[jbdlfan]

Originally Posted by water boy

Took the dog out last night around 9:30 saw a older full size Chevrolet pick up stopped in front of the house. There was someone in drivers seat, heard him say something to someone about me walking out when I look up another person ( man ) was going thru the people across the street garbage bag when he saw me he jumped on the hood of the truck and they drove off with him on the hood of the truck. Thinking this not normal I watched as they drove to the end of the street and turned right. I went in the house got my car keys and my wife and I took a ride to see if they had left the sub or not. I drove to next street and there they were doing the same thing going thru peoples garbage bags. not having my phone with me we drove to the next village over where there are gate houses, I told the person working there what I had saw he said he would call it in to the watch people. driving back home stop by the pool area to see if these guys were going to leave or what, watch patrol turned down street talk to them and left. the guys pulled out of street they were on went to next street and started doing same thing. My Wife told me forget about it just go home on way back to house another watch patrol truck was going the other way I flag him down ask about these guys he told me his boss had taken care of it and kicked them out I told him they went to the next street and were doing it again it acted shocked and said he would radio his boss. I never listen to my wife ( lol ) so I drove around till the boss came again these guys were opening up and going thru peoples garbage bags in front of him he did nothing but talk to them and drive away leaving them there to keep doing it. Now I just went home. I thought it was against the law to open up peoples garbage and go thru it don't the police have to get a search warrant to do it ? We live in Tall Trees and this just seemed odd to me what do you think they could have been looking for personal info on people.

Am I the only one concerned that the community watch people didn't even give them pause to quit what they were doing???????? Criminals apparently know that they are toothless and have no concern about them. OP mentioned they didn't have a phone, but I am curious what would have transpired if the police would have responded?

[Bill32]

Originally Posted by jbdlfan

Am I the only one concerned that the community watch people didn't even give them pause to quit what they were doing???????? Criminals apparently know that they are toothless and have no concern about them. OP mentioned they didn't have a phone, but I am curious what would have transpired if the police would have responded?

[water boy]

Originally Posted by BettyCrocked

They aren't villagers because they were in a truck? Wow. Nice reach. Didn't know villagers weren't allowed to drive pickup trucks.
Call community watch, call police, call the FBI... As has been stated numerous times on this post only board, it is not illegal. Smart people don't put their sensitive info in the trash if they've watched any news in the last 10 years.
If you live here and don't know that this isn't a gated community, I just don't know what to say.

we are all so blessed to live in our great villages but with all the beauty, great people and fun it is easy to let your guard down and make a mistake like not shredding mail, lock our car doors when left outside in our driveway, closing our garage door ect. gated community or not in this sad world we live in crime is very common. what happen here to me was not garbage pickers picking up a item you put out at the curb they were looking inside garbage bags for what who knows whats even more puzzling is the way our watch group handled it gated community or not I called sumpter county sheriff today and was told that if they would have been called they would have made these guys leave after checking them out for warrants ect. if our watch program allows this to happen in our drive ways while were in the back of our houses watching tv or in bed whats next letting them look in our car windows see whats in there don't think this is illegal either but I sure don't want it to happen. wish I knew someone with the watch program would like to hear what they have to say about how this was handled.

[BettyCrocked]

Originally Posted by jbdlfan

Am I the only one concerned that the community watch people didn't even give them pause to quit what they were doing???????? Criminals apparently know that they are toothless and have no concern about them. OP mentioned they didn't have a phone, but I am curious what would have transpired if the police would have responded?

I don't know if they were toothless, but if one were to read the entire thread before replying, they'd know that what transpired was not against any law.
TOTVISPOB.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by water boy

we are all so blessed to live in our great villages but with all the beauty, great people and fun it is easy to let your guard down and make a mistake like not shredding mail, lock our car doors when left outside in our driveway, closing our garage door ect. gated community or not in this sad world we live in crime is very common. what happen here to me was not garbage pickers picking up a item you put out at the curb they were looking inside garbage bags for what who knows whats even more puzzling is the way our watch group handled it gated community or not I called sumpter county sheriff today and was told that if they would have been called they would have made these guys leave after checking them out for warrants ect. if our watch program allows this to happen in our drive ways while were in the back of our houses watching tv or in bed whats next letting them look in our car windows see whats in there don't think this is illegal either but I sure don't want it to happen. wish I knew someone with the watch program would like to hear what they have to say about how this was handled.

You can give them a call...................
Community Watch
3325 Wedgewood Lane
The Villages, FL 32162

Phone: 352-753-0550
Fax: 352-753-9400

[CassieInVa]

Okay, I get that going through someone elses trash on the curb is NOT illegal. But.... if it is ignored and becomes more prevalent, it sure wont reflect well on the community as far as safety, etc. I thank the original poster for the information as we are coming to look at homes in December and I know that if I lived there I wouldnt t want to go out at 9:30 pm and see strangers rummaging in everyones trash. That would creep me out!

[Easyrider]

Originally Posted by jbdlfan

Am I the only one concerned that the community watch people didn't even give them pause to quit what they were doing???????? Criminals apparently know that they are toothless and have no concern about them. OP mentioned they didn't have a phone, but I am curious what would have transpired if the police would have responded?

Concerned yes, but we have to realize they can do basically nothing, You can bet if there was someone nosing around a recreation center or a pool their response would have been a lot different with at least a call to Sumter Sheriff to investigate. Their main purpose appears to be to keep watch over the amenities which don't belong to the residents. The drive through the neighborhoods appears just to be for show.

[Easyrider]

Originally Posted by CassieInVa

Okay, I get that going through someone elses trash on the curb is NOT illegal. But.... if it is ignored and becomes more prevalent, it sure wont reflect well on the community as far as safety, etc. I thank the original poster for the information as we are coming to look at homes in December and I know that if I lived there I wouldnt t want to go out at 9:30 pm and see strangers rummaging in everyones trash. That would creep me out!

