31 replies to this topic

[carla]

Hi,

I got a huge lead on the case of my house, Folsom PD and Sac Sherriffs are dragging their feel a bit. I think the same person is hitting alot of Folsom Houses, he's on tape, both his cars, if you would like info. let me know.

takashinoshiro-craiglist@yahoo.com

Our house was broken into about 1.5 years ago taking all my jewelries, a laptop, camcorder, PS2 and other items. I live right across Livermore Park. I am wondering if this is the same burglar.

The cops were pretty much useless. I would like more info on your burglar. I am hoping this is the same person.

I will email you.

[ER2002]

Unlocked door mostly during day. But armed. with the number of police that live in the area being a burglar is risky for sure.

I don't understand what having an alarm does to deter thieves 100% of the time of the time. If you got burglarized and then bought a house alarm...what is keeping a burglar from hitting it again. Certainly you can't get comfort in the false sense of security an alarm provides. An alarm offers the homeowner earlier notification that their house has been entered while they were gone. It does nothing to deter a seasoned home burglar. It takes the police an average of 10-15 minutes to respond to home burglaries unless the police "just by coincidence" happen to be on your street at the time of the crime. It only takes a seasoned burglar less than 5 minutes to enter, grab whatever and leave your house. An alarm will do nothing to deter a career criminal and an alarm rarely assists the police in catching that home burglar. I'm reading that everyone gets their house alarmed after a burglary. Why? I think making your house less of a target is essential in preventing home burglary with good locks, trimmed shrubs, making your house look occupied with lights, tv or radio, stop the newspaper, etc. If a burglar has determined that your unoccupied house is going to be his entertainment for the day, unfortunately there isn't a lock or house alarm that will deter the burglary from occuring.

[stacycam]

My neighbor is a sheriff's deputy and he said he has never (or rarely) gone out on a burglary where the homeowner had an alarm. A house without an alarm is a much easier target. Of course, if someone really wants to get in, they will, no matter what. That's even true if your house "appears" to be occupied. A career criminal will see the signs of someone pretending to be home.

I think it's good advice to follow all of the above. Every additional step you take to deter a criminal is better than nothing.

[ER2002]

[quote name='stacycam' date='Jul 30 2007, 10:25 AM' post='171965']
My neighbor is a sheriff's deputy and he said he has never (or rarely) gone out on a burglary where the homeowner had an alarm. A house without an alarm is a much easier target.

Why is a house without an alarm a easier target??
Your neighbor must be a rook, a correctional officer in the jail or hasn't spent enough time on patrol if he has never gone out on a home burglary with an alarm. Maybe he means he has never caught a suspect in a home burglary in action alarmed or not. Home burglaries happens a lot to alarmed homes. That's why I am throwing this out for people's opinion on why or what justifies alarming their house without question over not alarming it.

Burglary calls come in all forms whether the house is alarmed or not. The superior alarm for a house is an audible, piercing one that deafens anyone inside the house not a silent alarm. Nothing! I don't understand why a house without an alarm is an easier target. It takes the same amount of time to break into the home with a silent alarm or without one. The response time from responding authorities is not quicker for alarmed houses. Thus no difference other than the alarm company can contact you quicker than having to find out upon your return home. That's my question initially because the response rate on home burglaries far exceeds the time needed by a burglar to do his thing and be gone when the law enforcement agency responds. The only thing that stands out between homes that are alarmed or not is the reporting party notifies you sooner than finding out upon your return home. None of us usually can get back home under the 3-5 minutes it takes to burg a home, cops can't get there in that time either to catch the suspect at work and so what's left is the alarm company whereever they may be located notifies the cops or you that your house alarm has been triggered.

I know I can't get home in 3 minutes and I know I cannot rely on any law enforcement agency to respond in that time frame either. So that's my confusion in understanding what does an alarm provide your unoccupied home if the response time far exceeds the time a burglar needs to clean out your possessions? Perhaps a false sense of security at best.

Burglars are stupid criminals. They are looking for the easiest target to strike the quickest and be gone. A house that has a silent alarm is just as easy to burglarize as a home without an alarm.

[stacycam]

I don't see what it hurts to have an alarm. I still take all of the normal precautions, but it's nice to know that if a criminal hits my home, he won't have an unlimited amount of time to rob me. Although, after about 30 seconds, he'd be pissed because we have nothing worth stealing! Also, I would think if a robber had a choice between two exact homes, one with an alarm, and one without, he'd hit the non-alarmed house.

My biggest fear is not a being robbed, but having my house catch on fire. In ER, the response time is LONG! We are too far from fire stations.

[ER2002]

I don't see what it hurts to have an alarm. I still take all of the normal precautions, but it's nice to know that if a criminal hits my home, he won't have an unlimited amount of time to rob me. Although, after about 30 seconds, he'd be pissed because we have nothing worth stealing! Also, I would think if a robber had a choice between two exact homes, one with an alarm, and one without, he'd hit the non-alarmed house.

My biggest fear is not a being robbed, but having my house catch on fire. In ER, the response time is LONG! We are too far from fire stations.

Yeah I agree here in ER, I am not depending on law enforcement to respond any quicker than 15 minutes at best based on previous calls in the past 5 years throughout the neighborhoods of ER requesting assistance from a uniformed officer. An alarmed house that is obviously unoccupied, unkept shrubbery, etc would be an easier target for a burglar than a maintained well landscaped, unalarmed house, in my opinion. Alarming again, does nothing to prevent a home burglary. Burglars around here are in for the quick and easy target whether it is alarmed or not. If that target shields their activity, neighbors aren't around, cheap locks, etc...then the best alarm in the world will not prevent a burglary.

