Open Garage Doors

We had a minor incident at our home last Saturday night, we didn't think much of it at first, but after speaking with neighbors and the HOA, we reported it to the police. I want to make others aware of the situation as the police stated that we should have called them right away.
At 9pm, our front door bell rang. My husband went through the garage door instead of answering the front door. Our garage was open at the time and a very bright light was on. When he opened the door from the house to the garage, he caught a teenager getting ready to open a cabinet or the refridgerator (he was standing between the two so it was hard to tell which one was the target). My husband walked out and the guy immediately walked out of the garage. There were 2 other guys at the front door. They pretended that they were looking for a friend and insisted that my husband was the "father" of the "friend". My husband told them that their friend did not live here and that he wasn't the father. They actually argued with him. He finally told them to leave our property. All 3 guys were about 6 ft and my husband believes they were high school age. At the time we thought that maybe they were looking for someone on our street and had the house confused. We figured they were just trying to take beer out of the fridge. We didnt think much of it, until we heard that there have been many incidents reported. Apparently items are being stolen out of garages and garage door openers stolen. These guys had a system down. I'm sure they expected us to open the front door, while the guy in the garage took off with what ever he found. In any case, the police told us that had we called immediately, they believe they could have caught these guys and that they have been looking for them. My hope is that this creates awareness. We now keep our garage door shut and all car doors locked!

 

I also read a report in the paper about a home on Vestals Gap that was entered during the night through an open garage door and a wallet was stolen.

 

We had a home in Ashburn Farm entered in the middle of the night and a purse stolen this past summer. It was a teenager as he was seen leaving the property by another teenager in the neighborhood who came home late. It's one thing to enter a garage-it's another altogether to enter an occupied home in the middle of the night. Don't get me wrong-they're both not right, but in an occupied home, the teenager may be getting into more than he bargained for, especially with the NRA HQ being so close...

 

mdcrim, was the person entering through and open garage, or was it a forced entry through a locked door?

 

The person entered the home through the garage door, which had inadvertantly been left open into the night. I think it was a crime of opportunity, but to enter into an occupied dwelling in the middle of the night... The teenager who saw him chased him off-he was on a bike, so definitely lived in the neighborhood.

 

The Ashburn Farm Neighborhood Watch looks for open garage doors. If they find one they leave a message noting the time it was open. They also leave notes for burned out nightlights.

NW is a passive patrol, therefore, they don't knock on the door to notify of an open garage door.

 

AFGM - why don't they knock? NW's are to help "prevent" crime. Notifying a resident that their garage door is open would certainly help and I would say it still falls under the "passive" argument.

 

It's a fine line. I think the current opinion is they are a "watch".

 

So the NW drives by your house, notices that your garage door is open and the car parked in your driveway has a door that isn't shut completely. They mark the time down and the next day when you notify the Sheriff's office that your house was broken into and your car was stolen, the NW can confirm what they noted and the time.

Sorta makes you wonder what purpose the NW serves doesn't it?

 

GCyr, I suggest you take your idea to the Broadlands NW and have them debate your opinion. It's a gray area. The Sheriff's office can help guide them through "procedures" as they did with AFNW.

If the NW sees anything suspicious they are to call the police not engage in an investigation or enforcement action.

 

But the "neighborly" and right thing to do is tell someone their door is open BEFORE a possible crime can be committed.

So, if your NW sees someone drowning do they just WATCH that too!? I know I was a bit extreme in that example but I do not see how knocking on someones door to "inform" is a fine line.

 

I would assume any neighbor (NW)who saw someone drowning would take action to help save the person.

Leaving your garage door open isn't life threatening.

 

Says who? Say some home invader savage decides to break in through the open garage door and kills a family...that's fairly life threatening.

I'd want someone to actually close the garage door for me and leave a note, just walk in and hit the down button...I doubt anyone would try to nail you for trespassing.

 

Thank you Brim - my thoughts exactly.

As for closing the garage door, that may be tougher. Most doors have sensors that will stop the door immediately and raise it when you trip it.

You have to push the button, run and make sure you jump over the beam.

 

I don't necessarily disagree. We have had folks complain about getting the notes.

You can't please everyone, hypothetically.

 

I didn't mean that the NW should "investigate" or "enforce" anything, but the NW should use common sense to "notify" the home owner (as in calling the owner if the number is available or ringing the door bell). I agree that the home owner might or might not appreciated the notification, but you can be 100% certain that same home owner will be pi**ed and yelling and screaming at the HOA and NW if he/she wasn't notified and my scenario took place.

 

GCYyr,

Let's play out your hypothetical. Let's say NW sees garage door open and car with door open. NW person approaches house and confronts perp in the act. Fight ensues and someone gets hurt. I am not a lawyer but someone is going to be liable.

Phone numbers are impractical.

It is a gray area. The guidelines to NW is to be passive observers. Eyes and ears of the police, not anything else. Even leaving a note can be considered going too far.

Would I like a knock on the door if my garage door was open, yes. However, there is a bigger issue than my garage door.

 

I think some people like leaving their garage doors open, are fully aware that their garage doors are open and may be offended by a NW person telling them something they already know.

That is probably why NW leaves a note. I'm not a member of NW (officially, anyway), but that would be my speculation.

 

Hypothetically, how far should it go, what if a window was open, or a car dome light was on (might mean the car was left unlocked) What if bicycles or a lawn mower were left out in the front yard? It's a tough call.

Hypothetically, what if the "knock on door warning" was inacted? What if it was at 2:00AM would you still want the "knock"? Do you think all your neighbors would want the "knock"?

I tend to think the note is the right line for the greater good. As I said, personally, I'd still like the knock on the door.

 

I think you should put on a ski mask and break through the interior door in the garage...run through the house until you find someone and yell "YOUR GARAGE DOOR IS OPEN!%#$*!%*" then run out.