Have you been a victim of crime?

[BryanS]

...doing a lot of remodeling on my house, and tired of borrowing my dad's truck, I decided to buy my own. Found a nice used one (about 10 years old)... paid cash for it. It is a sharp truck.

I've owned this truck for not even one month. I went on travel for work and let some friends borrow it for some work they needed to do...

They used it for three days, parked it out front of their house (in a nice neighborhood in Pearland)... and then some punks punched the door locks out, and tried to start the thing with a screw driver. They almost got it. Luckily, it was only a door lock and ignition switch that needed to be replaced... Took me at least a week

[Mark F. Barnes]

Red should have fun with this one!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry to hear you got nicked. Can't say I know how you feel, but I know how I did. It's probably just the act of being violated more than the loss of property or damage of property in your case. My condolences.

[editor]

When I was 17 I got mugged twice in two weeks. Once in Vancouver. A friend and I were sitting on a bench outside a 7-Eleven about 10pm. A white VW rabbit with about four preppy looking guys screeched up to the curb. Three guys got out and beat the crap out of us. They took his wallet and my cash and sped off.

A week later I short, fat guy confronted me on a street in Seattle. This time I thought, "Hell, no!" and I probably said it, too. He knifed me in the thigh and ran away, but didn't get anything from me.

I lived in New York for 16 years and nothing bad happened to me. My first mugging was in freakin' Canada!

[Mr. Chenevert]

Various cars broken into three times. Twice for a radar detector, and one for a cell phone. It costs more to replace the glass than the contents of what was stolen.

And yes, I no longer keep the radar detector in the car when parked outside. And my fiance thinks twice about leaving things in plain site.

Not sure about the death penalty, but it certainly would be nice if something could be done to catch the idiots who do this.

[travelguy_73]

When I was 16, I was lucky enough to have a car, a snazzy red VW GTI. One morning I went outside and it was dripping with brown paint--concrete paint, not the kind of stuff that comes off easily. The car had to be completely repainted and it took something like 10 years of powerwashing to get the paint off my parent's driveway. That was my first experience with vandalism.

Got the car back and within a couple of months it was up on blocks. The wheels/tires had been stolen. That was my first experience with theft.

[musicman]

Maybe there is merit to our concealed handgun law.

how would this have helped your situation? they were probably going after the truck for parts since it is older.

[JLWM8609]

About a year ago, someone stole the Sony headunit from my car in my driveway. Broke the window, swiped it, and messed up the wiring. The Sony unit was old anyway, and everytime I'd hit a bump, the CD would skip or get spit out, so it was kind of a mixed blessing, since I replaced it with a Blaupunkt unit on clearance that would allow me to use XM radio.

HPD found the screwdriver they used to break the window in the car, so they took it in for prints. I don't know if they ever caught them. But if I'd caught them in my driveway, stealing MY stuff, there would've been one less criminal on the streets that day.

[Houstonian in Iraq]

About a year or so ago in Manchester(UK). My wife, son and I were about to go out one morning. It was like a scene from "Dude where's my car" couldn't find it anywhere on our street.

Someone pulled down the window of my wife's car and got it around the corner. Luckily they couldn't get it started because of the car's immobilizer.

[sifuwong]

About 10 yrs ago, i was robbed at gunpoint. I never thought it would ever happen to me.

[Mr. Chenevert]

About a year ago, someone stole the Sony headunit from my car in my driveway. Broke the window, swiped it, and messed up the wiring. The Sony unit was old anyway, and everytime I'd hit a bump, the CD would skip or get spit out, so it was kind of a mixed blessing, since I replaced it with a Blaupunkt unit on clearance that would allow me to use XM radio.

HPD found the screwdriver they used to break the window in the car, so they took it in for prints. I don't know if they ever caught them. But if I'd caught them in my driveway, stealing MY stuff, there would've been one less criminal on the streets that day.

Actually there would be the same number of criminals on the street that day.

