Thievery

The new year started off with our house being robbed on the 2nd. I keep telling myself it could have been worse. Thieves broke in through the back door, which might have been unlocked since we’ve always felt rather safe in our neighborhood and weren’t always vigilant about that, so “broke in” may not be totally accurate. It appears they used an old street sign we had in the carport to keep the dog at bay, and given her recent behavior, it’s probable they smacked her with it and scared her silly, something that’s not that hard to do. For that alone I’d stick a fork in their eye.

I found the street sign on my bed. Which, you know, seemed just a little WRONG.

Once we realized the house had been robbed, we discovered they had stolen all the gold jewelry we had, the entire jug of change we’d been collecting, and some medication. It was obvious to see after finding those things missing that the thieves had riffled through a few drawers in each of the rooms. What confused me was they left all of the electronics that were lying out in plain sight, which is why it took me a little while to realize the house had actually been robbed. I mean I don’t check my jewelry boxes each time I come home to make sure the gold is still there and the house hadn’t been ransacked. And we’re not exactly Martha Stewart organized so clutter is everywhere.

We called the police. They showed up quickly and explained that our community has had a dramatic increase of home invasions and ours fits the pattern. The scumsucker thieves choose back doors or obscured entries after knocking on doors to see if anyone is home. They grab jewelry that’s easily convertible into cash, any money they can find, gift cards and any narcotics. Electronics take too long to liquidate and too many have GPS tracking in them nowadays. They are in and out within fifteen minutes. They try to target houses that have high fences and lots of trees so visibility is limited. The police believe that there is usually someone in a car around a corner, or down the street, waiting to pick up and drive away. Another robbery in town noted that the bastards had used a box from the basement to keep their dog contained, so having a dog isn’t the deterrent it used to be against thievery.

I’ve been trying to maintain that Could Have Been Worse state of mind since it happened, but it’s hard to hold onto. Yeah, we only lost a couple of thousand in jewelry that had belonged to my deceased mother so there’s that pang, a couple of hundred in loose change, medication that my husband needed and which I hope some asshole thief overdoses on now. So yes, it could have been worse, but the after effects continue to ripple through the house in ways large and small.

The dog’s more clingy and skittish then she used to be.

My daughter no longer feels safe at home by herself. That fucking sucks. She was home alone for a few hours the other night and the longer she was alone, the more anxious she felt. By the time we got home, she had worked herself into a tangle of nerves.

I’m concerned that the bastards now know what’s in our house and that they might make a return trip for the stuff they didn’t take the first time.


My son had a switchblade knife that had been his Grandfather’s. Not something used every day, but an item that holds special meaning to my son. He just discovered it was gone last night. It is irreplaceable and he’s very upset at its loss and the futility of the theft. I am too, for him, as I know he treasured that piece and its connection to his Grandfather.

I imagine we’re going to find little things missing that went unnoticed immediately after for a few months. And doesn’t that just suck hairy moose balls?

My husband is rethinking our policy on firearms in the house.

The sense of security one should feel in one’s own home has now been shredded beyond repair. For someone who was relatively cavalier about locking the back door, now I check it several times a day. We’ve thought about a security system. Replacing the back door. We lock every window. We bought a new dead bolt for the back door. We bought a hefty ass safe for important stuff. Maybe two would be better?

I’m contemplating motion activated lights and motion activated video cameras with remote viewing capabilities. This one I would so put on the house tomorrow.

I’m also thinking that a fortified electrical barrier I can control from a remote location is not a complete overreaction.

We’re probably going to get another dog. Okay, so this idea isn’t so bad actually.