file photo by Boyd Loving
May 4,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, According to the Ridgewood Police ,On Saturday, April 23, patrol responded to the Ridgewood Duck Pond to assist the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department. The victim reported that the window was smashed on her vehicle while it was parked at around 3:30pm. A purse was removed from the vehicle. On Sunday, April 24, a resident reported that his vehicle was parked in the YMCA parking lot between 4:30pm and 6:00pm. When he returned to his vehicle he discovered his window was smashed and three briefcases were missing. While Officers were taking the report, a second resident reported her vehicle’s window was smashed at the same location and her purse was missing. Typically thieves target locations such as Gyms and Parks where the victim is most likely to leave their valuables in the car while exercising. To minimize your risk, try not to leave anything of value visible to thieves; store them out of view or lock them in your trunk
When I learned to drive in the Pleistocene Age we were firmly instructed never to leave anything of value visible in a parked car. I have been amazed all these years to see that people continue to do it. It’s like a shop window to thieves.
NOT Looking forward to more such crime scene reports once the Hudson street parking mistake is hammered down into place in the Cafe district..Will be an awakening warm up for the similar Valley build out impact. All for what..?… the restaurant owners for peak dining crowd…what a joke, and HELLO …jokes on us…sadly…
PS pave the existing surface lots before they are sold to the grifters for multi family sites….next argument..we have too much parking capacity, lets take another look at a ridgewood multi family urban development like the morristown crowd though they wanted..A nightmare.GET OUT THE VOTE…
re:
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“When I learned to drive in the Pleistocene Age we were firmly instructed never to leave anything of value visible in a parked car. I have been amazed all these years to see that people continue to do it. It’s like a shop window to thieves.”
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This is so true… but brace yourself for the upcoming torrent of “OMG HOW CAN YOU BLAME THE VICTIM” posts.
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Hi, 2:34. 10:06 AM here. I do not blame the victim–it’s still a crime. But who cares whose fault it is if you can prevent it? If you leave your front door wide open and strangers come in and take your piano, wallet, and microwave, shouldn’t there be some level of responsibility? Why tempt thieves? Not so hard to put things in the trunk (before leaving your previous location). It isn’t the 1950s any more.
The thief does not know if there is anything in the car till he/she breaks in.
So I Guess that a locked car in the lot is tempting a thief?
Leave the car open so that you don’t tempt a thief?
wow 5:49…
OK here’s he answer… LOCK the car AND keep valuables OUT OF SIGHT – locked in trunk/storage bin OR not left in the vehicle.
(Here’s the hint…. the locked car is not the temptation. The valuables in plain sight ARE the temptation.)
My point was that a thief will move quickly. It is not the vehicle owner’s fault whether the car is locked or not.
A criminal is going to do whatever he/she planned to do.
Do not blame honest victims for another person’s criminal activity. Locked or not, the criminal will get into the car. Probably breaks the window without checking to see if all doors or locked.
Its just what the bad guys do. Don’t blame people who go to the park.
wrong again 7:50…
A thief is opportunistic…
He will look in an unlocked car.
He will not break into a car unless he sees valuables.
Thieves are “businessmen” in their own way. they asses risk/reward and do not waste their time or risk incarceration unless the payoff potential is there.
So yes, a person who gets robbed is at least partly responsible (or in your vernacular – “blamed”) if they leave their car unlocked and/or leave valuables in sight.
The thief is still WRONG, but the person is not acting in their own best interest and are partly responsible for their loss, even if they are acting legally.
If you don’t believe me, ask any insurance agent…