[TexasVines]

Actually there would be the same number of criminals on the street that day.

wrong it is perfectly legal and acceptable to shoot and kill people stealing your possessions day and night in Texas

if you don't feel it is acceptable then you should kindly post your feelings on a sign in your front yard that you are accepting of crime and criminals and then maybe the rest of us will be left alone or you can move to a state that coddles and accepts criminals.....most of the rest of us are tired of them no matter what they are taking

[Vertigo58]

When I was a teen, I was waiting in my parents car while mom was inside K-Mart buying a few things. I of course was listening to the radio when I heard her shouting out, I jumped out of the car and she came running towards me. I heard a auto burn rubber as it sped off. This happened very quickly. She said as she walked out of the store she noticed a truck with a guy driving a girl in the middle and another guy on the passenger door. They drove straight to her and brushed up next to her from the side the other guy reached out and grabbed her purse it jerked very hard and the strap busted and her arm was really hurt. We had to rush back in and report it but they fled into the frwy entry. We tried to guess where they may have tossed the purse but no such luck. She only had about $60.00 in cash bit took all of her ID and rare family pics. So stupid what some do for just a little $, they could have hit her, etc.

[TJones]

...doing a lot of remodeling on my house, and tired of borrowing my dad's truck, I decided to buy my own. Found a nice used one (about 10 years old)... paid cash for it. It is a sharp truck.

I've owned this truck for not even one month. I went on travel for work and let some friends borrow it for some work they needed to do...

They used it for three days, parked it out front of their house (in a nice neighborhood in Pearland)... and then some punks punched the door locks out, and tried to start the thing with a screw driver. They almost got it. Luckily, it was only a door lock and ignition switch that needed to be replaced... Took me at least a week

Edited October 27, 2008 by TJones

[Subdude]

I've been a crime victim more than I would ever have expected. A house I shared in the Heights was broken into twice, both times in the middle of the day. We had a car broken into and the dashboard mauled to get the radio, and once I was held up at knife point at a convenience store on Richmond.

[CoolBuddy06]

Actually there would be the same number of criminals on the street that day.

Not after the verdict on Mr Joe Horn.

wrong it is perfectly legal and acceptable to shoot and kill people stealing your possessions day and night in Texas

if you don't feel it is acceptable then you should kindly post your feelings on a sign in your front yard that you are accepting of crime and criminals and then maybe the rest of us will be left alone or you can move to a state that coddles and accepts criminals.....most of the rest of us are tired of them no matter what they are taking

Well said and true. But I still don't support killing someone that didn't kill someone. A nice beating and permanent scar on the face aint bad though.

[IronTiger]

wrong it is perfectly legal and acceptable to shoot and kill people stealing your possessions day and night in Texas

if you don't feel it is acceptable then you should kindly post your feelings on a sign in your front yard that you are accepting of crime and criminals and then maybe the rest of us will be left alone or you can move to a state that coddles and accepts criminals.....most of the rest of us are tired of them no matter what they are taking

Really? I'm a "criminal law" class taught at school by a police officer, and you can only use deadly force if you're in imminent danger, or if they're trespassing to commit a felony (ie rape). But you can't shoot someone dead, even they are in your house without your permission!

[dbigtex56]

Like I said, Libs. think it is all fine and dandy to let criminals run amuck, until they run amuck on THEM !

Is that really "what Libs. think"? Name one.

Or is this just an unfounded, gratuitous slur?

[TheNiche]

Really? I'm a "criminal law" class taught at school by a police officer, and you can only use deadly force if you're in imminent danger, or if they're trespassing to commit a felony (ie rape). But you can't shoot someone dead, even they are in your house without your permission!

Individuals among the police say a lot of (different) things. But they aren't exactly lawyers or judges.

[Mark F. Barnes]

Really? I'm a "criminal law" class taught at school by a police officer, and you can only use deadly force if you're in imminent danger, or if they're trespassing to commit a felony (ie rape). But you can't shoot someone dead, even they are in your house without your permission!

