About 10 days ago at about 7 p.m. two (2) white males, 30-40 years old, dressed in jeans and tee shirts, and driving an old beat up sedan (Buick I believe) drove up my driveway to my house. The driver got out of the car and started to approach the fence. I was suspicious and I told him to get back in his car and leave.  He explained that he was lost and named some street and I told him again to get back in his car and get off my property. There were neighbors around and in sight when this happened, so I felt fairly safe being quite rude. The men left and I called the police (862-8600) and reported the incident.

The following week (Monday, August 1st) about 9 a.m. my neighbors were outside gardening. Three (3) men in an old sedan (Oldsmobile) drove up their driveway. An older white male got out of the car.  He was dressed casually and was using a cane. The second man was a young white male, early 20’s and the third was a white male in his 30’s or 40’s with a beer gut.

The older man first approached my neighbor’s husband and began talking non-stop for several minutes.  He then approached my neighbor (the wife) and started talking with her.  The man said he was selling flooring and tried to engage both neighbors in conversation.  The neighbors told the man they were not going to remodel the house and were not interested in what he was selling.  They were too polite to order the man off their property and my neighbor remembered thinking that she wished the old man would just stop talking and leave. It felt very weird to her because she was doing everything she could to show that she was not interested. The other two white males were still in the car. The younger one got out and the older man said he was ‘training’ him to sell flooring.

Both my neighbors told me that they could not understand why the man kept talking when they clearly told him they were not interested in flooring and told him they were not remodeling their house. The man insisted that my neighbors show him their kitchen floor and showed my neighbors a sample of flooring. The sample was cheap and shabby. My neighbors did NOT take any of these men in their house. The men finally left after about 30 minutes or so.

Later that night about 9 p.m. my neighbor went into her bedroom.  She noticed something odd when she saw her ring holder was empty.  At first she thought she had put her rings somewhere else, so she looked in all of the usual places. Then she realized that the rings were missing. My neighbors immediately called the police to report the burglary.

The following Wednesday evening about 5 p.m. two (2) white males drove up and stopped to talk with me while I was checking my mail. The man was about 35, had a bleached blonde crew cut, black eyebrows, mustache, and goatee, he was dressed in a white tee shirt and jeans, and was driving a new Dodge Ram pickup, black with lots of chrome. The man told me that they had just refinished driveways for three of my neighbors and asked if I would like them to repair my driveway.

I told him to get back in his truck and leave.  He pretended he had not heard me, so I said, “No thank you. Get back in your truck and LEAVE NOW!”  They left.  I got their license number and went inside and called the police. I gave the police the license number and a complete description of these men. Be advised that there were other people (my neighbors) nearby and in sight when this happened, so I felt safe!  If no one had been around I would have gone right back inside my house and called the police.

These bad characters target single women and seniors! They KNOW that many times the victims will not tell the police what happened, mainly because they feel that they were stupid to let something like this happen in the first place. The truth is that these horrible people are VERY manipulative and are VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO!  They are excellent liars and actors and their profession is taking advantage of, fooling, and stealing from people.

1.    Talk to your neighbors!  The MAIN REASON I am so hyper-alert is because my neighbors were kind enough to tell me what happened to them!  Also because I am a big city girl and kind of rude by nature! I moved down here because I really love the southern way of life and the fact that people are so genuinely nice! Bad guys like this too!  Most of my neighbors are too polite to tell strangers to get lost. If something feels wrong, TRUST your instincts!  It IS wrong! Go back inside and call the police at 862-8600!

2.    LOCK YOUR DOORS!  ALL the doors ALL the time!  If you have an alarm system, get into the habit of turning it on even when you just go outside to the garden, or for a walk around the block. Take your cell phone with you.  If you do not have one, get one!  Be advised that even a cell phone without minutes on it WILL work to dial 911. The battery just needs to be charged and it will work to call 911.

3.    Introduce yourself to your neighbors!  Talk to your neighbors and be aware of what is happening in the neighborhood and on your street!  KNOW who you neighbors are, what their routines are and what “NORMAL” is for your street. (Get their phone numbers)

4.    If someone you do NOT know comes up your driveway, be SAFE, go back into your house.  Do NOT let strangers in your house for ANY REASON. It does not matter if they are male or female, white, black, or purple, if you do not KNOW them, do NOT open your door!  It does not matter if they SAY they are your neighbor!  If you do not know them, do not open the door! Call the police at 862-8600. It is much better to call the police for something that may be nothing, than to be burglarized or hurt. Do NOT confront these animals! Call the police!

5.    If you see something suspicious, call 862-8600!  This is the police and fire department NON emergency number. If you feel at all threatened, or if it is an emergency, call 911 immediately!

6.    Take pictures of suspicious persons with your cell phones.

7.    Take pictures of your jewelry and keep the photos in a safe place outside your home, like a safety deposit box.

8.    Write down the serial numbers of all electronics components (television, stereo, computer, radio) and store the information in a secure place.

9.    Engrave your name and/or on all the back of electronic components (television, computer, etc.) to make them easier to identify. You can buy a cheap engraver at Hobby Lobby, WalMart, or Michaels.

10.  Establish and maintain a Neighborhood Watch Group.

12.  Keep your car keys with you at all times!  Most car keys have a panic button.  If a suspicious person will not leave, hit the panic button to make noise and go inside your home, then call the police. Flip the lights on and off, turn on the TV, anything to let the bad guys know that someone is home!

13.  If you have a computer and access to the internet, use www.crimemapping.com.  This website shows crimes that were committed in Davidson County (residential burglary, auto burglary).

14.  Don’t leave valuables in your car.  Lock your car doors, even when it is in the garage!

15.  The down-turn in the economy and the fact that the value of GOLD and SILVER items has increased a LOT means that burglaries will continue! We must protect ourselves! Be smart!  Call the cops! Talk to your neighbors!