Have you ever been the victim of a crime?

R

Rose65

Well-known Member
Location
United Kingdom
In our neighborhood we do get burglaries and cars stolen. Mainly the very desirable new cars are the target but not always. Ours are modest and we don't have anything very expensive in our home. Even the TV is not worth anyone's bother - I hope. We keep very little cash at home.
My sister once got mugged by a lad on a bike who grabbed her handbag. A friend happened to wake to see a burglar trying the window and he fled when she raised the alarm quickly and called the police.
I think it would finish me off if anything bad happened, I thank goodness to have been spared so far. We don't have a burglar alarm but we do have anti-snap locks which help us feel more secure.
 

Nothing out of the ordinary.

I had my car stolen once and a broken car window another time.

I’m sad to say that over the years most of my troubles were of my own doing.

I live in a gritty urban neighborhood that has it’s share of burglaries, vandalism, muggings, but most happen late at night when I’m safely locked away in my third floor apartment.

“It’s another world at night…” - Jackson Browne
 
Aunt Bea said:
Nothing out of the ordinary.

I had my car stolen once and a broken car window another time.

I’m sad to say that over the years most of my troubles were of my own doing.

I live in a gritty urban neighborhood that has it’s share of burglaries, vandalism, muggings, but most happen late at night when I’m safely locked away in my third floor apartment.

“It’s another world at night…” - Jackson Browne
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It must be shocking to have your car taken. Did they ever find it?
 

I was accosted in Paris by a couple who were after my wallet. They had extracted it from my handbag but Hubby saw what had happened and warned me.

I found my voice and started shouting at the top of my voice "THIEF! THIEF! THIEF!

English speaking tourists rushed over and surrounded the couple. The man tried to hide the wallet between his legs but he was grabbed and shaken by a large man and he dropped my wallet on the ground.

When he was released, he and his female accomplice legged it "toute suite".
 
Only in England. Twice I was (non violently) robbed; once in London, then in Oxford; AND someone broke into my home in Oxford when I was spending the weekend with friends in London; I came home to Oxford to find my window broken; fruitcake (ugh) eaten and my bed slept in. Like Goldilocks! :ROFLMAO:

Lived most of my sordid life in NYC where I was not robbed or broken into! So There! :ROFLMAO:
 
I have investigated several crimes from minor to major crimes. Cars and electronics seemed to head the list of stolen items. Assaults and murders head the major crimes list. When electronic items are stolen from a house, we usually try the pawn shops first.

I tell all my friends when they buy something of value to please keep the paperwork that shows the make and model numbers. That helps tremendously in recovering stolen goods.

Cars and trucks, if you own a GM with On-Star, they can find the location of your car whether or not you have a paid subscription, but they will most likely need the VIN. Ford has something similar called Sync. Chrysler has U-Connect. Any of these can help find your missing vehicle. The police can also call one of these automaker’s utility services and ask them to shut off the vehicle. It’s a big help to cops that are in pursuit. I can attest to that.

A gentleman that lived outside of Philadelphia and was a Professor at Widener University had bought a new Cadillac top of the line model just a week earlier. It had one of those keyless starters on it where if you have the key on your person, you just need to push the start button and off you go. The car was stolen and “driven” away. We called On-Star and got the location of the vehicle.

The vehicle had just got on I-95 heading north. Once a Trooper got behind the vehicle, we had On-Star shut it off. The driver fled on foot, but we took his prints and DNA off the steering wheel, (luckily, the thief wore no gloves), and he was apprehended the next day. It happened to be his first theft and he had no other record for theft, but did have a record for an attempted rape of a girlfriend. We ran his prints through AFIS and also his DNA, which at that time took a day later through CODIS. He was home when we picked him up.

He took a deal of a little time and a fine. I don’t have an accurate record of what the deal was because we didn’t go to trial, but I believe he got 6 months in County and a $500 fine, along with a stern warning from the judge.
 
I had my car stolen in 1980. It was a beat up 8 year old Chevy. It wouldn't pass inspection, so I made my own inspection sticker. It was super easy to steal-just lift the hood and touch a screwdriver to the battery & metal, and it would start. I called the cops when it was gone, and next day I got a call from a small town about 30 miles away. It was at the police station (???), and I could pick it up.
I figured when I went to pick it up, I'd get busted for the fake inspection sticker. But none of the cops said anything, and they were walking inches from my car. They never explained how they got my car. I asked several times. Also, I didn't have to sign any paperwork to get the car(?) I got the impression that it was an important somebody's kid, who stole the car, and was pulled over for joy riding. My car had a junk value of $25, so why heist it? Unless you're a kid??? That model Chevy was known for being easy to hot wire.
 
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I have had this house burgled , and my house in Spain an attempted burglary but I had my car in Spain broken into the smashed the side window.....and both of my homes are in upmarket areas..


I now have video ring doorbells around my property...

I did have my car broken into one night here. It just so happened it was the very day we were going to the airport. We were due to leave the house at 4am, while it was still dark. We'd got the car ready earlier in the evening.. so when we went out to leave we saw the drivers' side lock had been broken, and the stereo DVD player stolen
There was no option.. we had to catch that plane.. so we couldn't call the police, and we couldn't leave the car in it's current state and take another.. so I had no choice I had to drive the car and leave it at the airport car park for 2 weeks..
 
My car stolen in 1983. It was a 1963 Chevy Impala. It had belonged to my grandmother and I inherited after she had passed. It was in great condition. It was found in the desert, totally stripped out. It wasn't my "main" car but it was upsetting because of the sentimental value.
 
Warrigal said:
I was accosted in Paris by a couple who were after my wallet. They had extracted it from my handbag but Hubby saw what had happened and warned me.

I found my voice and started shouting at the top of my voice "THIEF! THIEF! THIEF!

English speaking tourists rushed over and surrounded the couple. The man tried to hide the wallet between his legs but he was grabbed and shaken by a large man and he dropped my wallet on the ground.

When he was released, he and his female accomplice legged it "toute suite".
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Paris is a nightmare for muggers and pickpockets.. as is Barcelona Spain.

The French pickpockets come here to London in their droves and work their nasty selves on the Tubes ( subways).. Majority are young women .. usually in groups, looking like they're tourists..
 
Our RV was burgled. For insurance, I thought I had listed everything that was stolen. Later I’d remember something else. The worst of it was cleaning up whatever they use to search for fingerprints. The thief lost something so they were hoping to have proof to put him back in jail. Later that year the same RV was broken into. This time the only thing they took was the six pack of beer that I’d put in our fridge for the next day camping trip. We got a burglary alarm put on right away.
 
I often worked late at the office. When coming to my car I paced my jacket and briefcase in the back seat. Then from nowhere three young persons told me to give them my money. I said I would and that I needed to get it from inside the car. Turning back to them I produced the handgun that I had a permit to carry. They took off. I called the police and gave them the little information I could but they weren't really able to do much, which I understand. I hope it scared those kids enough that they didn't do it again. Looking down the barrel of gun, it really gets large.
 
timoc said:
Not long ago in a supermarket car park I had my trolley stolen while my back was turned.
£40 worth of groceries seemed to just vanish.
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It wasn't the end of the world, and I like to think, perhaps the thief was so desperate and hungry, that they helped themselves to my gropceries.... I hope that they enjoyed my unusual food. 😊
 
hollydolly said:
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Wow, I'm gobsmacked, Holly.
My advice to all our lovely ladies is, instead of keeping your hands on your 'alf-pennies, do like I'm going to do..... keep your hands in your pockets.... well, I'm old fashioned, I'm a bloke that doesn't carry a bag on my back. 😊
 

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