Well next time he tells you that, laugh at him, because if they are in your house without your permission my friend, they ARE committing a felony. If they are on your property and you feel you are in danger, drop the hammer on them, it is your right by law. "Imminent Danger" is a judgement call, so if a trespasser makes you feel any condition or action, on their part, which is such that a danger exists, which could reasonably be expected to cause you death or serious physical harm, can be classified as "imminent danger". So if you feel you are in harms way, boom, dead bad guy. My father spent 60 years in Law Enforcement, (over 40 as a Texas Ranger) and he always said if they don't belong at your house, shoot to kill. If they step across the threshold, shoot them twice. Trust me if some steps in your house or kicks your door in and you shoot them dead, You will be cleared of any wrong doing. There have been instance where an undercover cop was shot kicking in a door, without properly identifying himself, and the shooter walked on the shooting. Example comes to mind in North Houston, several years back. An undercover narcotics cop, was acting on a tip, didn't call for backup, kicked in the door of the wrong apartment, and he was killed by the occupants. Seems like it was a Hispanic, possibly Central American Guy, and if I remember right the actual apartment he wanted was across the foyer. None the less he was killed, and the shooter was No Billed. How ever tragic it may be, the shooter had no idea he was a cop, just thought he was a thug.

[IronTiger]

Apparently, if they're on your property though (outside) you can't shoot either because that would be "escalating the force" and thus illegal.

I took notes, and I'll repost them here to just make sure that I'm saying things right. I also wish the officer would be on HAIF, because he's lived in College Station for many years. He remembers when they built the bypass!

[Mark F. Barnes]

Apparently, if they're on your property though (outside) you can't shoot either because that would be "escalating the force" and thus illegal.

I took notes, and I'll repost them here to just make sure that I'm saying things right. I also wish the officer would be on HAIF, because he's lived in College Station for many years. He remembers when they built the bypass!

I'm sorry to tell you that that officer, doesn't have a clue what he is talking about. He really needs to go back to writing parking tickets and hope he fills them out correctly. Now I am sort of confused as to what was really said, because originally you said in the house, now you are saying outside, but I have news for you, if a criminal comes on your property and refuses to leave, or if he has so much as a stick, club knife, rock, gun or whatever in his hand, and you feel threatened, he can be legally shot, and if by chance he dies as a result of those wounds, well it's just his bad luck. I am not saying you can shoot the UPS guy, or the Amway salesman, but if someone comes on your property, and you feel that they mean you harm, or they are going to rob you, you have the right to shoot them. PERIOD. If the officer is telling you anything different, he has no clue.

Clue. Most officers have 60-70 hrs of college. The majority of them get it at places like Lee College, taking their grassroots CJ courses, just enough to qualify them to become a patrolman. If the officers had actually been to Law School, he would be a Lawyer instead of a Policeman, it pays better. A lot of Police Officers like to think they know the law, when they don't. To be perfectly honest with you, the conviction rate would be a lot higher if they actually did, and they wouldn't screw up so many cases that the District Attorney Offices would have to throw out because of botched procedures, and mishandled evidence and paperwork miscues. It's cops that think they know the law that are the worst. They need to stick to making solid arrests, completing all the paperwork correctly, and leave the law up to the lawyers. I would guess that 90% of the guilty people that get off on technicalities, get off due to Police screw ups. This is no joke.

Edited November 2, 2008 by Mark F. Barnes

[PapillionWyngs]

Well, this brings two things to mind. Yesterday, someone tried to break in our house. They did a pretty good number on the doorknob, but we think the two big loud dogs inside probably scared them off (at least that's what they police said).

Second, in 1983ish my Mom went to Gulfgate (when it was still old and half deserted). She had a brand new navy blue T-bird, and, for some reason, she parked next to three people who were just standing in the parking lot (one had on a cape in the middle of the summer). She got out of her car and one came up to her and said "Get back in the car b***h. She looked at all three of them and said "No!". Then she walked promptly into Dillards, and fainted. The police said that getting in the car would have been her death sentence, but it wasn't very smart to turn your back on three dudes who could have had guns.

