Crime wave

In addition to the recent arsons in our neighborhood, there have been a spate of house burglaries, including neighbors two doors down. Even though we live in a very mixed neighborhood, socioeconomically, I have always felt very safe here. We've been known take the dogs on a brief walk without even locking the door. Our shed has a padlock that hangs open for months out of sheer laziness. All summer long we leave windows open - not windows that offer easy admittance to the house, but they could be used for that purpose. We've had little crime waves before but it's always been car vandalism and theft, not house crime.

In large part I've felt safe because I have two 60-pound dogs who put up one hell of a ruckus whenever anyone comes near the house. I don't actually know what they would do in the case of an intruder. Welcome them warmly? Continue to growl and bark protectively? I have no idea, but conventional wisdom says that all other things equal, if a burglar has a choice between a house with a dog and without, s/he will choose the house without a dog.

But the burgling of our neighbors' house calls this assumption into question. Their house was burgled during the day, with their dog at home. Admittedly, their dog is a golden retriever, but the "all other things equal" logic still ought to apply. The burglary entailed the use of a ladder, and the theft of several bicycles, so this was not a quick smash-and-grab job. The perpetrator took his time.

I guess it's a source of some relief that the dog was neither harmed nor let loose. But it spooks me a little. Our house would be laughably easy to break into. I know it's just material possessions which can be replaced, but it's the inconvenience factor - ugh, the computer! With all my work files, and our finances! And what would happen to the dogs if they were here? I guess I'll back up my compute files more often, and keep the key to the fire safe somewhere other than, well, sitting in the lock of the fire safe. If we really wanted to get serious we could call Sears to activate and explain this house alarm that we've never used. I could put a metal grill on the back door window. I could lock the laptop up somewhere when we go out.

It begs that question of how much energy you spend on protecting yourself, versus choosing to live without fear, without worry about things you can't control. Taking some basic precautions versus choosing not to project unwelcome possibilities out into the universe at all.