Loft burglaries

[KCPowercat]

Saw on fox4 tonight about a string of loft burglaries.  The guy is dressing up as a maintenance man in many cases.  They had video of him from what looks like the Finance building lofts.

Just something to be aware of to everybody.  Don't let people into your building no matter who they are.

[CrossroadsKid]

This guy hit my building, 1819 Baltimore, a month ago.  It sucks that this happens, but to be honest, my parents neighborhood in JoCo has had more burglaries in a year than downtown loft owners ... just a shitty thing that happens everywhere.

[chrizow]

a JoCo subdivision might have as many or more burglaries than the entire downtown Loop, but JoCo doesn't suffer from the same image problem as the Loop. 

this sucks, but what can you do?  criminals strike where people live...and now people live downtown.  no biggie.  just use common sense, just like anywhere else.

[mean]

I appreciate that my neighbors feel so safe that they can just leave the secured doors wide open all day and night, but it is extremely frustrating. I've thought about putting a sign up that says, "DO YOU WANT TO BE RAPED AND MURDERED? ME EITHER, CLOSE THE DOOR, YOU IDIOT!"

Maybe I will do that.

[lock+load]

I shut the door every time I've seen it propped open.  Whenever someone is moving in or out they think it's OK to leave the door wide open.  If I can't see you getting ready to come through that door...it needs to be shut.

[Tosspot]

I always carry my mail to the nearest post office drop box, because people don't bother to make sure our door to this building shuts all the way. Someone could waft right in and swipe my credit card payments or something.

[lock+load]

^Online Bill Pay

[CGOCPFTF]

Someone could waft right in and swipe my credit card payments or something.

You must be OLD if you use paper and ink to pay your bills.

[scooterj]

You must be OLD if you use paper and ink to pay your bills.

Hehehe.... I only use checks to pay my rent and my bowling league dues.  A single checkbook lasts me an entire year. 


Back on topic, though, has anyone been able to get a picture or description of this guy so that we know what to look for? 

[DaveKCMO]

what other buildings got hit? the channel 5 story just said "river market, downtown, and crossroads". i couldn't tell what building was shown during the "caught on tape" segment. do the police have a sketch? kinda hard to spot someone based on the vague description they gave (other than a strange person in your building pretending to be maintenance, utility, etc.).

[scooterj]

It's incredibly easy to get past the security door in my building (I've done it myself by accident a few times) and minor vending machine burgalries and storage area thefts have occurred.  However one nice thing is that when you sign your lease they introduce you to the maintenence staff, so you know what the legit people look like.  Also they usually call you first before coming to the door if they need to do something.

[Moniker]

I appreciate that my neighbors feel so safe that they can just leave the secured doors wide open all day and night, but it is extremely frustrating. I've thought about putting a sign up that says, "DO YOU WANT TO BE RAPED AND MURDERED? ME EITHER, CLOSE THE DOOR, YOU IDIOT!"

Maybe I will do that.

It would be wonderful if they'd switch our door locks out with a swipe card and a door ajar timer-delayed alarm. I've seen these in some lofts in St. Louis, they're a godsend as opposed to the old keylocks on many of the lofts downtown.

[nota]

Why do you need the security doors anyway? Do you lock your apartments?

[bahua]

I personally don't like people in the common areas of the building, that don't live there. I have a friend that lives down the street, and his lobby has no lock on the door, and so gets homeless people sleeping in it, on occasion.

When I lived at the Bellerive in Midtown, people would constantly knock on the security door to get in, so they could bug people for change, use the bathroom, or sleep.

A security door is beside the point, regarding locking your own apartment door.

[nota]

I guess I just never understood the wish to close out people who want to knock on your door.

[bahua]

Like I said, my concern was never access to my apartment's door. My concern was vagrancy.

[mean]

I generally don't want people knocking on my door anyway. If I'm expecting you, come on in! If you're knocking, you're probably trying to convert me to some religion, and I'm not interested.

[LenexatoKCMO]

I generally don't want people knocking on my door anyway. If I'm expecting you, come on in! If you're knocking, you're probably trying to convert me to some religion, and I'm not interested.

Amen!  I can get my girl scout cookies through co-workers these days so I can't think of too many legitimate reasons why I would want strangers knocking on my door. 

[bahua]

I have found that people don't generally knock on doors, unannounced, anyway. I have a door out to the street, and in two and a half years living here, I have only had one unwelcome person knock on the door.

[scooterj]

I definitely don't like knocks on my door and usually won't even bother getting up to see who it is if I get one.  (Not that I have had many since leaving Olathe, where I was plagued by them.)    If I'm expecting someone, my door will be unlocked and I just want them to come on inside.  Besides, it's a really long walk from my couch to the door.