Crime statistics seem distant when reported on local and national news. Percentages and numbers are tossed around — various increases and decreases. But when someone is the actual victim of a crime, it becomes more than a mere statistic — it’s personal.
Linda Batchelor recently found this out firsthand when a burglar invaded her home and stole $5,500 of her and her 19-year-old daughter’s belongings.
“It’s sorry,” Batchelor says of the crime. “It is very sorry … because we work hard. You just think, ‘Why would someone do this?’”
The culprit used a fireplace log outside the back of the home to break Batchelor’s bedroom window, then went immediately for her jewelry box on her dresser, which was stolen. The culprit then went on to the rest of the house taking their 42-inch high definition television, her daughter’s Xbox with games, and her Apple iPod.
“My daughter came home and found everything a mess,” says Batchelor, who works in human resources and has lived in the home for 11 years. “It’s very disturbing. They were things we had had just a couple years, from the Christmases of 2007 and 2008.”
Dallas Police Lt. Barry Payne of the North Central Division says electronics, especially new televisions, are in high demand by burglars because they are easy to sell.
“Looking at the property list on this offense, the burglar probably was not inside more than six or seven minutes,” Payne says. “You have to realize that they are not ‘shopping’, but just grabbing what they see in places that they look. Most of the time, burglars break in, look in specific places for types of items, and grab them and flee.”
Payne recommends residents have good sturdy windows and a quality alarm system if possible.
“Also, I recommend involvement with crime watch, neighbors watching out for neighbors,” he adds.
