Another attempted robbery in Sosua

[BushBaby]

And just to cool tempers down a little bit .............

Is your house alarmed?

I don't know if the house was 'alarmed' CB but I suspect it might well have been a little bit upset at being invaded like that!! :cheeky: :ermm:

I hope it is feeling better now. ~ Grahame.

 

[BushBaby]

jr, I have decoy everything :cheeky: even bumbag (fanny pack for US citizens). Have even picked up the wrong one myself to go shopping........ Decoy keys also.

Phewwww, THAT'S a relief!!! I thought I was being replaced by a newer & younger model for a while! He is just a decoy then to protect me!! aranoid: :ermm: ~ Grahame.

 

[mike l]

We can speculate all we want but i did find a key piece of evidence of something that was not taken but something that was left behind.

Unfortunately, I will use the system of being presumed innocent before being found guilty.

It's a tough call and you just don't know for sure, but the worst and I must say the best part is that you just have to move on and not think about who or who may not be responsible, but no more Christmas bonuses from me.

The good part is I did not have a laptop as they just won't steal these desk models.

 

[mike l]

We can speculate all we want but i did find a key piece of evidence of something that was not taken but something that was left behind.

Unfortunately, I will use the system of being presumed innocent before being found guilty.

It's a tough call and you just don't know for sure, but the worst and I must say the best part is that you just have to move on and not think about who or who may not be responsible, but no more Christmas bonuses from me.

The good part is I did not have a laptop as they just won't steal these desk models.

That's because the laptop was stolen this time last year

 

[cobraboy]

And just to cool tempers down a little bit .............


I don't know if the house was 'alarmed' CB but I suspect it might well have been a little bit upset at being invaded like that!! :cheeky: :ermm:

I hope it is feeling better now. ~ Grahame.

:cheeky: :rimshot;

I'll be here all week. Try the veal...

 

[scrubmuncher]

Why are you guys not carrying a gun, if a robber enters your house then you are well within your rights to kill him/her, aren't you? Someone had better let me know if not as I don't hink I would have a second though about it should someone be in my house uninvited.
I was in the understanding most Ex pats had guns, or am I wrong here also??

 

[catcherintherye]

Some with guns would prefer not to advertise it, in the same way as they would not advertise having just received a large amount of money.

Discretion being a big piece of the security picture.

 

[scrubmuncher]

Hmmmmm, I'm not sure which is best. People knowing if they try to rob you you will shoot them (would this not put them off). Or the surprise factor of a bullet in the head when they enter the bedroom? Personally I'd prefer they didn't enter at all so I'd prefer they were aware of the consequences.
In my experience the Dominicans with the guns tend to be slightly better off than the opportunist burglars, burglars tend to be so thick they would sell anything that isn't attached to their body by tendons and muscle, so the chances they have hold of a gun would be pretty slim.
Is someone going to tell me otherwise on this.

 

[catcherintherye]

There have been several recent home invasions where the bandits had guns.

The question is one that would have to answered by each individual.

Obviously, there are two schools of thought: one being that the bad guys should be made aware that you are "armed and dangerous" as a deterrent.

The other being that you keep it quiet and don't encourage robbers who have advance warning, and who would perhaps rob you for the weapon.

Again, each individual should decide for themselves what they believe is the most prudent course to take.

However, if you think the robbers are stupid and unprepared for their job you are sadly mistaken, and you will be at a huge disadvantage if you underestimate their abilities annd resources.

 

[A.Hidalgo]

Kinda like the "wild west" out there.

 

[scrubmuncher]

My natural thought is that they are not all there, I returned from a night out last year to see my door jarred open (they actually bent the frame of the door to gain entrance, something I'd never heard of). I still to this day do not undertand why they didn't take anything. My stuff had obviously been gone through, but it was all still there. DVD, Camera, Jewellery, etc all still in its place. Absolutely baffled by this.
Maybe they carry the guns but hopefully they are like the majority of security officers around Sosua and don't have any bullets (or so they say), lol, thats a little crazy.

 

[scrubmuncher]

Just a thought, I think everyone I know has been burgled at some point. Some several times over a short period.
Has anyone not been burgled?

 

[MikeFisher]

in the case of Mike(OP) a gun would not have made any difference, they went in his house while he was out/shopping.
to the bullet talking:
as a matter of fact many police officers and many private watchies do often not carry a bigger amount of bullets, but i still have to find a bad guy on a robbery without the numerous backup metals. count on the fact that a gun is coocked and ready to go when a burglar points it on you in your house.
David(catcher):
that's wrong, in the night of august 15th 2007 i got a black beretta 92FS stolen from my house, they took nothing else. i've been myself outta house to have some drinks with my boys. that piece costs actually a 150.000.- +Pesos, if you find a dealer who sells you one, so only that easy to carry away piece values more than some cheap jewlery or a bit of cash or a laptop or such.
if somebody want's do do the wild wild west thingy to let everybody know what great firearms you carry around make first sure that you know 100% what you need to do with that gun in case that..., otherwise they will attack you on the street just to steal your valuable gun. those guys are good on observations, they know right away who is just a bigmouth with a expensive piece who never really used a firearm in his life against humans. such robberies happen quiet often.
for the very most of us the best advice is to install quality locks and windowbars, use a alarm which wakes up the whole barrio, and of course a well educated doberman or similar just in case, would do a good job of prevention.
for myself i stick to the same:
hang 'em on the next tree,
bullets are expensive.
Mike

 

[catcherintherye]

For sale: slightly used Beretta 92FS. 1,000 pesos or best offer. Must sell to avoid tree time.

