[Terry M. Hunt]

Double cylinder dead bolts on all exterior doors. Cars are locked and all garage doors are locked. House doors are locked at all times, even when we are at home. When Iwalk to the mailbox, front door gets locked behind me, then unlocked and relocked when I walk back. We live in a a beautiful neighborhood, but Murphy’s law is constantly in effect. We never drive anywhere without car doors locked. Car doors are always locked when pumping gas and I keep my head on a swivel. Way too many stories on local news about “sliders” and various other scum bags preying on people at gas pumps.

[433lemans]

Originally Posted by Terry M. Hunt

Double cylinder dead bolts on all exterior doors. Cars are locked and all garage doors are locked. House doors are locked at all times, even when we are at home. When Iwalk to the mailbox, front door gets locked behind me, then unlocked and relocked when I walk back. We live in a a beautiful neighborhood, but Murphy’s law is constantly in effect. We never drive anywhere without car doors locked. Car doors are always locked when pumping gas and I keep my head on a swivel. Way too many stories on local news about “sliders” and various other scum bags preying on people at gas pumps.

Yikes!!! I know being in a very small town is not exempt from problems, we have had petty thefts and some egging of vehicles, etc., and we keep locked up when away and at night, but no way would I live in an area like yours, no way. But it's all what we're used to I guess. Good luck and remain safe and vigilant!

[KEN CROCIE]

What is the upside of not securing your house and property?

[ignaro]

Originally Posted by KEN CROCIE

What is the upside of not securing your house and property?

I do lock everything but in college, I lived in a nice neighborhood that had a ton of break-ins. I drove a Ford Explorer where multiple locks had broken off, so if you locked the doors, the bolt would disappear inside the door and was unable to be unlocked without needlenose pliers. -- Because of that, I got in a habit of leaving the car empty and unlocked.

Came out in the morning and every single car on the street had its window smashed and stuff stolen-- except mine. My hoodie had been thrown aside, but the fact that my car was unlocked kept me from having a broken window!

When I drive my Tempest, I don't always lock it. Sometimes I even leave the windows down. Our cars are so easy to break into that I installed a creative kill switch that's needed every time you start it.

[400 4spd.]

I grew up in an area much different than the one I'm in now. I moved my young family here in the mid 80's so that all of us could have a better environment and future. Where I grew up you locked up everything.
35 years later, it's still a better place than what we left behind (Hampton Roads area). But I still keep home, shop and vehicles locked. Alarm systems too.

[Simple Man]

We keep things locked. No break ins around here in years, but a friend from work lives about 2 miles away, and has been hearing of break ins around her house.

[64speed]

Depends. I lock my house doors at night but my car doors I am hit or miss on. During the day I lock the house door if I’m gonna be gone a while but just to run to the store nah

[276tas]

I lived in commiefornia for my last 8yrs in the Air Force and I locked up everything even when I was home. Every night the news would have home invasions and its just too easy if it did happen. I lived on the end of a culdesack and people would drive up there do drugs in the bushes, found needles back there. They would come up to the house and fill there water jugs all the time, I mean if you need water cool but it freaks you out especially if you don't expect it. I moved from there as soon as possible but I still lock all doors even when home. I put all good vehicles in garage or shop and lock and deadbolt that. The shop is behind an iron gate and locked up also, too much work in everything to give it away. 2 pit bulls also--more noise than attack though.

[Cliff R]

Currently crime in rural and remote areas in on the rise. The chit-hooks figured out that most folks work during the day so they "target" rural homes and storage barns/buildings. The MO around here is pretty much the same. They drive by and "stake" out the premises looking for signs that no one is there. The also use Facebook information so don't be STUPID enough to put up your vacation pics until you get back in town....duh?

Usually the perp gets dropped off or parks some distance away, and knocks on the door viciously for several minutes. When no one show up they kick them in so hard it usually takes out part of the wall if dead-bolted. They crab a pillowcase from one of the bedrooms then quickly rummage thru the house looking for jewelry, guns, lap tops and smaller items that sell quickly or trade easily for drugs.

If someone comes to the door unexpectedly they will ask for permission to deer hunt, or directions, or some sort of BS story as to why there are there and beating on the door in the first place.

It's OUT OF CONTROL in our area but calmed down some since the "pandemic" started as a LOT of people are at home/working from home during the daytime.

The Sheriff's Office doesn't go public with these crimes as they don't want the public to know how bad it really is, but anyone with any common sense can look at the Counties "Mugshot" page on Facebook and read what these folks are being charged with and figure it out......FWIW......

I would also mention that they look at the obituaries pretty hard and use that information to target rural homes and farm houses. Happened to my folks farm house the day after the Funeral home put my moms obituary in the paper/on-line. I had already went up there and removed the valuables from the home the day before they kicked then side door in taking most of the wall out with it. They got very little of any value but ransacked the place pretty good. I had also put up a trail camera so we had pics of them at the side door.

