Real Life Security Situation...

[Peregrine Falcon]

I've been away from here for a while (you guys are great, I missed you) but have been driven back by real life current events. I'll give the short version of the story w/my question and then more details in a update later on. I just had a vehicle break in, lost a GPS and some other items that were recovered a short distance away with some items destroyed. I can tell due to the condition I found my vehicle that they found the spare 9mm ammo and spare magazine that I leave in my vehicle for when we're out and about; they didn't take any of that though. I have read on here and elsewhere that sometimes criminal types will target you and come back later once they know you have guns and I would like to know how great the real life possibility of that is since I'm now in that situation. It would also make sense that other criminal types would make note that you're not a safe target at that point and stay away which is what I hope has happened to me. I have reason to believe that they ended their thievery of my vehicle once they found my ammo and I'll say why I think that when I give the more detailed description later when I have a chance. Suffice it for now that my primary question is how much danger you all think I may be in due to this.

 

[jrs]

It all depends on how sophisticated they are. If they were simply punks out for a smash and grab to see what they could easily sell, then you probably have less to worry about. If, however, they are professional thief's, then you probably should expect a future visit.

I have a relative who was burglarized in broad daylight, with all of his neighbors (a tight group) observing the whole thing. The burglars made it look like they were supposed to be there... backed a small box truck right up to the stoop...proceeded to go through and take what they wanted and even went through the drawers to find manuals for the electronics. It's easier to convince a pawn shop you own it if you have the manuals.
Anyway, long story short... they waited 4 to 6 months... long enough for all of the electronics to be replaced, and hit him again, only this time the new alarm system kicked in. They weren't caught, but they didn't stick around once the keypad started beeping.
In this case, no guns, but this gives you the idea.

If they are simply opportunists, then they likely will move on to someone else... BUT... if they are career criminals, I would be extremely diligent. They know you have guns and may see you as a target in the future, regardless of whether they think you carry or not. Thugs will be thugs, and they may feel they can overpower you before you can respond.

Be careful out there.

 

[Axeanda45]

Danger of getting robbed again? (while not present) the chances probably went up, they may now want your guns...... the chances of being robbed in person? way down..... (talking about the same perps that already stole from you) as they now know you are probably armed.

 

[ET]

It would be hard to determine whether or not the initial break-in to your vehicle, made you more or less of a second time victim. The reason is because you do not know the level of sophistication, maturity or immaturity the thieves were. You or I or anyone here could speculate on they type of thieves broke into your car, my thought would be not sophisticated, and more likely young 16 to 25 thugs looking for a quick buck. after al,l what can you get for anything you find in a car? a few hundred bucks on the stolen market? I don't think these people are home invasion or home burglars.
A person breaking into a car does not put his life at risk. A home burglar puts his life at risk when entering a home. Two different levels of thieves. If I had to guess, I would say the car burglars would not want any part of someone's home who owned guns. But I could be wrong.... my thinking here is to re-examine your home security, and make any adjustments you think would be a step up without going over the edge, financially.

 

[Bluestar99]

Why do professional thieves steal from you then leave part of the loot damaged to be recovered? Sounds like kids. Kids who don't want any gun stuff at home for Mom and Dad to find and no good way to fence it. I would be on guard but not alarmed.

 

[Arc Angel]

Most of the crooks I've encountered (and I've encountered a few) would have taken the magazine and ammo. The fact that this didn't happen to you tells me that: (1) Whoever broke into your vehicle is relatively inexperienced, (2) doesn't have access to a 9 x 19mm, and (3) didn't want to risk getting caught with any gun components, either.

If they know anything, at all, it's that you go about armed, and are going to remain on, 'high alert' for the next 3 or 4 months. I don't think you're in any especial danger at all. At worst I think you might get your vehicle broken into again; but coming to your house for the guns? I very much doubt it. Attacking you on the way to your vehicle? Highly unlikely. This particular break-in was committed by a person, or persons, who clearly lack an affinity for guns and/or ammunition - Possibly because of having been caught before, and being presently unwilling to risk exposure to more serious charges should another robbery suddenly go wrong.