By the way, the car was still there when she got back.

She would have been 60 something at the time - is 85 now - she was something back then. Now she is bed-ridden.

[TheNiche]

Most officers have 60-70 hrs of college. The majority of them get it at places like Lee College, taking their grassroots CJ courses, just enough to qualify them to become a patrolman. If the officers had actually been to Law School, he would be a Lawyer instead of a Policeman, it pays better.

Yep, then we're talking about RedScare. My understanding is that his job is basically to handle calls from officers in the field and to advise them on what is legal or illegal and what is the proper proceedure. If they were experts, they wouldn't need him.

I've relied on his advice extensively where the protection of myself and my properties are concerned. For instance, after I accidentally hired a knucklehead to do some really easy demo work that I thought he could handle but that he couldn't...rumors got to circulating that he was going to hit my house and steal from its occupant. It wasn't even my own place of residence, but I gave Red about a half dozen scenarios in which it would be considered acceptable to shoot an intruder. And honestly, I was surprised by the amount of leeway that I had if I felt threatened.

Edited November 2, 2008 by TheNiche

[IronTiger]

I'm sorry to tell you that that officer, doesn't have a clue what he is talking about. He really needs to go back to writing parking tickets and hope he fills them out correctly. Now I am sort of confused as to what was really said, because originally you said in the house, now you are saying outside, but I have news for you, if a criminal comes on your property and refuses to leave, or if he has so much as a stick, club knife, rock, gun or whatever in his hand, and you feel threatened, he can be legally shot, and if by chance he dies as a result of those wounds, well it's just his bad luck. I am not saying you can shoot the UPS guy, or the Amway salesman, but if someone comes on your property, and you feel that they mean you harm, or they are going to rob you, you have the right to shoot them. PERIOD. If the officer is telling you anything different, he has no clue.

Clue. Most officers have 60-70 hrs of college. The majority of them get it at places like Lee College, taking their grassroots CJ courses, just enough to qualify them to become a patrolman. If the officers had actually been to Law School, he would be a Lawyer instead of a Policeman, it pays better. A lot of Police Officers like to think they know the law, when they don't. To be perfectly honest with you, the conviction rate would be a lot higher if they actually did, and they wouldn't screw up so many cases that the District Attorney Offices would have to throw out because of botched procedures, and mishandled evidence and paperwork miscues. It's cops that think they know the law that are the worst. They need to stick to making solid arrests, completing all the paperwork correctly, and leave the law up to the lawyers. I would guess that 90% of the guilty people that get off on technicalities, get off due to Police screw ups. This is no joke.

Well, that's an armed person. Suppose they're unarmed. Well, here's my notes, in case you were wondering:

Self Defense Elements

Edited November 2, 2008 by IronTiger

[RedScare]

I'm sorry to tell you that that officer, doesn't have a clue what he is talking about. He really needs to go back to writing parking tickets and hope he fills them out correctly. Now I am sort of confused as to what was really said, because originally you said in the house, now you are saying outside, but I have news for you, if a criminal comes on your property and refuses to leave, or if he has so much as a stick, club knife, rock, gun or whatever in his hand, and you feel threatened, he can be legally shot, and if by chance he dies as a result of those wounds, well it's just his bad luck. I am not saying you can shoot the UPS guy, or the Amway salesman, but if someone comes on your property, and you feel that they mean you harm, or they are going to rob you, you have the right to shoot them. PERIOD. If the officer is telling you anything different, he has no clue.

A lot of this stuff is not quite simple enough to put into a few neat paragraphs on an internet forum. Suffice to say, if a person enters your home illegally...day or night...and you fear for your life, deadly force is probably justified. There are lots of what ifs, but most people want to know what to do if a stranger breaks in, and that is the short answer.