Karma is alive and well as one of the meth-heads took a book of old checks from moms desk and forged one of them at our local bank. They called me and told me about it. So the next morning I'm in the bank talking to their head of security/fraud and low and behold the same guy shows up trying to push another check thru. The teller comes running over and tells us he's out there again. I called patrol and they showed up and pulled both chit-hooks from the vehicle, tossed all their personal chit up on the hood, searched the vehicle, and arrested them. He did several years for the bad checks and ended up getting charged with the B & E at my folks farm house. He also ratted out his accomplices to get a reduced sentence so they all went to jail........

[carbking]

House - yes
Cars - no

WHY?

1973 was the first gasoline shortage. My folks lived next door and owned a small motor home. Since gasoline wasn't always available at the pumps, Dad had a five gallon military gas can chained to the rear bumper. Thieves couldn't cut the chain, so they broke out the rear window in the motor home. Ever tried to buy a motor home rear window at Wat-Mart? We had a car show coming up, and had to drive about 600 miles each way to pick up a new window!

Since then, we (the folks are gone now) leave nothing of value in any of the vehicles, and leave them unlocked. Three times since then (always when the carnival comes to town for the county fair) we have had car doors open when we got up in the morning, but ZERO damage.

Works for me.

Jon

[Ben M.]

ALWAYS. Why would you not? Wishing for the good ol' days when no one did doesn't change the fact that it's not been safe to leave your stuff unlocked for centuries...

[West Coast GTO]

Locked. Alarm on. Good vantage point as house sits on top of hill with long driveway and great floodlights.
Just took an all day enhanced concealed carry class where the instructor relayed stories about elderly people and women getting attacked, beaten and sent to the hospital from home invasion/ robberies/ breaking and entering instances here in rural America.
Becoming a victim of that is just not on my bucket list!

[ZnbOlds455]

Locked, lit, and alarmed. We had a rash of the convenience breakins a few years ago. Guy would get dropped off in the neighborhood around 3:00 AM and make his rounds hitting unlocked cars. It was surprising the number of guns and cash he made off with. I have security cam footage of guy rummaging through my neighbor's vehicles, walking across the cul-de-sac to my driveway, and turning the other way. I have to assume my flood lights and security cameras scared him away. I had 2 cars in the yard at the time, though nothing of any value. But he couldn't tell from the road. We still can't leave trailers around without a decent hitch lock or removing a wheel.

[Sirrotica]

When I was having my house built in 1992 the guys framing the house and I were just BS ing. The one guy made the comment about the outer walls on a typical vinyl sided home. He said, think about how easy someone can go right through the wall. I said, what are you talking about?

He proceeded to tell me while the corners may be sheeted with plywood for strength, the area between the corners is many times celotex nailed to the studs. He proceeded to say that someone that encountered a steel entry door with a steel frame could just pull the vinyl siding off with their hands kick a hole between the studs that are sheeted with celotex, pull the fiberglass insulation out, and kick a hole in the drywall, inside in a minute or two without any tools. Now of course if the house is masonry that's not possible, but a good many homes built in the last 50 years are vinyl sided with celotex for sheeting and 5/8 inch drywall on the inside. They can also select one point of the four walls that's least able to be seen by neighbors or someone driving by. Think about it, steel doors, with dead bolts, and locks, with tin foil walls..................

Think about how many back doors are either multi paned or have a half sheet window, just break a window reach through and turn the lock. If someone wants in your house they have options, without kicking in the doors.

When I had the gas station in my signature pics, I had break ins from the time I took over the lease. I had an alarm installed with motion detectors, and told the guy to put a ringing gong bell on the outside of the building, he said I'm not sure why you want that instead of a silent alarm that's monitored. I said when the alarm goes off the neighbors are going to call the police. He says the perps will run off. I said that's fine, and then they'll never come back again, plus tell all their friends. Most times it was juveniles anyway, and they get a slap on the wrist from the courts. I just wanted them to steer clear of my place. After a few break ins, and the alarm went off, the break ins stopped. For 3 1/2 years we had no more break ins.

[Firedup6975]

Locked doors, security systems, dogs, and guns. And I wouldn’t think twice about using them to protect my family or myself!

[KEN CROCIE]

Upside so far; less car window and door lock breakage.

[coupeute]

The old saying " If it's not bolted down, they'll steal it " , well now that our state is infested with illegals , they'll steal the wrenches in order to unbolt it and steal it !

[Firedup6975]

Bring this BS to my house and see if you leave the property breathing!

[carcrazy]

Over the past 25 years, crime has not been much of an issue where I live. That said, my doors are locked, alarmed, a serious dog during most of this time with one in training right now, and serious firepower should anyone manage to make it that far.

[Will]

Lots of drug addicts in my area, and the corresponding theft issues that go along with it. My old work van got broken into a couple times but it had glass in the rear and slider doors so people could see what's inside and breaking the glass or pulling the lock cylinders was easy. The new one has no windows behind the front doors and some serious van locks on it and no one's messed with it, yet. Have had my cars gone through a few times when I've forgotten to lock them or just didn't bother because there's nothing valuable inside. No one has come into my house though, that kind of thing is really rare. I do have two large, black dogs so that helps. During the day when there's nice weather while I'm at work the door to my back deck is propped partly open so the dogs can go in and out. Someone would have to be really crazy or desperate to come into my yard or property with these two on patrol.