Will something like this happen to you again? Maybe. Whoever did it is certainly going to consider the possibility. Back in the late 80's I had a brand new Pontiac Bonneville broken into, and some really good (highly salable) stuff was taken. I had a strong suspicion about who had done it; but, before it could happen again, the local police caught the two thieves with their bedrooms full of stolen stuff. The longer a thief steals, the greater his exposure to capture is going to be. If you get through the next 6 months without incident then, as far as I'm concerned, you should be, 'home free'.

In the meantime continue to take all of the usual precautions. Close your blinds at night; remain alert while parking and starting your vehicle - Especially in the vicinity of where this event occurred; don't answer the front door when the bell rings; answer the front window, instead; and keep all of your doors and downstairs windows locked. Wear your pistol more instead of less, and never leave it out of arm's reach. Etc., etc., etc.

(All common sense stuff after you've been robbed. Another thing: Aftermarket car alarms are NOT that expensive to pick up and install.) :wink:

 

[tcox4freedom]

The chances of your home being targeted for a burglary go up anytime your car get's stolen, GPS taken etc.

Fortunately, the only thing the thieves know for sure is you may sometimes carry a 9mm in your car or on your person; and they may know what you have saved on your GPS. I really don't think you're anymore in danger of being robbed again than the next guy. But, you may be endanger of your home being cased & being followed if the BGs are thinking about robbing you again. Try not to set up patterns for awhile. Leave home at different times; take different routes to work, etc & come back home unexpectedly for awhile if you suspect you're being watched.


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[Peregrine Falcon]

Thanks for all the quick replies! There’s lots of solid thinking here, thanks!

Some of your replies and questions have further prompted me to provide you with more details as I mentioned I would earlier. Some of those details may answer some of the questions you’ve asked (even the rhetorical ones) and I think they’re interesting anyway as this doesn’t look to me like a completely “normal” smash and grab. First I’ll say that there have been a lot of vehicle break-in’s in my area which has been on the news recently. We do not have a garage to park in unfortunately.

We found our van had been rifled through Friday morning after New Year’s with things obviously missing; it was locked when we found it and there were no windows broken. They had taken our GPS and a backpack I had right behind the front seats, packed with some backpacking type gear I keep around when I go hunting. I haven’t gone over other things that closely but it does not appear that there was any attempt to take the stereo system or DVD player which I would think were high theft items along with the GPS. The things that were gone through or missing were very easy to get to so they may not have spent much time in our vehicle at all.

I have a likely scenario to offer that most logically explains some of those things. We got home from being out New Year’s eve after midnight, I had not been drinking which I offer to support my memory of events (I’m sure those who did drink had fun doing so). We had several items to carry in from our van and were all anxious to go to bed and I consider it rather likely that we left our van sliding door open or at least unlocked when we initially went inside. After getting settled in my wife and I had the “is the van still open conversation,” she went to an upstairs room to attempt to look out and see but wasn’t sure. As I considered it likely that the van had been left open I went back outside our back door to check; that was no more than about an hour after or initial arrival home, likely less. I could see that our sliding doors were closed when I checked and I used the key-fob to lock the van to be sure. As there were no windows broken in our van the most likely explanation, assuming the average thief, would be that they utilized the time when our van was unsecured immediately after we arrived home. It would also stand to reason that between my wife looking out a window and me going outside to check that we may have interrupted them which might be why they didn’t do as much as they could have. Having found what they did in my console they may have thought I was coming outside with my gun (which I actually wasn’t, silly me) and high-tailed it out of there. The loot that was left behind was my backpack I mentioned earlier and I was glad for that. We found it a short distance from our driveway with its contents inspected and strewn about; there wasn’t anything they would have been able to sell in it. Some of your earlier comments would suggest that they were smart enough to not hold onto something like that to avoid getting caught with more “stolen” property. Where they left it makes it VERY likely that some of the contents were destroyed when someone ran over them with a car; that could have been someone unconnected to the theft based on where I found it.

