apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

This is very timely for me. I came home from my honeymoon last month to my santa monica home buglarized. They got all my jewerly as they broke open our safe. They got laptops, cameras, and all the drawers were open and upended. The forsenics team had been very thorough trying to get prints, but what you never see on CSI is that this leaves gray powder on EVERYTHING, every surface, carpet, floors, etc. I'm still trying to get it off of things.

The cops said a Dog is the best protection, an alarm, which we didn't have, and though we had stopped our papers and mail some wedding gifts were on the steps for a day or two before my person brought them in. A house sitter may not have prevented it as they hit a few houses in our area and some were during the day when they were only gone for an hour and left a window open and the alarm off.

The safe we bought at staples for 300, turned out to be useless, it was crow barred open so don't assume that will protect your things.

Now with my things gone, I wish I had photographed my stuff, and jewelry. So would advise to do that and get excellent home or renters insurance.

The creepy feeling from the invasion has not gone away.

I've only been burlarized once thank god... And at the time I DID have a dog... who was home... apparently happy to have the company and turn over the silver.

Now, I have a few friends on a rotating schedule come by and not only take care of pets, water plants, collect mail etc... but also randomly leave lights on *(lights are also on timers), watch TV, etc... I even let them use my place for parties while I'm away. The rotating schedule means that no one friend feels burdened with the responsibility.

To be able to burglarize your place, the theives must know when you have gone. This is usually someone IN your complex who A) knows what parking space is yours B) sees you go C) knows your schedule and when it is not being followed. D) is able to monitor lights, etc... to see when you are home or may be away.

So making sure that your place is being used as much as it would be when you are home disrupts that. Thieves are much much less likely to target your home if it's a pain in the ass to schedule.

NOTE: I also have a friend who's thieves were caught and prosecuted because of her "Nanny-cam".

It is most typical to hit places during the week, midday and also on Sunday mornings when people are churching. In an apartment building all they need to know is that the place is empty. After my NYC place was hit, the cops told me to leave a radio playing when I'm at work (it was a Wednesday).

It took two years to lose the feeling that I had just missed someone leaving every time I came in.

I chime in with the feelings shared here. My apartment was burglarized 5 years ago, and to this day when I think of it, it's an unpleasant feeling. I don't think one can do much to prevent them to entering. My house which is a three unit rental was broken in on a Saturday morning and I was away for 2 hours. If you are on their list, that's it...

My apartment (on the 4th floor) was broken into when I lived in Atlanta and it seriously freaked me out! Someone had touched EVERYTHING

oops..

Someone had touched everything I owned and now, nearly 2 years later. I am still creeped out about it.

There really isn't anything you can do if someone really wants in, they'll get in. But "feeling" safe is most important. I had to move immediately because I no longer felt safe in my own home. The door being locked meant nothing.

When I lived in Silver Lake, my second-floor apartment was broken into three times within as many months using the old ladder-up-to-the-window technique. It would have been far easier to break into any of the first floor units, but my back corner was nice and secluded, making it the perfect opportunity. I wasn't even on vacation - just at work. As others have said, I don't think there's anything you can really do if somebody wants in.