Rare but real: break-ins of houses and cars

One of our neighbors writes:

Vigilance. Ask the Sheriff for extra patrol, talk to your neighbors, talk to your friends and family, let them know what is going on. The best way to avoid getting your house broken into or your car stolen is to 

1. Break your rut, vary the times you leave and return to your home, 

2. Talk with your neighbors and walk outside more often, if you can wake up a bit earlier and just walk around your block and ask your neighbors to do the same, talk to the newspaper delivery guy and the dog walkers ask them to keep their eyes peeled. 

It doesn't take much to break into a car or a home. Take a different route home, keep your eyes peeled and DON'T BE AFRAID TO PHONE THE POLICE IF YOU SEE SOMEONE SUSPICIOUS, most people are reluctant to phone, don't be, the police would rather bother 100 folks only to find them just neighbors, than to let 50 people who were up to no good get away. I was a Police Dispatcher and I am writing from experience. 

Don't leave doors or windows open (especially at night during heat waves) lock up everything as if you lived in a high crime neighborhood. There is nothing worse than the feeling of being ripped off, if you have a garage, clean it out and park the car in there, if you can, get a security camera, if someone does break i to your home or steals your car, or your neighbors place gets hit, the camera will help catch the perp. 

We live in a different world today and need to take extra measures to protect our things.