Break-in

There was a break-in on Washington Avenue and Fulton St., one of the big buildings next to the C train. Someone climbed up the fire escape, broke in, and robbed the person, and from what I can hear from inside my adjacent apartment, the results were horrible. I do not have any more information than this, since I am hearing this all from my bedroom window.

Does anyone have any more information about this terrible act? Ugh, listening to this girl suffer is really heart-wrenching. From signs I have seen around, people being robbed via their fire escapes is a common occurrence. What can we do to protect ourselves and our homes?

Get FDNY-approved window gates for the windows by the fire escape and bars on your other windows.

And buy renters insurance, with coverage for replacement cost. It won't help with all the crappy emotions of feeling vulnerable and invaded, but it will buy you a brand new laptop.

Also, to clarify, I think (hope) you mean burglary not robbery. Burglary is when the person's not home and the thief breaks in (meaning, no personal interaction). Robbery would be one person stealing something from another person (as in, the woman was home when the thief showed up). Having been burglarized myself, I'd say it's a lot less scary than if I'd been robbed!

Call the Shmira, they take care of that kind of thing...

http://www.chshmira.org/?p=27

We got hit 2 weeks ago. Afternoon hours, he popped the screen off and came in through the 2nd floor front window. I have to take some of the blame since we left our window opened a small crack for the cats.

is it safe to assume that locking windows is a good/decent enough deterrent? or are these windows actually being "picked" (for lack of a better word) open?

Gtrain wrote: is it safe to assume that locking windows is a good/decent enough deterrent? or are these windows actually being "picked" (for lack of a better word) open?

I think if my window was locked they would not have been able to get in. They were able to pop the screen off and since my window was open a crack they lifted it up to get in.

Gtrain wrote: is it safe to assume that locking windows is a good/decent enough deterrent? or are these windows actually being "picked" (for lack of a better word) open?

Well, locked is better than unlocked, and I would feel comfortable with that on an inaccesible window. But if the window opened onto a fire escape, I really wouldn't feel comfortable with security bars. FWIW.

wait - you were there while your neighbor was getting robbed?? did you call the cops?

ch_smooth wrote: wait - you were there while your neighbor was getting robbed?? did you call the cops?

Um, you might want to re-read the OP.

Just a suggestion.

Yes, the cops were called. The person who was burglarized called them, as did a neighbor (who yelled as much out of the window.) I don't have any more information about what happened that night.

you re-read it. there's no mention of calling the cops, just that it sounded horrible.

Anonymous wrote: [quote=ch_smooth]wait - you were there while your neighbor was getting robbed?? did you call the cops?

Um, you might want to re-read the OP.

Just a suggestion.

This happens alot on that block --- be careful all!!!

I noticed that alot of the new people for whatever reason don't like to have blinds or drapes even those on the ground floor. It is really ill advised to do this. You don't want you and your things on display like that. The little white girl on the parlor floor(from oregon) did that and I tried to tell her over and over and she wouldn't listen. Well sure enough she got broken into. Then after that she finally put drapes. Also when you buy electronics and things you can't just put the box outside. Then everyone knows that is in your apt.
You gotta cut up the boxes small and fine and it would be best to dispose of them away from your house. I just am trying to give you some basic Brooklyn M.O. here. I watch some people who seem to think they are living in a small country village in vermont or something. No. You are in Brooklyn. Don't fool yourselves.

You should also shred your mail before recycling. I have seen people looking through the paper recycling when it's put on the sidewalk.