My neighbors with alarms have those retractable screens. Burglary, no should say robbery heaven! They also tend to "air out their house" when they are gone by leaving their windows open although their alarm is activated. Their gates are always unlocked and the garage door leading inside is always left unlocked. This is what I mean that burglars will choose the easiest home whether it is alarmed or not. Too many lazy people around me that are easier targets than my home. People assume their house is safe with an alarm and that is why I say it only provides the homeowner with a false sense of security if they do nothing else.

[stacycam]

They also tend to "air out their house" when they are gone by leaving their windows open although their alarm is activated. Their gates are always unlocked and the garage door leading inside is always left unlocked.

Okay, IMO, that is just stupid. Why would you do that? I agree that people need to think about this stuff. I miss having our two-story, because I felt comfortable airing out the house.

Another thing I like about my alarm is that if someone comes into my kids' rooms at night, the alarm will sound. Once we put the kids to bed, their windows are closed and armed.

[Orangetj]

To me, the best reason to have an alarm is so that you'll have warning if somebody is trying to break in while you're home. Hopefully that early warning will give you enough time to get your kids and yourself out of the house. If not, at least it gives enough time to break out the 12 gauge and protect your family. I suppose it would also be helpful if you want to be sure your kids don't sneak out of the house during the night!

[Mrs.D]

FYI-
We had an attempted burglary today on our home. Our neighbor saw the woman and thought she was our maid (we don't have one). This woman spoke to another neighbor that was walking her dogs and seemed very comfortable in her surroundings. Please keep your eyes open and don't hesitate to call the non-emergency line if you are suspicious of someone. We have contacted Folsom Police and filed a report. They also encourage you to call.

thanks

[ER2002]

FYI-
We had an attempted burglary today on our home. Our neighbor saw the woman and thought she was our maid (we don't have one). This woman spoke to another neighbor that was walking her dogs and seemed very comfortable in her surroundings. Please keep your eyes open and don't hesitate to call the non-emergency line if you are suspicious of someone. We have contacted Folsom Police and filed a report. They also encourage you to call.

thanks

Please provide a little bit more specifics...what part of Empire Ranch? Who/what foiled this
burglar's mission to get into your house? This would help us all to to know their m/o
if and when we see it on our street. Glad to hear she didn't gain access into your home.

[Mrs.D]

Please provide a little bit more specifics...what part of Empire Ranch? Who/what foiled this
burglar's mission to get into your house? This would help us all to to know their m/o
if and when we see it on our street. Glad to hear she didn't gain access into your home.

Sorry I meant to add my neighborhood on this post. I was posting it in several neighborhoods---not thinking that I could just post it on the General Discussion. Anyway, I live in Broadstone-not Empire Ranch. However, if you take a look at the Folsom police log you will see that there have been many home and vehicle burglaries lately throughout Folsom. This is why I wanted people to know about it.

Specifics....well this is what I put on the flyers I made for our neighbors:

WHEN: Thursday, September 27th just before 10am
A woman, posing as a maid or someone who belonged here, acted as if she had a key when walking to the door. She made no attempt to be hidden, except to hide by blending in! She pulled out the hose and sprayed the sidewalk and by the door so that she could hide that she was looking for a key and to make it look normal that she was hanging out by the door. When she couldn’t find a key, she used a screwdriver or something metal to try and jimmy the lock. FORTUNATELY, that was as far as she got. Either the dead bolt stopped her in her tracks or our dog scared her away.

PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN AND
IF YOU SEE SOMEONE THAT MAY NOT BELONG HERE,
DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL THE
NON-EMERGENCY POLICE LINE @
(916) 355-7231

[ER2002]

WHEN: Thursday, September 27th just before 10am
A woman, posing as a maid or someone who belonged here, acted as if she had a key when walking to the door. She made no attempt to be hidden, except to hide by blending in! She pulled out the hose and sprayed the sidewalk and by the door so that she could hide that she was looking for a key and to make it look normal that she was hanging out by the door. When she couldn’t find a key, she used a screwdriver or something metal to try and jimmy the lock. FORTUNATELY, that was as far as she got. Either the dead bolt stopped her in her tracks or our dog scared her away.

Thanks for the added information. It sure helps describe what happened at your house and hopefully
enables all of us on the varying forms of crime in our neighborhood.

[gm2005]

Well, yesterday we had a guy walking around passing as a Kirby vacuum cleaner guy.
He had nothing with him, no papers, no equipment, nothing.
He was on the Empire Ranch Road/Iron Point/Broadstone side of ER.
About 5'6", light hair, slight build.
Something about it just didn't seam right.
Just keep an eye out. We have a neibourhood watch and keep an eye on everybody that "doesn't belong".

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

Well, yesterday we had a guy walking around passing as a Kirby vacuum cleaner guy.
He had nothing with him, no papers, no equipment, nothing.
He was on the Empire Ranch Road/Iron Point/Broadstone side of ER.
About 5'6", light hair, slight build.
Something about it just didn't seam right.
Just keep an eye out. We have a neibourhood watch and keep an eye on everybody that "doesn't belong".

The Folsom PD has pointed out at Neighborhood Watch meetings that they'd like to be called when you see this kind of suspicious activity.

[chris v]

You know what the problem is with neighborhood watch is... everyone watches and thats it. Go up to him, ask him what his deal is. Let him know he is being watched.