The Ramblings Of Jenn Shuey

We live in an area where we’ve never had to worry much about crime.  Honestly up until a few months ago we regularly left at least one door unlocked when we weren’t going to be gone for more than a couple hours.  We’ve got neighbors all around us who do the same thing, and everyone watches out for everyone else.  Most of the time no one can set foot in our yard without someone seeing them.  If someone pulls into our driveway in a car my grandparents don’t know I can guarantee they’ll ask about it.  Living here I’ve always felt relatively safe…until now.

One of the things that has been bothering me so much over the last 2 weeks is how the crime rate in our little neighborhood has skyrocketed.  About 3 weeks ago things started disappearing out of yards during broad day light.  The next weekend there were two break ins.  Both were in the middle of the afternoon.  The first one the guy’s vehicles were in the driveway, and it looked like he was home.  The conclusion was that the thief had to be watching the house to know the guy and his wife left in a friend’s vehicle. The second break in, it was obvious the thief(s) knew the homeowner’s routine…retired couple who only left the house for dinner in the early evening for about an hour.

Since then things have been disappearing again from people’s yards and people are reporting strange activity around the area.  It’s enough to make me worry.  My doors and windows are locked up tight, and we’ve been trying to take every precaution we can short of buying ourselves a gun for protection which is something I’d definitely do if I could afford it.  (I’m VERY pro on my right to bare arms, and I believe I have the right to self defense.)

A friend suggested we check into getting home insurance to see if it covers our belongings in the event of theft.  I can’t get a home insurance quote since we are technically renters, but I am thinking about checking into renter’s insurance. I’d love to get it now, but it’s one of those things that will have to wait until we can afford it…ya know with the job situation and all.

Speaking of the job situation…of course it’s related to the crime rates!  Our area didn’t really feel the affects of this economy and job market until recently. Within the last month or so the unemployment rate has drastically skyrocketed, and people are definitely getting desperate. It just pisses me off that someone is willing to stoop to that level, though.

Yeah Hubby’s out of a job. My work flow has definitely dropped over the last few months, and we’re definitely struggling. We may not know where our next car payment is coming from, but I sure as hell know we’re not going to steal it.  It seems like more and more people are doing just that, and it’s scary watching the crime rates rise.

Just last night we found ourselves scared to death when two guys carjacked someone then began randomly shooting at homes in the area before fleeing on foot. I’m not saying this particular incident was related to unemployment, but it’s scary all the same.  There was a huge manhunt going on in the wooded areas around our house, and the guys were definitely considered armed and dangerous.

When we learned SWAT was searching near our home Hubby made the decision we should leave. We had no guns in the house to protect us, these guys were randomly shooting at homes and here I am pregnant…not to mention my uncle’s used car lot is next door, so it would be the next likely place for a carjacker to go when trying to flee from a manhunt!

A couple hours after we left I got word from a friend in law enforcement they had caught the one guy, very close to our house no less, and the other guy had fled but he thought it was safe for us to head back home. This morning my cousin confirmed that the carjackers had definitely headed for the car lot.  Two cars had windows busted out, but apparently they had been unable to steal either one.  We’re very lucky they didn’t decide to try to break into our house or hide out in any of our barns.  Seriously, what kind of world are we living in when I now have to leave MY own home because people are randomly shooting at homes? It’s scary!