Police at gates
 

There were 2 police cars each at Pinellis, Collier and near Brownwood? Any idea what was going on down in this area? Lights were flashing and police on walkie talkies. A little unnerving to say the least!

Another brazen daytime robbery. This robbery happened in Pinellas. It was one of the designers on the golf course. Robbing people in the daytime is extremely dangerous, both for the thieves and the homeowners. It is galling to think that they rob people when they are gone for only a few hours.

FYI a robbery is when the victim is present. A burglary takes place when the victim is not present.

The buglers got in through the sliders. I have a very nice solution for this. I have tried to post the info, but the PDF document, became a PHP document that could not be opened. I will try to attach the MS Word version. If this does not work, send me a PM with your email address and I will send you the detailed instructions. This is a very inexpensive fix, it is removable if you need to fix the sliders, and this is NOT for sale, it is FREE.

I cannot post the DOC file, oh well. Still waiting for the Admin to tell me why the initial posting failed. I am trying the pdf version again.

So these criminals are "burglars" unless they screw up and someone is sleeping inside the house when they ring the doorbell or the owners return home early and then the "burglars" would become "robbers." Sounds very dangerous to me. (Thanks for the FYI I wasn't aware of the distinction between robbery and burglary.)

Not exactly true. If someone breaks into a home it is a burglary whether someone is home or not. If the home is occupied the classification of burglary becomes a more serious felony. A robbery on the other hand is physically taking something away from a person or basically, theft by force or intimidation.

No matter how politically correct you call it

Dirt-bag is a Dirt-bag is a Dirt-bag

:shocked::ohdear:Come on folks! Stop the word play! The fact is that we are seeing a series of acts that make all Villagers a whole lot uneasy! We are all a possible target..!!!

So it was a 459 and not a 211?

We Have To Help Out
 

You are correct. And the police need our help. Anytime you see someone that looks the least bit "out of place" call it in with a good description(clothing, height, facial hair,etc) and keep an eye on where that person is heading if on foot. There has to be a common denominator in these burglaries- we just have to find out what that is. There are 100,000 + pairs of eyes and ears. Let's USE THEM and help stop this invasion of our homes!!!

So, I have a question? Is soliciting door to door allowed to happen here? I stopped a TruGreen solicitor today, walking in our neighborhood, door to door, and texting on his phone. While it seemed harmless enough, I asked him for a card, he had "just given his last one out", but he was wearing a TRuGreen shirt and did have the clipboard thing they all carry with bids and pamphlets etc. inside it. He was willing enough to show me that. I told him quite frankly I was keeping an eye on him because we have had several break-ins therefore everyone is suspect. He claims he's had the sheriff called on him a number of times and they know him, but I am just curious to know if there is, in fact, something saying soliciting is not acceptable in our neighborhoods. I've heard it often, but can't pin down the validity of that statement. I'm asking because in the future I will call Community Watch if this is true and have them approach the solicitor.

Semantics aside, this is getting to be far too frequent. I realize they are cretins everywhere but this is constant. And why is it only south of 466A. Not that I wish this horror on anyone but why is this particular area being targeted.

Your PDF came through just fine. How a PDF could change to a PHP is a mystery, even to Adobe.

Because of the amount of construction and renovations. These significantly increase the number of interested parties who covet your possessions. And if you hire any of the door to door types who want to sell you palm trees or painted driveways, you just increased your chances of becoming a target. By the way, if you bought a big screen TV or a safe, be sure to cut the boxes up. If you try to impress your neighbors with boxes reflecting a large purchase, you've just become a target. Just ask a few of my neighbors.

It is not only happening south of 466A, although it seems to be more prevalent there.

Thank-you for getting involved. You're a good person. You sent a message.

Good Job!
 

I called on a shady guy with a clipboard that was opening gates in the CYV. He said he was with Centurylink & was checking to see who had what cable. I used my iPhone as he walked up the street, clipboard in hand, to film him, then called Community Watch & the Sheriffs Dept. CW showed up just as he was getting back in his vehicle which was backed into a dead end next to the wall. CW could do nothing so I took his tag number & then 3 Sheriffs cars showed up.

