There are have a rise of break-ins around my town. We are a medium town near a large city. Even in neighborhoods that have neighborhood watches and with the police continually patrolling the streets. The favorite thing for these jerks to do is just waltz into your house, if the doors are unlocked, while you are in the house or in your yard, take what they want and just waltz right back out. Sometimes in the front door, out the back door. Those aren't as scary as the actual breakins though.

I want to get a security system but can't afford one so I made up my own. It may not actually work but it makes me feel better - like I'm doing something to help myself. We put up motion lights in the front and back of our house. Anyone trying to get to any of our doors will cause the light to go on. (we also get to see the wild life more easily too) I also put tension curtain rods in my windows so the windows cannot be jimmied up as easily. The police said if they cannot get into your house within 5 minutes, it may be enough to deter them. I hope my rods do just that.

I live in a pretty safe town. Still, I don't temp fate, I lock up the cars, the doors, the windows. Things can happen anywhere, and it seems more things are happening with so many people out of work.

When we went down to look at the house we're trying to buy, a couple of the neighbors' have donkeys who were giving us the evil eye. They keep them in front yard pastures. If you slow down too long, they start braying, and that calls the dogs. Tell you what, that would deter me, lol. Not worth whatever you got in that house to get the snot kicked out of me by a donkey, then get eaten by a rottie.

Thanks for your post. I am going to see what the going rate is for a braying donkey, which is easier to take care of than a dog.

What a crime stopper one or two of these animals would be if a person lived in the right place. Throwing a couple of geese into the mix would be helpful too.

gmi

**Doing research on the computer about buying a donkey** wonder if the town will allow it.

My Great Aunt had geese and a huge German Shephard. Granted this was way back when. They lived near the railroad tracks and hobos and who knows what would come by for food or to steal or whatever. Those geese can be mighty mean and so could that German Shephard.

Last night, just before bed, my cat was sitting on the window sill. All of a sudden she looked out the window (it was dark), let out a howl, leapt off the sill and went tearing out of the room. Just what a jittery person needed right at bedtime. OK, so I'll leave two extra lights on. What's a little more electricity?

I wish our legal system would actually DO something to these punks that break into people's homes.

Why, the lil hoodlums! I agree, it's scary when you have to keep everything latched and locked. I lock the door when I'm home during the day, but is it to keep me in or the thugs out??? I dunno?!?!?!

I worked in prison too long. I am always locking things.

Go into the gas station, and the when I come out the DH is standing there, hands on hips. WTH? he asked. I had locked the doors, and took the keys with me inside while he was pumping gas! hows that for a good habit?

I lock my door behind me when I come inside. I dont sit inside with it unlocked. I lock my car, even if its way out in the boonies safe in my yard.

Im a safety girl! (julia roberts as pretty woman)

Yeahbut, I'm sorry you are not relaxing because of this...keep a tv on in another room if you can sleep with the noise. That deters people from breaking in because the average thief thinks someone is still up or people are talking to each other. When you get up to go from one room to another switch lights off and on...this makes them think more than one person is in the house, and leave one light on always...

You can also buy door alarms, when your door is jarred really hard that alarm will sound, it is really really loud. I had an alarm that sounded like a barking dog on a door, it was mostly for when the kids opened the door.

Having taught behavior disorder kids and retired from Juvenile Justice...I know what kids and adults are capable of doing. Its not an excuse, but as the money gets tighter, people are going to start doing things they normally wouldn't think of doing.

I have two guns...a 9mm 15 round Ruger and a .38 S&W revolver and my aim is very very good, oh and my grand daddy's rifle. The kids in our neighborhood are a little scared to come in our yard I think, I notice they walk all the way to the stop sign rather than cut across the yard. Hmmm wonder why?

I lock the doors to my house, my car, my everything. Always have.