Actually if the trash is sitting on your private property (driveway) they are trespassing. Even police would need a warrant to look through it while the trash is on your property. If the trash is on the street or in a dumpster then it considered thrown out and no longer the property of the one that disposed of it.

[buzzy]

I leave it at the end of the driveway. I suppose there is an easement there that makes it technically off my property. But, who puts the bags out on the roadway?

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by gomoho

Water boy - thank you for sharing this information so the rest of us can be more cautious about what we put out in the garbage.

Water Boy, thanks for your story. I'm buying a shredder! Regardless of what the men were looking for, it's a great reminder that we all need to be very careful with any confidential information.

[Parker]

Legal, schmegal. This whole thing creeps me out. Community watch talks to them while they rummage through the trash, then drives away? Something is wrong with this picture. The police definitely should have been called. Rummaging nighttime strangers are a risk. Period.

[Marlo]

We bought in TV because it was a gated community. That in itself should provide more security than living in a subdivision somewhere else in FL or anywhere USA. The manned gates, the security passes, the fact that ONLY people who live here or visit you are allowed pass through the gates, cameras take pictures of cars that go through?? That's what we were told at least.

We could have bought a beautiful home in Beverly Hills that would sell for over $ 1M here in TV but chose TV because of feeling secure. I realize not all villages have manned gates at all exits, however, we always thought that the gates would be a deterrent at least to stop outsiders from coming in and causing trouble, after all only Villagers (that's what the pass cards are for) should be able to pass through the gates OR their visitors, at least that's the idea that they impress on you when you're buying a home here.

While we do feel safer here even with the limited security, we're also paying for the "lifestyle" which was portrayed to us as safe and secure. We were even told when we first started coming here -4 years ago- that you could leave packages right on your golf cart and not have to worry about anyone taking it. NOW we learn they take whole golf sets out of the back of the carts.................

I personally appreciate it when people come on here and post what they see and tell the truth about it not being quite as secure as it's portrayed. I think that this makes us all more alert and aware of what's going on instead of living in that "glass bubble" people accuse us of living in here in TV. People who have had things happen to them and try to warn us all about them should not be spanked for it they should be thanked.

We always have to be careful about our personal private information no matter where you live, however, security allowing people to come into TV and go through garbage should not be allowed.

[Steve & Deanna]

We also shred EVERYTHING because of (what my wife calls) my paranoia but seriously speaking, we can never stop identity theft but it is wise to, at least, slow them down. We own a cross shredder and even things like prescriptions, we remove the labels and cut them up (instead of gumming up a shredder) and put them in separate baskets. Maybe a bit overboard but we've been doing it for years. Perhaps a plate number and a report to the police would have been good idea too. That did sound strange.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Marlo

We bought in TV because it was a gated community. That in itself should provide more security than living in a subdivision somewhere else in FL or anywhere USA. The manned gates, the security passes, the fact that ONLY people who live here or visit you are allowed pass through the gates, cameras take pictures of cars that go through?? That's what we were told at least.

We could have bought a beautiful home in Beverly Hills that would sell for over $ 1M here in TV but chose TV because of feeling secure. I realize not all villages have manned gates at all exits, however, we always thought that the gates would be a deterrent at least to stop outsiders from coming in and causing trouble, after all only Villagers (that's what the pass cards are for) should be able to pass through the gates OR their visitors, at least that's the idea that they impress on you when you're buying a home here.

While we do feel safer here even with the limited security, we're also paying for the "lifestyle" which was portrayed to us as safe and secure. We were even told when we first started coming here -4 years ago- that you could leave packages right on your golf cart and not have to worry about anyone taking it. NOW we learn they take whole golf sets out of the back of the carts.................

I personally appreciate it when people come on here and post what they see and tell the truth about it not being quite as secure as it's portrayed. I think that this makes us all more alert and aware of what's going on instead of living in that "glass bubble" people accuse us of living in here in TV. People who have had things happen to them and try to warn us all about them should not be spanked for it they should be thanked.

We always have to be careful about our personal private information no matter where you live, however, security allowing people to come into TV and go through garbage should not be allowed.

Marlo.

Our streets and homes are VERY safe. Safer by far than most places in the world. Our community is a community with gates, but not gated in the traditional sense or not gated like Stonecrest is gated. Anyone can push the button or speak into the mike at any gate and gain access. I think that these people were very BOLD (or another word that begins with B) and may be related to the ones who supposedly ran into a garage in Tall Trees and took someone's golf clubs.

I do know this. Newbies are more afraid than those of us who have lived here for a while...generally. Because you learn over time that it is very safe, but NO one should be stupid. My golf clubs which I love almost as much as I love Sweetie are locked on my cart with a cover. I don't have jewels so that isn't a problem.

I also know that The Village Watch is NOT the police and probably have guidelines. As Betty Crocked, the cop pointed out, it isn't illegal to go through someone's trash. We have all read this thread and it was an excellent opportunity to keep in mind that what goes in with the used Contadina cans may not be so icky that some varmint won't garbage dive to get it. So SHRED already.

The streets are public property and what has happened here that the OP so kindly pointed out should be read, absorbed and acted on. There is no need to get all wild and scared. It is all good. It is danged safe. We have a lot of nice people who are there to protect us. We don't work. We are very aware. We are all watching.

It is another beautiful day in The Villages.

I do NOT work for the developer.

What happened to you know who? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzbreath.

[lhasalady]

Thank you for your reassurance that TV is a safe place. I'm moving there in Dec. and will be living on my own for the first time in my life. Your knowledge about life in TV is much appreciated! Hope I get to meet you when I get settled there.