We checked all the nearby houses and all were OK. This was last summer before the recent rash of break-ins, but my point is, call on them- it may be a solicitor which should be "discouraged" or worse, someone casing the properties. Sooner or later if we stay involved & vigilant, this can be solved.

Coming from Maine I'm amazed by the amount of violent crime there is in Florida once you get outside The Villages. We live in a community of over 100,000 people with an average income well above outside area. What did that bank robber say about banks? While many that live here are trying to figure out how to pay at Starbucks with an Iphone there are a lot people out there trying to steal that Iphone. The community is going to have to figure out how to firm up the "limit access" we have here. Technology is the answer, starting at gates, we can't hire enough police.

Thank you, tomwed, and good for you Susan G. We cannot let these low lifes make us afraid to leave or be in our own homes. We NEED to keep an eye out for unknowns in our neighborhood's and yes, call them on their presence there. Of course, NEVER put yourself in an unsafe situation, but keep your eyes open. We need to all leave our homes with a few minutes to spare when we go out and take a quick drive down a neighboring street, and drive a little more slowly so we can really see what's out there. If you are hesitant to approach anyone, pick up your phone and call the sheriff's office. Don't be afraid to be wrong...be afraid you may be right, and didn't do anything.

There are signs mounted at our entrance gate that says soliciting is prohibited.

I am extremely directionally challenged but I don't think the majority of these robberies (or burglaries) were south of 466A.

We notice an unmarked white van in the area acting strange, I took pictures, the neighbor called police. They were there in a few minutes. I had spotted the van stopped a couple hundred yards away, and directed the police to its location. saw the van there later with workers working at the house, apparently these were legit.
It pays to check.

Thank-you for getting involved. I see that a lot around here and it feels pretty good.

If the person is home it becomes... Home invasion a more serious charge

Thanks....I never saw them.

Very good!! Eventually we will get the message out that we are paying attention.

For those who are not that familiar with the Central Florida demographics around us, you may want to google crime rates "Leesburg", "Wildwood", "Fruitland Park", "Summerfield", "Lady Lake". There was no problem with break-ins around the Lake Sumter Landing residential areas when constructed. Brownwood / the new section borders along Leesburg...................

And?

What is the percentage of people who have a security system?

How would anyone know?
Email everyone and let us know the results.

MCV could do a TOTV poll of members who are currently living in TV and extrapolate the numbers.

Barefoot are you being facetious????

No, not at all. Any member can do a poll on any subject of interest. Many have.
I felt I was offering a constructive suggestion. I was definitely NOT being facetious!

LOL!!!! Thank you - English 101!!! Love the Passive/Aggressive behavior. SMH

Get a concealed carry permit, keep it on your person and most important learn how to use the weapon with a degree of proficiency---remember police do not prevent crime, they solve crimes

If you stumble on a burglary, you are a witness and a desperate person, may need to eliminate any witnesses.

According to the article in today's Daily Sun, 2 robberies/burglaries South of 466A, leaving 7 North .... Many way North.

The common denominator is that we are retired living in The Villages with the perceptions of being vulnerable and holding wealth which nasty people want to help us liquidate. Why else would they dare break-ins in broad daylight

The crimes are spread across all of The Villages and with the continuing building there is little concern about strangers being about given the construction and various contractors maintaining homes.

The companies doing business in The Villages clearly cannot or are not doing background check on their employees and in many cases may be facing a shortage of workers. Added to that Florida is a very transient state. People come and go daily...change is constant

This isn't true it's been throughout TV. All the way up into Harmswood at least that I know of.

I think we can have an advantage and a great impact on by knowing our neighborhood & being vigilant at reporting anything out of the ordinary and looking out for each other. Chatting with anyone new about what they are doing in a friendly way lets them know they've been seen.
We have so much positive to be thankful for here and should keep the focus on that. We have an advantage in that we are out and about in our neighborhoods and we are a pretty friendly bunch. We chat and this forum helps keep us informed too. We can and do send a pretty clear message that we care and will look out for one an other. And I believe sooner rather then later most criminals are caught here.