Active 1:
Waukegan has good and bad areas. Gurnee's mostly OK comparatively speaking. North Chicago (west of Green Bay Road - IL 131) is mostly OK.
I live on the "exclusive" east side of North Chicago - the "hood", as it is so quaintly referred to... home of gang tags, liquor stores, and "thumpa thumpa" as a vehicular musical art form.
I used to think that our neighborhood was pretty secure. Minimal police reports for the area, and we (F.D.) don;t get called here for BS like we do in the "trouble" areas.
I think I'm being targeted by a certain individual. Here's why.
About a month ago, a guy claiming to be from the neighborhood offered to rake up the leaves by the house. He did a good job, so I gave him a few ($5) bucks. The wife gave him a fairly sizeable chunk ($40) in advance to clean up all the debris in the back yard (way too much IMHO for the area).
Well... the wife had a bed habit of leaving her purse in her car (We used to say it didn't matter - no credit between us, and not much more cash
, but I'd always be on her case about "targets of opportunity"), and I'm sure this guy spotted it.
One evening, the "cleanup guy" stops by and voluteers to carry a bag of groceries into the house. I didn't like this _at_all_, and hurried him out, but apparently, not soon enough.
Well, while I was at work one night, she came back late, with a bad back. Locked the car, but doesn't remember if she locked the house while getting our daughter inside. I came home to find the driver and driver's rear doors ajar on her car. Thinking she didn't close them all the way, (our daughter's car seat is behind the driver) I start to close them and realize the inside of the car's been tossed. The thief went through the glovebox and center console, and stole my wife's purse, our tollway change, my (empty) PDA case... that kind of petty BS.
I call the cops, and give them a preliminary inventory.
I get a call from my wife later - she discovered that the thief had apparantly gotten into the house, and had taken 2 bags of frozen breaded chicken tenderloins, 2 packs of flank steak, and a cookie sheet.
Nag my wife about how the security system only works if it's turned on. She replies that she has a way to deal with that...
We get a dog.
A few days later (once again, while I'm at work) someone pops her car again; this time bending the window track on the passenger side (away from the house) to gain access (I assume pushing the door lock button with something). They didn't get anything (since there was nothing
to get) but nobody ever said street crooks grew up bright.
When my truck got hit last night, it was parked "nose in" to my driveway,
well illuminated by a city streetlight that lights up the front of my house. And, of course, I was home. Even the cop said that was bold for an ordinary "grab and go" thief.
New development - stopped home with the wife tonight, and the front door deadbolt was unlocked. Think they're " 'loiding" the side door lock. I'm installing a deadbolt on that door when I get off duty tomorrow morning (6 years too late - kick self in head), and I'm pricing IR cams for mounting on the driveway side of the house, as well as motion sensors to alert us indoors.
I know we're not rich, but maybe, being the only "eligible" (young & white) family on the block, and having two vehicles, we look a lot better off than the idiot who keeps stealing my stuff. I don't mean to sound racist, as I know all too well that s**t comes in all colors and wrappings, but the east side is predominantly black, as is the "cleanup guy" who conveniently stopped showing up after the car got hit the first time.
I'd be happy to pay the guy to do chores around the yard - but my charity stops well below the $1500 mark, as well as the loss of a sense of security.
Thanks for the feedback, and the vent space, guys (and gals).
Doug
[This message has been edited by DougW (edited 04-10-2004).]