I know I locked our van when I went out to check and we didn’t go anywhere New Years’ day; found the van the next morning as I described. That would mean that if the thieves didn’t utilize a time when our van was unsecured that they had some way to get in it without breaking a window and that they also locked it again before they left (not an average thief either way). Local news did report one case where a lock was worked on a vehicle and there was no window broken but even then do thieves really re-lock a vehicle when they leave it? I guess they could but why? Most don’t even shut doors (which these must have) to avoid making noise that could alert people to their presence. If they were going to the effort necessary to get into a locked vehicle without breaking a window why wouldn’t they have gone after the stereo and DVD player? Any time after I checked late that night they would have had PLENTY of time to do so.

This is starting to make these guys sound somewhat smarter than average but if I interrupted them do we really know? I can be extra vigilant either way and have already thought of a few ways I can do that without getting too crazy. Which reminds me that I currently don't have any #00 buck for my 12 gauge..shucks I have to head back to one of my favorite sporting goods stores.

Even if the thieves who got into my van aren't interested in my guns; could/would they share the info with another criminal that might be interested? Is that question too paranoid?

 

[Rhino]

I doubt it's likely they'd be someone to escalate to a home robbery for your guns. The modus operandi of the vehicle theft just doesn't match a typical professional thief, and it doesn't seem to represent anyone all that determined to exploit opportunities to the maximum extent possible either. It sounds very much like kids or someone just taking advantage of a situation that presented itself to them. Obviously you can't rule out a return visit, but it doesn't sound to me that it would be all that likely, particularly in you're in a non-urban setting where it's rare to find professional or very determined thieves that represent the kind of threat you fear.

 

[Arc Angel]

Amateurs! Teenagers who are committing crimes-of-opportunity in order to pilfer items that are easy to trade-off and sell among their high school peers. Your biggest mistake? Like the cops told me after my $500.00 Zero Halliburton attaché case was removed from my vehicle along with a really groovy Hewlett-Packard financial calculator, 'Well, Mr. Angel, the biggest mistake you made was to leave something obviously valuable in your vehicle when you went inside for the night!'

I had arrived home at around 1:00 AM, dead tired, in a hurry to get inside, and (worst of all) the car was parked in the driveway, only 20-25 feet away from where I was sleeping! Yes, I left a cashmere overcoat, a sophisticated impact weapon, (gifted to me by a prominent security specialist) and my Zero Halliburton on the passenger's seat; but, it was late, I was going to be sleeping only a few feet away; and I intended to be out of the house again before 8:00 AM! (One of the Bulldogs or I should have heard the car window break; but, as I understand things, thieves sometimes place a towel over the glass before they whack the window!)

The lesson I learned from this vehicle break-in? DON'T LEAVE TEMPTING REALLY VALUABLE STUFF IN A (LARGELY) UNATTENDED VEHICLE. (I, also, forgot to tell the dealer to install an alarm when I ordered the car. I really should have; but I didn't. Besides, we lived in a, 'good neighborhood'; I worked in another, 'good neighborhood'; and I wasn't convinced that I really need to spend more money on one of those - often annoying - car alarms.) Another thing I've learned about any, 'good neighborhood' is that more than 80% of the crime is committed by the, '25 and under crowd'. Life in that age bracket is unstable; things happen; and people move around a lot. This event will pass; the thieves will move on; and, in a few years, you'll have other neighborhood problems to concern yourself with.

I used to keep two world-class and expertly trained Pit Bulldogs in the house with us. Those Bulldogs were worth every penny I ever spent on them! Back in 1990 the two of them actually saved my wife and I from what would have, undoubtedly, been serious personal harm during an attempted home break-in. Believe me I regret being too old, now, to continue to handle such dedicated and loyal (but strenuous and high energy) canine protectors.

 

[BC1]

I think anyone who would enter the home of a known gun owner while he's home is short on smarts. I'd be more concerned about a burglary when no one is home. Put-up some video signs and a couple dummy cameras in plaint sight. I always relied on my dog as a first warning and line of defense. But a determined criminal intent on hard will simply shoot the dog.