Being from rural Minnesota we never locked up. Here we're a little more careful..

Security cameras are cheap and easy to setup. I have several of them and some are visible from the exterior to hopefully deter a criminal. Locking doors keeps honest people out (a criminal will easily get past a lock) but I lock anyways. Why tempt. That being said, 5 years ago, I once forgot my wallet at a driving range. Hours later, I went back to look for it and thought it would be gone for sure when another golfer was hitting from the same spot that I was in. The wallet was right where I left it and the golfer said to me it probably would have still been in the same spot, touched, days from now. That has been my experience in TV, no evidence of crime where I live and I love that but take proper precautions just in case. Its not hard to do.

I would like to know how it was "noticed" that many do not lock their homes, cars or golf carts? Did the poster personally "try" various doors or vehicles? I never thought about NOT locking up anything, including myself when I am alone in my home or car.

If you don’t lock your doors make sure you never let your insurance agent know!

Having been robbed twice in previous homes (once when I was in the home!!!), I'm super conscious of locking up, even in lovely TV. My issue is that my rental villa does not have extra locks that I can use from inside, so I never know for sure who might use extra keys that are in others' possession or have been used by many before me. Don't want to sound paranoid to landlady, but I wish every rental had those inside locks like hotel rooms do.

Why test the integrity of others? LOCK your doors!

Due to the fact that most cars have a garage door transmitter, a suggestion might be to black out or do what you can to not show your home address on anything in your car, ie vehicle registration, insurance card or anything else that may be there.

Usually yes I keep the doors locked. And a phone to call 911 close by.

we too came up from south Florida where you locked your doors....after a series of daytime robberies (committed by the lawn mowing guys) in the neighborhood we all signed up for ADT

TV is WAY safer...but I still lock up.

Ohiobuckeye
 

I’ll bet at least half the residents in TV lock their doors, all doors. If you’re that bold to leave your doors unlocked I think you’ve just been lucky. Or the permanent residents are just trying to convince new people that TV is crime free & the new people coming in don’t have anything to worry about! TV isn’t crime free, you just haven’t told the right people!

I’ve never locked my door anywhere I’ve lived in Florida , some places I’ve kept the front door locked but left the slider unlocked, one reason is because if they smash through a slider and even a door and it’s raining for hours , the flooring damage could be more expensive then the break in and also because much of my working life was spent in dangerous places and living with an unlocked home gives me some felling of well being ( weird I know lol)

You’re advertising to any potential thieves by posting this on social media is what you’re doing.

Here's an idea. Why don't you have the door replaced and the door jam beefed up?

It is not safe and they are giving you a false sense of security. We were here for six months and got robbed. Now we have a security system and we lock all our doors.

Correct me if I’m wrong but
 

I didn’t see anyone on here who keeps there home unlocked putting there address or picture of house on here , although there could be master criminals hacking this site and then selling the information to other master criminals that will come and steal our TV sets ,

Not so safe that you leave anything unlocked. I always lock up my car, leave nothing valuable in there, lock up my house whether I am in or out, I don't leave my garage door open and I wouldn't ever leave my key in the golf cart when out and about. Golf carts have been stolen a lot. They just roll it into a truck and off they go. There are steering wheel locks you can buy for golf carts. Cars have been broken into and rummaged for loose change, or anything they can find of value in there, and things have been stolen out of open garages, like bicycles, etc. and homes have been burglarized if left open.

It's a very foolish thing to not lock your front door, but lock the garage and other doors. Why make it easy for someone to just open your front door and help themselves because you think the front door is easy to bust open? Besides, busting in would make noise and a burglar wouldn't necessarily want to chance that.

Yes, but the noise will alert you.

I can’t believe you replied? :)

Not so safe that you leave anything unlocked. I always lock up my car, leave nothing valuable in there, lock up my house whether I am in or out, I don't leave my garage door open and I wouldn't ever leave my key in the golf cart when out and about. Golf carts have been stolen a lot. They just roll it into a truck and off they go. There are steering wheel locks you can buy for golf carts. Cars have been broken into and rummaged for loose change, or anything they can find of value in there, and things have been stolen out of open garages, like bicycles, etc. and homes have been burglarized if left open.