 

[Ricardo900]

That's some good advice Mike, to bad you lost such a fine firearm. Berettas are one of the best 9mm around and I believe the 92FS is the general firearm issued to the US military.

Back to the topic. The chances that a robber would get the jump on you is greater than your chances of seeing him first. Especially at night when you are sleeping or just going about your routine. Unless you walk around half-cocked, but heck who wants to live that way. It's called "The Element of Surprise".

 

[scrubmuncher]

They also seem to beable to bypass the security on the gates and entrances to where we live. I have 2 friends who have been burgled while out of the country, one had his L200 stolen (was found in Haiti 2 months later undamaged, what is the likelyhood of that happening) and used in a robbery apparently.
Another had the same as me, seemed to break in and take nothing. Both friends had neigbours and security, surely these so called securtiy gaurds should be held accountable to some extent.

 

[MikeFisher]

For sale: slightly used Beretta 92FS. 1,000 pesos or best offer. Must sell to avoid tree time.

hey David,
just in case, is the serial number
BER 237976 Z ???
would pay more than just the 1.000.- pesos just to let me know where the guy lives who sold it to ya, ha ha ha.

That's some good advice Mike, to bad you lost such a fine firearm. Berettas are one of the best 9mm around and I believe the 92FS is the general firearm issued to the US military.
Back to the topic. The chances that a robber would get the jump on you is greater than your chances of seeing him first. Especially at night when you are sleeping or just going about your routine. Unless you walk around half-cocked, but heck who wants to live that way. It's called "The Element of Surprise".

right, it is the officer's weapon of the US Military, named M9,
i imported that one myself from Miami/Fl back in 1999 when such still been legally possible. and i would not see any sence to carry around a firearm which is not cocked. if you need your 2 hands free to use your gun, please don't use/carry one.

They also seem to beable to bypass the security on the gates and entrances to where we live. I have 2 friends who have been burgled while out of the country, one had his L200 stolen (was found in Haiti 2 months later undamaged, what is the likelyhood of that happening) and used in a robbery apparently.
Another had the same as me, seemed to break in and take nothing. Both friends had neigbours and security, surely these so called securtiy gaurds should be held accountable to some extent.

yeap, such is not new, not for residences and not for other "guarded" places neither, sorrily. i work myself on the water and we had around 4 or 5 years back a really funny robbery sideeffect. in the bavaro bay the speedboat of a friend of mine got stolen, they run a 'viaje' on it the same night. the beach area where it been over night is a guarded area and the guard been missing. his wifey with her 5 kids drove everybody crazy for 2 days, b/c we brought her poor husband in danger to give him that dangerous job, those boat thieves killed the father of her 100 children, now we are responsible for all of her 'costs'.
hey, i don't start writing about the risks of a guarding job, but never forget about the risks to hire the wrong guards. on the 2nd day after the robbery the puerto rican coast guard informed that they have the boat and a large number of the people who been on board when they nearly sunk in front of the puerto rican coast. on the 3rd day we got the fotos with the caught people for investigations and heck what is looking out of foto number 5 straight in my face????
yes, the face of the poor caring husband who got murdered by the thieves, so we would be responsible for taking are about the poor widdow of that dead and his family loving watchy.
hel$, we checked under every bush in the area for 2 days to find the dead body, and there he was, so close to a new life in PR where the gold is found on the streets.
after 14 years on the east i think i could write a book about watchies aso aso, ha ha
Mike

 

[MikeFisher]

For sale: slightly used Beretta 92FS. 1,000 pesos or best offer. Must sell to avoid tree time.

hey David,
just reread your post.
"slightly" used, it's def not mine, lol
Mike

 

[Richard Alberto]

After many years living in NYC and being burglarized a couple of times, I will wholeheartedly advise you, any of you, that getting a watch dog is the best alternative for home protection. It is very very rare that a thief will want to deal with a vicious dog. Sure you hear stories about thieves poisoning a dog with meat, but a well trained dog will not eat treated meat if you keep them well fed and trained.

First of all. a guard dog, will alert you at night if anyone is even CLOSE to your door or window, so the prospects of a man climbing in through your window is remote, secondly, as soon as they approach you will be alerted to get your gun if you choose to have one. NOTHING, beats a well-trained dog(s).

Now the only problem is if you like to travel for a few days and need someone to watch you home and dog. Also, I don't mean a yard dog, I mean a good house dog. the #1 advantage of a burglar is surprise, that goes out the door with a great guard dog.

 

[Lambada]

My natural thought is that they are not all there, I returned from a night out last year to see my door jarred open (they actually bent the frame of the door to gain entrance, something I'd never heard of). I still to this day do not undertand why they didn't take anything. My stuff had obviously been gone through, but it was all still there. DVD, Camera, Jewellery, etc all still in its place. Absolutely baffled by this.

You shouldn't be baffled. You should check for what they have left behind.

Just a thought, I think everyone I know has been burgled at some point. Some several times over a short period.
Has anyone not been burgled?

Unless you count 'borrowing' the Dominican flag on the wall outside our house the night before the election 13 years ago, & forgetting to return it. But of course no one broke in to do that. scrubmuncher, loads of people haven't been burgled. Let's not go overboard here. You can do a lot to prevent it by your behaviour, location, reputation & security measures and those of your neighbours. And by being alert & not being complacent.