Neighborhood Watch and Biting Dogs

(re-run)

Nine years ago, burglaries were happening all over my neighborhood. The burglars’ M.O. was to ring the doorbell, wait, then kick in the front door, find the jewelry, cash and drugs and get out in two minutes. They’d use a pillowcase from the master bedroom, where the jewelry was most likely to be. It didn’t matter if the home had a security system or not. They were long gone by the time the police arrived.

My little court of six houses wasn’t hit. We have too many folks at home – me, my neighbor, my retired neighbors, the 80 something woman next door, and the mom of two up the street. Only the young family had two working parents, plus we have a park next door with a swing set and slide, which brings a lot of nannies and children to the court. We also have many dog walkers passing by.

But the house at the top of the court on the main drag got hit at noon on a weekday sometime between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. I decided to get a large dog (adopted her on December 21st). When the puppy was four months old, I hosted a Neighborhood Watch meeting in my home. I had a packed house by the time the police officer arrived.

The reason I thought of it this week is because I am always after my adult child (who lives with me) to lock the exterior doors. We have six, and the interior door to the garage makes seven.

Seven ways for burglars to get in.

“Mom, no one will come in with the dogs,” they said.

“If they are bringing steak, the dogs will let them in,” I said.

“What burglar brings steaks, Mom?”

Back to the Neighborhood Watch meeting of 2015. The police officer stood in my living room and asked, “What’s the difference between a dog in Oakland and a dog in this town?”

“Pit bull,” someone said.

“Dogs in Oakland are trained to bite,” the policeman said. “Dogs here are trained to wag their tails. If the burglars throw your dog a steak, is Fido going to stop the men from coming in? I don’t think so.”

So you see, oh child o’ mine, burglars do bring steaks. Anyway, just lock the exterior doors, okay? And the one to the garage as well. The house is filled with Christmas gifts, and this is the time of year when burglaries and robberies are way up. While I’m down in Monterey County with the big dog and the crazy dog, I don’t think your Chihuahua is going to be able to protect those unlocked doors.

Although, come to think of it, yours was the dog that bit your cousin’s new girlfriend on the nose at Thanksgiving, so maybe we’re okay after all.