Reporting a break in...WWYD?

[Justanopinion]

The lady who owns the house across from me is elderly. She moved out for a while last year then moved back for a few months and has now moved out again. She is living with one of her sons probably about an hour from here.

We have been trying to keep an eye on her house and DH noticed yesterday that the front door was standing open.

I called the contact numbers I have but they didn't get to me until almost 6 pm last night. At that time they asked us to go ahead and call the Sheriff's office(we live in the county) and make a report.

Since the break in wasn't happening right then, we called the non emergency number. They refused to take the report. Told us the owner had to make the report. We tried to explain that she was out of town and didn't live around here but they didn't seem to care. We know for sure that they at least got the TV, that's the one thing the owner told us to look for.

We ended up waiting a few minutes and calling 911, we then reported it as we didn't know if the break in was in progress or not.

But what I don't understand is why the wouldn't take the report from us. Does that mean that if I go out of town on a trip that my neighbor can't report something for me. I just don't understand this. I usually don't tell my neighbors when I leaving and when I'll be back. I do have a friend that comes by and checks on the house. Does this mean she won't be able to report something for me? This makes no sense to me.

 

[OceanAnnie]

That's sad for your neighbor.

The only reason I can think of for not taking a report from a neighbor is in some cases maybe the owner has given others the key. It would save on frivolous calls based on miscommunication. On the flip side, if you have been asked to watch the house and aren't expecting someone, IMO they should take the call.

ETA- The door being open and the missing TV is key in whether or not they should take the call.

 

[nkjzmom]

We had a similar situation happen to us last summer while we were house-sitting for our next-door neighbors. DD and I walked over Sunday to get Saturday's mail and check the house and we walked in to doors and drawers and cabinets wide open and items tossed around rooms. I quickly sent DD out and she had DH call the police. I'm not sure if he called the non-emergency # or 911 but the police came right away. It was very scary. I felt like we had interrupted the burglars because the back doors were left wide open.

I'm surprised the police responded to you the way they did. I hope your neighbor recovers any missing items. It's such a violation to know that someone has been in your home.

 

[SeeVee]

The lady who owns the house across from me is elderly. She moved out for a while last year then moved back for a few months and has now moved out again. She is living with one of her sons probably about an hour from here.

We have been trying to keep an eye on her house and DH noticed yesterday that the front door was standing open.

I called the contact numbers I have but they didn't get to me until almost 6 pm last night. At that time they asked us to go ahead and call the Sheriff's office(we live in the county) and make a report.

Since the break in wasn't happening right then, we called the non emergency number. They refused to take the report. Told us the owner had to make the report. We tried to explain that she was out of town and didn't live around here but they didn't seem to care. We know for sure that they at least got the TV, that's the one thing the owner told us to look for.

We ended up waiting a few minutes and calling 911, we then reported it as we didn't know if the break in was in progress or not.

But what I don't understand is why the wouldn't take the report from us. Does that mean that if I go out of town on a trip that my neighbor can't report something for me. I just don't understand this. I usually don't tell my neighbors when I leaving and when I'll be back. I do have a friend that comes by and checks on the house. Does this mean she won't be able to report something for me? This makes no sense to me.

That is an absolutely TERRIBLE idea. I dont recommend doing that again. Someone could get seriously injured or worse because of an officer going to a call he thinks is in-progress when it is not.

 

[sorcerormickey]

This EXACT thing happened to us last week!!!

There is a foreclosed/abandoned home across the street and one house over from us. We happened to look out the front window and see a bunch of teenagers hanging out in the driveway. So, we watched for a minute to see what was going on. Well, a minute later, 3 of the kids start trying to get the front door open, and the rest start circling the house trying to open the windows!

We immediately called the police and they could not have cared less. They said the owner had to call, even tho the house is abandoned. I called a bunch of the other neighbors and got them to call the police too. I guess they got tired of us calling and they finally sent someone to shoo them away, but did not arrest/detain anyone. It ticked me off big-time!!!

 

[tchrrx]

This happened to us a few years ago. We noticed our neighbor's back door was open (our backyards open up to one another) in the morning. When it was still open in the afternoon, we called the police. An officer came over and he and my DH walked through the house to make sure nothing seemed out of place. Then, they locked the house back up. Turned out that the door just hadn't latched good & had blown open. We were glad that the officer was so willing to help.

 

[JR6ooo4]

tell them you are an "authorized agent" of the owner. It might work, and you really are.

MIkeeee