Well that was weird

[..]

Arriving back at my new, to me, home I see the front door is wide open.


Like many I use the garage as the main entry/exit from a house.


I call the local PD who dispatch 2 cars.


Whilst waiting I can see the grip of my 380 tucked down the side of my chair in the sitting room 3 paces inside the front door. If you didn't know the pistol was there you wouldn't know it was there.


I step in and quickly retrieve it and back out to the "safe" side of my Tahoe.


The first office arrives. I show him my pistol which I am know holding by the end of the barrel with 2 fingers and letting it dangle.


I've already taken my ID from my wallet.


I place the pistol on the rear step of the Tahoe and step away from it and away from the officer.


I let him approach me whilst identifying myself as the home owner and holding my ID towards him at arms length.


We talk briefly and I answer questions so he knows who I am and that there's no one else in the house that I know of or supposed to be in the house. No one should have opened the door to deliver parcels.


The second officer arrives and they clear the house.


There's no sign of forced entry and my secondary home defense weapon is still secure in my bedroom.


Off the officers go and off I go to buy new locks for all exterior doors.


Now I have 2 new locks on front door and sunroom exterior door.


1 new lock from sunroom to kitchen.


1 new lock from garage to laundry room.


1 new lock from laundry room to kitchen.

[old2soon]

Uh oh ah Merry Christmas Paul. I hope all is well. Glad there was no intruders.  RIDE SAFE.

[Pepmyster]

Very weird indeed.......

[Jess from VA]

Smart move on the new locks. It needed to be done anyway, and now it is.

If real estate ladies were involved in selling/buying your house, I'll lay 7 to 5 that's who left a door open.

Otherwise, I hope you have no resident ghosts...... of Christmas present? 

[Oss]

glad all is well

My vote is you just forgot you had the door open and left the house thru the garage

My wife has never done that about a hundred times   

Worse since the stroke

[csj]

Maybe Santa Claus arrived early, though I thought he used the chimney.

[Patrick]

Sorry to hear about the break-in, but, glad it turned out as it did.

We've been burglarized twice and guns were taken. I've made my own alarm system,but, I feel the best thing that has kept the house safe since the last one is always leaving the house as though its occupied. Friends think I'm crazy for always leaving the house with the TV blaring and the lights on, but....

[Robert]

I agree with Patrick but I would also recommend a alarm with central station monitoring. They do have the new systems out that can be do it yourself easy install and who ever you monitor with will do the final setup with you. Cost is about 15 to 25 a month. This type of alarm will notify your phone of the alarm you can arm or disarm from your phone and when coupled with your thermostat will allow you to tell the temp of your house and set it where you want it.  You can also turn lights off and on while away. A cam will allow you to watch from your phone or surveillance cameras will let you watch. So no matter where you are you can check in on your house or have it automatically alert you to a problem.

[..]

Smart move on the new locks. It needed to be done anyway, and now it is.

Was on my to do list.

Got moved uip "To Done".

[..]

glad all is well

My vote is you just forgot you had the door open and left the house thru the garage

My wife has never done that about a hundred times   

Worse since the stroke

If only it were that simple.

[Jess Tolbirt]

just changing locks wont keep it locked.. ever heard of a bump key? thats what the thieves use now days.. google bump key

[alph]

yeah, my kids do that also!!  6 stinking degrees below zero and the damn garage doors wide open to the laundry room door!! 

darn little off springs (I know they got that from the wife's side of the family) 

[..]

just changing locks wont keep it locked.. ever heard of a bump key? thats what the thieves use now days.. google bump key

So the solution is......?

[Robert]

Go up to my post above 

[Big Al of Tennessee]

ADT, or other Alarm System might help.

[Jess from VA]

Paul, you still haven't said if it was burglary or oversight, by someone.  Was anything missing, or tossed?  Was the back door open too, and you made them run early? 

Was this right after move in with big truck?

Sorry, I am just curious.

[Chaosandconfusion]

Paul, the NSA says sorry that they left the doors open. Those guys . . . . 

[Ghost]

( I hope you have no resident ghosts......) I was no where near your House, I promise. 

[..]

Paul, you still haven't said if it was burglary or oversight, by someone.  Was anything missing, or tossed?  Was the back door open too, and you made them run early? 

Was this right after move in with big truck?

Sorry, I am just curious.

Nothing gone or moved.

1. Could have been a realtor who didn'y know house was sold
2. Friend of previous occupier
3. Who knows

Was 12 days after using my little helpers

Whoever opened door ddin't close it securely and maybe wind blew it open. It was windy.

[BnB Tom]

  Regarding realtor  -  SURLEY you had the house rekeyed after purchase!!

  Regarding changing the locks  -  You don't need new hardware if the old works properly.
                                                      Just get what you have rekeyed by licensed locksmith.
                                                         You might ask him(her) to have deep and shallow cuts next to each other.  This will prevent the following . . .
       
  Regarding 'bump keys'  -  Yes, with a LOT of practice, they work on some older locks under certain conditions
                                            BUT, not quite as easily as McGyver would have you think.

                                                              (Tips from a Valk riding locksmith)                                             

 
                                 

[Daniel Meyer]

This is the only "bump key" that works on any of my building locks.

It is *REALLY* fast though...

[BnB Tom]

   And of course, in spite of all of the aforementioned preventative measures which have been recommended,

               NOTHING beats the good, old fashion method of 'keyless' entry