By: TheHandymanDave on 8/27/09
It's hard to believe that people don't set their alarms on their cars. common sense will tell you not to leave GPS screens or even the window brackets in view of a potential burglar, they are just inviting a thief.....lets start using some common sense, it goes a long way!

By: mhm2a on 8/27/09
I would bet they were all unlocked as well.

By: Newport1 on 8/27/09
So what you are saying is that if you leave your door unlocked or you don't completely empty your car out every single day of your life, you deserve to be robbed? Interesting....

I live over near that area (the other side of the tree line) and there has been a big increase in home and car robberies. Maybe that is the way it is all over town. We had an alarm installed in the house and lock our cars at night, but we are still vulnerable, I am sure. Not everyone has an alarm on their car and sometimes people forget to lock things up. I don't think blame should be placed on the victims, that is for sure.

Now, about the article,

"A witness saw a man in a small compact car running toward the tree line early Tuesday in the subdivision off Barfield-Crescent Road,"

I am confused. Was he in the car? If so, he could not get through the tree line. If he wasn't, where is the car?

By: MsAshleyP on 8/27/09
An alarm doesn't always stop somebody from stealing what they want, and if the theif is brave,and smart enough they can cut the alarm wires, It sad that M'boro is coming to this when I moved here 16 years ago you didn't hear of all this crime going on.

By: TheHandymanDave on 8/27/09
I'm not saying you deserve squat! I said use some damm common sense and you may not become another victim and quit trying to come up with excuses for everything! If you think that any place is safe from everything, then yes you deserve to be robbed! It takes less than a second to lock your car, is what ever your doing more important? TWO WORDS "COMMON SENSE"...if you have it use it.....if you don't, then I pity you. most thieves will see an alarm or a lock and move to the next person. Talk to any cop and they will tell you the same advise.and once again, quit coming up with excuses for yourself!

By: ntheknow on 8/27/09
It's common sense people...Do not leave valuables in your cars! At least not visible. Especially all of you yuppies with the GPS units plastered to your windshield saying "please steal me".... for real people!

By: TheHandymanDave on 8/27/09
If you still feel vulnerable Newport1, then install motion lights at all corners of your house, maybe a camera or two, thieves are smart people, don't let them fool ya, they want the easiest job for the best pay-off, plant shrubs like a holly or barberry under your windows, no thier likes to get cut up, You can put up a fence if it's allowed in your area, if your still scared, get a dog, no thief will mess with a dog, big or small. you should not feel vulnerable after you take any of the precautions I mentioned. Don't be afraid to ask for professional help on these items either, there are many companies to meet your needs on security.

By: Newport1 on 8/27/09
Thanks for the advice Dave. We will definitely consider the motion lights. We had our shed broken into last summer and this May we had our house robbed. It is a very unsettling feeling and hard to sleep at night after things like that. We did the bare minimum I guess. So we had the alarm installed and it is of some comfort. Every night I double check the cars and last night I even went and got my son's diaper bag out of the car we keep in there for "baby emergencies", because I was afraid they would bash a window to steal a diaper not being able to tell what it was.

I wish I could go back to when I was a kid when you rarely felt the need to lock the doors. Ahh, the good ol' days.

By: mhm2a on 8/28/09
You could wrap your house, car, gps, etc...in job applications that way none of these low life thief's would touch it.