Just When You Think You're Safe, Something Happens

Our house was broken into last Friday. I first saw that the gate to the yard was open, something I don't do because the dog may get out and go off on her own. There were footprints in the snow leading up to our back porch; a window in the storm door was open and there I found the smash window of the backdoor. I went around to the front of the house as I normally do and then called the police. "Get out of the house." I was told. "They may still be in there."

The police came in and checked the inside of the house; thankfully no one was there. The only thing missing was my laptop that was recently given to my by my wife. It was to be her old one; a friend at work had completely gone over it and had installed Window XP. The computer was clean, there was nothing on it, and I had hardly used it. That was the only thing stole, it was sitting on the couch, right next to the door. One cop said it was kids, it was small, light and valuable.

The second police office explained how easy it has been to get into, the broken pane was right next to the lock and was easy to open. He suggested we install a two-way lock—a key needed to get into from either side as well as installing a door with a more remote pane of glass.

I went to the home store and bought both, a lock and a door. Then the snow hit and I have a new door sitting in my house uninstalled. My life has changed. I will no longer be able to look out my back door window to see activities take place in the back yard without having to open it first. I'll have to think twice about being too friendly to people who come to my house, meter reader, paperboy etc. I'll have to remember how my house, my private life was violated and forced open and something stolen from me.

K.