Mail box bashed in broad daylight

no, its not that bad, yeah, there are teen issues here, but that is anywhere. My car was broken into in Great Falls, by a teenager from Great Falls who had been B&E homes, cars and business's. Reston, Herndon, Arlington, Chantilly, Leesburg, everywhere your gonna find a level of crime. Ashburn/Broadlands is no different, hell there was a brutile murder in Landsdowne, so noone is exempt. It's how it handled, Broadlands has a great program of residents working with LOCO Sherif to do community watch, we get briefing from LOCO every month and they ususally attend the HOA meetings several times a year. This community has its issues, but no more than anyother. Broadlands is great, now if the F-----ing Dunkin Donuts would open, that would make it a little better. Hope this helps, and if you come out, welcome to the community, but keep your trashcans in the garage!

 

For what it's worth...we had a liason from the sheriff's office attend our HOA meetings. He made it very clear that while we are concerned about the level of petty crime in Broadlands, we DO NOT have a crime problem from their point of view. There are many areas in the county, and in Ashburn, that are having much more crime, and more serious crime, than we experience.

 

No it's not that bad. Unless you are the victim.

 

I live in Ashburn but not Broadlands and don't feel there is a significant level of crime worthy of choosing somewhere else to live. I don't think you could find an alternative that has much less crime than Ashburn. Many of the crimes you hear about are crimes of opportunity such as stealing beer from an open garage, stealing electronics from unlocked cars, etc. There are some more serious crimes being committed but no more so than any other suburban area.

As another poster said, it's also important to consider how local law enforcement (as well as the community as a whole) respond to crimes and misdemeanors. Kids smashing mailboxes has been going on for more than 30 years and isn't usually something that goes on for a long time - kids do that stuff for fun but it usually ends once some of the perps start getting caught.

That's my two cents on the matter after living in big cities and suburbs for about 40 years. Crime happens everywhere but the severity and frequency vary greatly. Statistically speaking Ashburn is a pretty darn safe place to raise a child.

 

I've been a victim, but it still isn't that bad.

 

While I cannot say I have been a victim here in the Broadlands, I have been the victim of vandalism and theft, those are things that are hard to get over, but it's not that bad. Property and belongings can all be replaced, and emotional distraught can be cured over time.

 

I don't know about you but wasting $60 and a weekend of time that I don't have to repair a mailbox that should never have been damaged in the first place is bad enough for me.

Last summer, I had gas cans stolen from my garage. Was 20$ in gas and $10 to replace the cans bad?

Last year I had a tail light bashed in on my car in the driveway. Was 450$ and a failed state inspection bad?

Oh wait, a couple years ago I had a mysterious hole cut in my siding. Was $500 to replace the siding bad enough yet?

Let's see, in the past 3 years I have had to pay out almost $1,000 in repairs due to "not that bad" vandalism.

So tell me. At what point does it become "bad" because I don't think I will be able to afford it.

When I moved to Broadlands 10 years ago, I don't remember any of this happening. And now in the last 2 years, you have 4 deaths in less than a 3 mile radius from my house.

It may not be bad, but it sure isn't getting better.

 

All the more reason to put up a video surveillance camera, its worked for another homeowner here in the Broadlands. Expensive solution, but if it catches the jerks thats worth it in my mind.

 

jwf, sorry to hear you've been victimized.

One experience is one too many, IMO. Some people, including myself, suggest that development/progress nets more opportunities for would be thiefs or other wayward indigents or miscreants. This is the main reason I dread the Metro expansion project - it's just a little too close to home.

 

saw another mailbox smashed on Chickacoan near Ellezey. we were victims of several cases of vandalism and ahrrassment for awhile- unprovoked. i think our location in a pipe stem made it attractive. nothing recently, knock wood. sorry for you jwf- it's vERY annoying to have your private space invaded and ruined by punks with nothing better to do. i'd get a camera if i were you since it seems to happen regularly to you. we will likely do the same...

 

Professionally I have done business with Security Cameras Direct (www.scdlink.com).
It pays to do some research first as the capability of different cameras varies a lot.

Spending money on a crappy system will only give you crappy pictures. Video security systems aint cheap if you want to do it properly.

There is an Israeli company we also do business with that I would like to have for my home system. Unfortunately, getting an import license for the automatic turrets is going slow.

Anyway, anyone considering a home video security system, check out SCDlink.com.

 

It appears clear to me that you are being targeted. I'm willing to bet few residents in Broadlands have had the problems you did.
I refer to a 3400 home community and the amount of crime we have. According to the sheriff's office, our problems are small.

 

I have given it some serious consideration but I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to that.

 

Last year here in Ashburn Village we had a few issues with someone "breaking into" cars in the neighborhood. It only happened a couple of times and I put "breaking in" in quotation marks because they only hit cars that were unlocked. I don't know but I'm guessing it was kids and once the cops starting investigating the kids probably didn't think it was so fun anymore. I suspect the mailbox bashing is just the latest kick for bored and stupid kids. Of course, I could be wrong.

 

I hadn't heard about this... When/where did this take place?

 

I have a question about the Honda and a possible link to the mailbox bashing - does the back bumper appear to be attached by rope and is it a dark color (dark blue/black)? Is the driver a white male, with sandy blonde shaggy hair?

If so - please send me a PM and I will provide you a plate #.

 

No it is a newer silver Honda from all the report I have received

Staci

 

THIS IS A GREAT SITE.

http://www.spotcrime.com/va/loudoun+county

 

Today my son reported that around 4:30 or 5:00 the dogs started barking. He looked out the back yard window and saw a teenager sitting on a rock in our backyard. When he saw my son he immediately ran away.

I don't see how anyone could look at this map and not be concerned about what is happening to our community.

 

That's an interesting website! Fortunately the majority of the crimes committed in the Ashburn area appear to be non-violent. There seems to be a lot of breaking into cars and stealing GPS units in the northern Broadlands and Ashburn Farm areas. Even in the Sterling Park areas there was a lot of that.

I don't mean that those crimes are acceptable. Nobody wants to see crime in their neighborhood. I wonder what the correlation is - if any - between some areas being hit more than others as the map seems to indicate.