PSA: Good time to call your local law enforcement

[The Straight Story]

I called the city of Columbus Police department a while ago to report some suspicious activity (not 911, dispatch # as it was non-emergency).

Someone going to homes and selling our local newspaper - the hitch was he was not going to houses where it looked like anyone was home.

A few weeks ago a neighbor had a similar encounter. Car pulls up, guy gets out with a goodie bag (bag with adverts/coupons) and knocked on his door. He saw them but did not answer. A few minutes later the cars drives down a few doors and two guys went into his backyard and starting cutting open his screen on his back porch. When he yelled at them they took off.

I watched this guy going down the street, as I have others like him. Here I am on the front porch and as usual they never stop to see if I want to buy something (and no, we don't get the paper here already). He went to my X's house, no car in driveway. Opened screen door, pounded on the door, rang the door bell, and kept that up longer than most. She finally answered and I watched him show her the paper. Then he skipped two houses in the court and went to Tom's house (who is not home, is in rehab after a broken hip). The two homes he skipped - had cars in the driveway.

By the time the police got here he was only a few doors down from me and I had hoped they would question him. A van pulls up, he hops in the back and they sped off. I got a partial plate and passed it on to the police when they came by (about 6 minutes later).

I spend a LOT of time on my front porch and have stopped two robberies in the court across from my house and spoken with police about a few others (Tom's house was hit about a month and a half ago).

If you see someone going door to door, and skipping houses where people are obviously home - that is a good time to be suspicious.

I keep a pen and paper out here with me and since September 8th I have seen six different people going 'door to door' selling things, and they have not stopped here one time (unless you count the Mormons who do stop here....) and have often passed by homes where it was evident people were there.

If you see vehicles around you are not used to seeing, just jot down the plate and some basic info, could come in handy later (a little over two weeks ago a car I had never seen parked in front of my old house, two guys got out and walked down about 5 houses - when they had plenty of space to park in front of it).

Of course your situation may be different where you live, more of a small hood here where I am.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. We keep a pretty close eye on our neighborhood,

mainly because we have a crack house across the street. All of our "good" neighbors (and us) have called the cops, but so far there hasn't been any law enforcement action, so we're all just being watchful.

[Hatchling]

2. Good tip.

Thanks

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. We had a meth house next door to us in Ca.

Like 50 feet away.
All sorts of people, most with tattoos, coming and going at all hours.
I took a camera outside and just stood and snapped pics of the cars.
The traffic dropped way down.
I called the police and gave them the pics.
When it did not feel safe, I took the pics from a crack in the curtain in the house, then blew up the pics so the plates were visible.
Cops never did anything, but eventually the person moved out, the house got put up for sale, then got condemned shortly afterwards, I heard.
Visibly taking pics or filming does work. Quietly doing so works if it is not safe.

In the small southern town I live in now ( thank god) everybody just knows the neighbors always watch the houses in their neighborhood. Just the way it is.

[FLyellowdog]

4. My sister lives in a similar situation...

Drug sellers across the street...police are aware and almost ready to raid (or so the cops say). Small town living ain't what it used to be.

[The Straight Story]

5. She could always do what my one friend did

Burn down the house :evilgrin:

Was not a crack house, was the house of the guy who killed his brother. The guy was not home though, so my friend eventually did find him and run him over. Did 6 years for it all (plea bargains, etc).

I don't recommend that route though :rofl:

[Robb]

7. Brave solution, good on you.

A much less serious matter, but I used to snap a picture every time I opened the door on a solicitor. Took their picture, then said "How can I help you?" :D

Almost as effective as my handmade sign, "BABY SLEEPING, DO NOT KNOCK OR RING BELL UNLESS YOU CAN'T READ."

[MineralMan]

6. There was a crack dealer on our block...for two weeks.

Several neighbors got together, videotaped the activity, and then all of us reported it to the cops, individually. They showed up, took copies of the video. Two days later, the dealers were gone. Oh yeah, we also notified the owner of the house and send a certified letter to him, complete with legal language.

You don't have to put up with it. But you have to organize a little. When several people on a block report something, the cops get worried enough about their own asses to act.