They are all making a mistake by leaving their houses open. There IS crime and burglary (definitely) in The Villages. There is only an ILLUSION of safety caused by the gates and the roving VOLUNTEER trucks that burglars can avoid. I know that FIRSTHAND because a few years ago our home was broken into (through a rear window). We were away for only a few days. (the intruders seemed to know that). We lost about $5,000 worth of tools and other items that could be easily sold at pawn shops.The Police found zero fingerprints, which they said was what they usually found. They said that the thieves were practiced and clever and that there have been similar break-ins before in The Villages. It is an easy mark for them. The Police said that they would check the pawn shops for our items. They were NEVER recovered.

It is ONLY my personal opinion, but I believe that the thieves were tipped off to our being away from our house. I believe it was done in coordination with one of the daytime workers, like the lawn mowing and landscapers or maybe roofers. They may be paid for tips about who has what equipment and when a house is ripe for a burglary.

There is plenty of crime in TV Land and it could easily increase as the US suffers record increases in unemployment in the next few weeks. My advice is get some type of security equipment or a security service. Get a hidden safe for valuables. The Villages newspaper and radio is SELLING a perfect and safe lifestyle. But, you can find out reality by checking a crime blotter for this area on the internet. I have also heard (not 1st hand experience) that golf cars are also stolen on a regular basis. And I know, for a fact, that several cars in the Buffalo soft ball parking lot were broken into several months back. There is a dark underbelly to the TV Land perfect world that is ignored by most and newcomers need to become AWARE of.

My husband always says about being safe here;

"What could anyone steal that would really, REALLY, matter?"

"Why would anyone come in to harm us when everyone has camera's everywhere? "

And if you don't ....go right now and buy some at Sam's Club.

Locking your doors is not a bad thing, but at this time, we live in one of the safest places in the country.

I have tended to not lock house doors. I do however take all keys with me. I just have me er been paranoid about that.

Probably drug addict living with mommy close by that observed when you were gone. Most burglaries are tipped offs or stocked to ensure nobody will be home.

The dark underbelly IMO drug addicts moochers.

We moved here from S. Fl 11 years ago. We always lock our doors, our car & don’t let the garage door stay up. When in S.Fl we had two house burglaries, hubbies car stolen 2x, one purse snatching in a parking lot. The last house break in they got two pistols and all our flat screen TVs (just ripped right off the walls). One gun was returned by Hollywood police after it was recovered in another crime. My mother had her car stolen 2x, and robbed in her own driveway after being followed from the bank. My aunt was mugged & robbed in front of my parent’s house one Christmas Day. Oh & we lived in a nice neighborhood.

I have lived in TV for 17 years and i have NEVER encountered a single problem. On a scale of 1 - 10 i would rate TV a 9.5. But we will never know what tomorrow brings. Better safe then not.

Si vis pacem, para bellum

If Don’t see the point of this post, and it could possibly cause problems.

You are not paranoid. The examples you point to are either naive, stupid, or both.

Any prudent person locks their doors wherever they live...

Create a sign for your outside doors that says:
"This door is locked for YOUR safety, not MINE."
Even if the door is unlocked, anyone with criminal intent will think twice.

Unfortunately I have had a few bad experiences. I left my rake and shovel out front while I went in the back yard to get something.
When I came back they were gone. I looked everywhere and thought I lost my mind but no I never saw them again. The other day I left my new clippers on a chair on my porch overnight and they too were gone. Also, one day when my door bell rand I opened my door and a lady had my screen door open and barged into my house pushing me backwards. She said she was the caregiver. I pushed her back out the door and told her she had the wrong house. Now I lock the screen door also. So maybe it is a good idea to lock doors. We have many outside people coming into The Villages so it is no different than any place else. I don't think we should be frightened, just careful.

Door signs.

DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF AMMO, DO NOT EXPECT A WARNING SHOT.

I LOVE MY PIT BULL

Very possible. Agreed.

Your choice

Yes. I could do without lawnmower people. Maybe soon there will be robotic mowers available at a reasonable price for everyone. Slow growing grass would be nice also.

only if you’re a burglar

I don't lock up but I have a loaded shotgun and 2 loaded semi automatics in the house. I also sleep with one eye open.

I personally don't think you need to advertise this ! Not very smart.

I guess you don’t nap or sleep either?

At or age you better have both eyes open?