In your yard, it gets a lot dicier. If it is at night, and the intruder is committing theft, deadly force is justified. If it is daytime, deadly force is probably justified, but don't be surprised if you are forced to hire a lawyer to defend yourself in front of the Grand Jury. And, it depends on where in the yard the person is. If your yard is fence with a locked gate and 'No Tespassing' signs, anyone in that fenced area is a trespasser. That does not automatically mean you can shoot them, but they are trespassing. However, a city or suburban home with a sidewalk and a walkway to the front door is different. The walkway invites people to your door. The mere fact that they are on your porch does not make them a trespasser. You must order them to leave. Then, if they do not leave, they become trespassers. Clearly, shooting someone standing on your porch...not breaking in...will earn you an indictment, and probably a conviction.

I learned a long time ago not to critique those who give legal advice when I did not personally hear the advice. This professor may have explained it correctly, and IronTiger could have misunderstood. So, I will not offer any opinions on his statements, as I did not hear them myself. As for the police, most do a pretty good job. The problem with asking them who you can shoot is that this is not their area of expertise. And, even if you are technically correct, it may still cost you thousands of dollars in legal fees to make sure the police, DA, and Grand Jury see your side of things. So, all of this tough talk from well armed homeowners may be correct...but, it may also be expensive.

[Mark F. Barnes]

Well, that's an armed person. Suppose they're unarmed. Well, here's my notes, in case you were wondering:

Self Defense Elements

Edited November 2, 2008 by Mark F. Barnes

[TheNiche]

Well, that's an armed person. Suppose they're unarmed. Well, here's my notes, in case you were wondering:

Self Defense Elements

[IronTiger]

I can think of a huge variety of situations in which one or more of these elements would kick in. What if the unarmed intruder was shaking his fists at you? What if he had a concealed weapon and made a sudden movement? What if he was being verbally aggressive? Or if he wasn't saying anything and continued trespassing or stealing or whatever as you challenged him (that'd be pretty intimidating, too)? What if he was advancing in the direction of a loved one? What if he was trying to steal your car, on your property, and wasn't responding to your challenges?

You don't live in New York.

Where did this happen?

Well, I could ask to see the Texas Penal Code, and have a talk with him myself. I don't know where the case happened, but it wasn't Texas. I'll see on Monday, I might show these to him, try to get a response. OK? I'll settle this sooner or later.

[Mark F. Barnes]

Ask no futher:

TEXAS PENAL CODE

[Vertigo58]

Well, this brings two things to mind. Yesterday, someone tried to break in our house. They did a pretty good number on the doorknob, but we think the two big loud dogs inside probably scared them off (at least that's what they police said).

Second, in 1983ish my Mom went to Gulfgate (when it was still old and half deserted). She had a brand new navy blue T-bird, and, for some reason, she parked next to three people who were just standing in the parking lot (one had on a cape in the middle of the summer). She got out of her car and one came up to her and said "Get back in the car b***h. She looked at all three of them and said "No!". Then she walked promptly into Dillards, and fainted. The police said that getting in the car would have been her death sentence, but it wasn't very smart to turn your back on three dudes who could have had guns.

By the way, the car was still there when she got back.

She would have been 60 something at the time - is 85 now - she was something back then. Now she is bed-ridden.

Thats is why it is extremely important to educate the whole family not just the young but the older generations as well. We have been very lucky so far but even at moms age of 87 she tells us what she will do. She always said if someone jumped in the car and said to drive she would 1st yell as loud as possible (make noise), if they made her drive she says she will crash the car no matter where or what. Never let them drive her anywhere. If they are going to do anything it better be there and then, maybe not such good results but at least you wb heard and found and not vanish like many others have.

A company I once worked at would have HPD come in and give great pointers for girls and guys. Its time for a refresher. They had a good story of some freak that would hide in parking lots UNDER the cars. When a driver walked up to open the door, he cut the ankles with a knife or box cutter. Person dropped and he either drove off or kidnapped and later killed them. That one I cant forget, try to look under the car if you remember, especially if dark.

Edited November 3, 2008 by Vertigo58