open the door and realize there's nothing inside worth stealing than smash my window in to find out there's nothing of value inside.

I've never had an issue doing this in 5+ years.

This is an interesting tactic. You realize that if it requires no effort to get into your car, it is more likely the thief will choose your car over other cars nearby to steal?

Having always lived in the city, I can't imagine not locking any door.

 

[Powermoloch]

It's not a break-in if the car was unlocked.

this

 

[bignateyk]

This is an interesting tactic. You realize that if it requires no effort to get into your car, it is more likely the thief will choose your car over other cars nearby to steal?

Having always lived in the city, I can't imagine not locking any door.

I don't live in the city. People don't steal cars around here. Even if they did, my 2004 Jeep Liberty is probably not a very attractive option.

 

[moshquerade]

It's not a break-in if the car was unlocked.

Sure it is.

Someone gets into your home through an unlocked door/window and robs the place and you think it's not a break in?

Locked or not, they still broke in and burglarized the place.

 

[TecHNooB]

I always leave my car doors unlocked. I'd rather the thief open the door and realize there's nothing inside worth stealing than smash my window in to find out there's nothing of value inside.

I've never had an issue doing this in 5+ years.

assuming they didnt want your car

 

[Numenorean]

Next time lock your vehicles.

 

[dfuze]

I generally lock it unless I'm not going to be gone long. Is that really a deterrent though. Do thieves go
"I'll commit a burglary, but I'm not breaking a window to get in, that's a line I'm just not willing to cross." If they're going to commit a burglary why not go all in and break a window or cut some glass?

I'm sure quite a few will just go car to car until they find one unlocked. Less work involved, not to mention if someone catches you by a car w/ broken glass there's a good chance of what they are doing isn't legal.