Neighborhood Security ?

[jdubwaldo]

UUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHH.  We have got a serious serious problem here.

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/02/22/17 ... other.html

[jdubwaldo]

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/content/ne ... UM5LA.cspx

[PumpkinStalker]

Oh, I thought you had already heard about that this morning Jdub!  I thought that's why we were discussing lighting.   

[LenexatoKCMO]

perhaps I just don't understand the mind of a serial crime sociopath, but it just doesn't seem very smart to keep coming back to the same relatively small neighborhood where everyone is on alert looking for you.  Why wouldn't you move your operation to some other part of town where no one is expecting you?

[jdubwaldo]

Why can't they find this guy?  I am not sure if I feel better or worse they are being hush hush about it???

[dangerboy]

This is probably cynical, but I bet he'll get caught now that he's moved from Waldo to Brookside and is striking in the midst of where half of City Hall's managers live...

[PumpkinStalker]

Well here is one thought I had.  He wore a mask this time.  To me, that means that maybe his sketch is acutally somewhat accurate and he feels the need to better conceal himself.  

I also feel he may be motivated by the threat of being caught.  It's an excitement to him and he's craving it more and more as he gets away with it.  He enjoys being "wanted" but at the same time, he enjoys the physical power he has over the woman.

Just my thoughts.  My degree was in sociology with an emphasis on criminology and you can see where it got me:  House renovations and inside sales at Hallmark!

[jdubwaldo]

I could say so many things, but will refrain from the first one that popped in my mind.

I agree, he's getting more brazen.  He really must be scoping people out to know when boyfriends are coming home and leaving before then.  Wow.  Surprising noone is noticing this? 

There was an armed cop at Sutherland's yesterday. I haven't noticed this before, is this new??

[droopy]

There was an armed cop at Sutherland's yesterday. I haven't noticed this before, is this new??

No, not new. 

I was talking to a neighbor over the weekend that reported a dark SUV driving slowly down the block, stopping, reversing, going forward agian, etc. early in the morning - about 5 AM - on a couple different days.  He drove off when she turned a light on.  My wife saw a dark SUV parked in front of our house at 6 am on Sunday, that drove off when she opened the shade to look at it.  Yes, we live in the Waldo area.  Any thoughts on this?  Would a call to the police with this general info help or do anything? 

[PumpkinStalker]

I could say so many things, but will refrain from the first one that popped in my mind.

I agree, he's getting more brazen.  He really must be scoping people out to know when boyfriends are coming home and leaving before then.  Wow.  Surprising noone is noticing this? 

There was an armed cop at Sutherland's yesterday. I haven't noticed this before, is this new??

As a frequent shopper who is there 3-4 tmes a week...OK OK...sometimes 3-4 times a day....  There is ALWAYS a cop in there.  Fully uniformed and ready to go.  He just lingers around the cash registers and hangs out.  I'm not sure if they've had problems in the past or what, but I always see him when I'm in the store after work.

[PumpkinStalker]

No, not new. 

I was talking to a neighbor over the weekend that reported a dark SUV driving slowly down the block, stopping, reversing, going forward agian, etc. early in the morning - about 5 AM - on a couple different days.  He drove off when she turned a light on.  My wife saw a dark SUV parked in front of our house at 6 am on Sunday, that drove off when she opened the shade to look at it.  Yes, we live in the Waldo area.  Any thoughts on this?  Would a call to the police with this general info help or do anything? 

Absolutely.  They begged the people at the meeting a couple weeks ago at the church to please call with those types of things.  Anything suspicious...just call the non-emergency line.  It will be noted and a detectivewill follow up with you if they feel you have useful information.

[dangerboy]

Any thoughts on this?  Would a call to the police with this general info help or do anything? 

Yes, you should *definitely* call this in.  The guy is probably casing houses to decide which ones to break into. 

[jdubwaldo]

No, not new. 

I was talking to a neighbor over the weekend that reported a dark SUV driving slowly down the block, stopping, reversing, going forward agian, etc. early in the morning - about 5 AM - on a couple different days.  He drove off when she turned a light on.  My wife saw a dark SUV parked in front of our house at 6 am on Sunday, that drove off when she opened the shade to look at it.  Yes, we live in the Waldo area.  Any thoughts on this?  Would a call to the police with this general info help or do anything? 

Yes, please, anything like that should absoutely be called in.  They found, stopped and questioned some guy who was parked in the vicinity of our house that someone called in last week acting shady.  

[LenexatoKCMO]

yeah even if its not related to the rapist at all that sounds like pretty shady behavior.  You would think your common house burglar would be smart enough to give Waldo a wide berth these days.  

[dangerboy]

Be especially wary of suspicious vehicles that have their license plates covered up.  That's a big red flag for someone casing the neighborhood, or even the getaway for whoever is inside the house burglarizing.

[chrizow]

i would also watch out for suspicious vehicles containing convicted felons or persons carrying weapons.

[jdubwaldo]

They have signs on their clothing a la the scarlet letter.

Some woman in our neighborhood was going up and down the street knocking on doors telling people that the "waldo rapist" was hanging around our street a few days ago.  I was like - what did he have a magnetic sign on his car indicating this?  I think the KCPD would have caught that.

[droopy]

I will give them the po-po a call.  Sounds like it is not a one time occassion from the neighbor's account.  She is actually a backyard neighbor as well, so she saw him/her on a different street than ours.  The wife and I thought they might be looking for cars warming up unattended in driveways to liberate them from their careless owners.  Regardless, it is strange behavior and I suppose we have good reason to be sensitive.

[nota]

Regarding streetlights and city/burb-most of the burbs that have an HOA pay for, install, and maintain their own after the initial subdivision is built.

Depends on how active the HOA is on how often the lights get changed, fixed, etc.

Costs lots of bucks-not included in taxes like in the city. That's probably a big reason that there are fewer in the 'burbs.


Regarding calling the police-the above few posts indicate what a Neighborhood Watch could do to help neighborhoods when crimes happen. Call the cops-definitely call the cops if you see anything suspicious and also report it to your neighborhood associations. The cops are glad to come out to your meetings and explain what is going on in your neighborhood and what to do about it. They can bring facts and figures of crimes and when and where, etc. Lots to learn from them.

[jdubwaldo]

If people will show up.  I tried this and mailed fliers to everyone on our block and the block south of ours.  Two families showed up other than us and the neighbors on each side I sort of forced to come.

Until something physically happens to them, many people seem to think it is not their problem......