Bluff Park, Alabama Forum

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General Category >> Neighborhood Watch >> Daytime Robbery by "Landscaping Men"
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Message started by Abbey111 on 08/26/09 at 8:18am

Title: Daytime Robbery by "Landscaping Men"
Post by Abbey111 on 08/26/09 at 8:18am

I just heard there was a robbery on either Bluff Rd or Cloudland recently. It was over near the Hale-Joseph home (in that general area). Yardmen were spotted, but they were actually robbing home. Took tvs, pcs, etc.

Does anyone know anymore details?

Title: Re: Daytime Robbery by "Landscaping Men"
Post by Bluff Park Forum Admin on 08/26/09 at 9:26am

Abbey111 wrote:

Was it a robbery or a burglary?

Title: Re: Daytime Robbery by "Landscaping Men"
Post by Abbey111 on 08/26/09 at 6:40pm

I am not sure. The person who told me that it happened use the word robbery. However, I bet it was just a burglary. A neighbor saw yard men, but knew they had already mown their yard. I do not know if neighbor called police or not. I have no details except that the burglers were posing at yard people and that tvs/stereos were taken.

Does anyone know exactly what house this was? I think I think I am going to try and organize a neighborhood watch on our street. I'm tired of crimes being committed in our n'hood. I have personally been the victim of an attempted burglary twice now. Luckily my husband has great hearing- selective, but very good. :)

Title: Re: Daytime Robbery by "Landscaping Men"
Post by Bluff Park Forum Admin on 08/26/09 at 9:00pm

Abbey111 wrote:

We did the Neighborhood Watch thing. It's worth it.

Here's how (http://www.bluffparkal.org/neighborhood_watch.htm).

Title: Re: Daytime Robbery by "Landscaping Men"
Post by nickel4al on 08/27/09 at 9:33am

What street...I would definitely go to a Neighborhood watch thing!

Title: Re: Daytime Robbery by "Landscaping Men"
Post by _anonymous_ on 01/05/10 at 12:48am

This is an old thread, and in the past few months Hoover PD, Vestavia PD, and others have caught burglars in the act or just after thanks to citizens calling in. I just wanted to give an idea of how these things sometimes work.

In the Vestavia arrests, one suspect spilled the beans that the burglary crew had friends who were actual landscapers. These guys while at work would often get to know a neighborhood - who is home and who is not and who just left if they're doing a yard there. These "legitimate" landscapers would call their buddies who would come and burglarize (not "rob") one or more homes in the area.

A few years ago in the Saddle Lake subdivision near alabaster 2 males were driving around in a pickup truck with pine straw in the back. They would knock on doors and if someone answered, they'd offer to do work- if not, they would kick the door in and take stuff. You can hide a lot under a heap of pinestraw or in the back of a landscaping truck.

I am suspicious of ANYONE in a neighborhood soliciting at all. Putting flyers on mailboxes, knocking on doors, etc. Law Enforcement would rather be called and not actually needed than needed and never called.

I made the mistake of leaving the box from my new tv on my front porch instead of smashing it and putting it in the garbage can. A truck full of white males passing out roofing business cards stopped the next day at my house. one guy knocked on my door, another was in my yard. I made it clear that they needed to leave the neighborhood and not return. My phone was dead so I couldnt call the PD until later. They had not put cards on anyone else's mailbox.

From the slow down of burglaries after the arrests, it may be deduced that the same people were doing a lot of burglaries. Unfortunately, because these are property crimes and our prisons are chock full of criminals, these guys WILL be back out in less than 2 years depending on their records.

We have to look out for each other and help the cops help us.

Title: Re: Daytime Robbery by "Landscaping Men"
Post by bpresident on 01/05/10 at 8:10am

_anonymous_ wrote:

I was really shocked to see all of the TV, computer and other boxes that people put out by the road after Christmas. This is like a huge ad that says "HEY, LOOK WHAT I JUST GOT! A BRAND NEW (FILL IN THE BLANK). IT'S INSIDE THE HOUSE!"

You bring up another great point, the leaflets/business cards on the mailbox. People staking out neighborhoods will frequently tape colorful leaflets on people's mailboxes. Those people who are home bring theirs in. Those who are not, leave them out. Burglars don't need to knock on doors to find out if anyone is home, just look on the mailbox. If your neighbor is out of town, do them a favor and take those taped leaflets down for them.

A couple of days ago we had a white van filled with females going door to door asking if we needed cleaning service. They disappeared when Hoover PD was called.

Again, _anonymous_, you bring up some great points, something we can all learn from.

Title: Re: Daytime Robbery by "Landscaping Men"
Post by BluffParkWriter on 01/05/10 at 6:14pm

an excellent post!

Title: Re: Daytime Robbery by "Landscaping Men"
Post by JBH on 01/06/10 at 4:51pm

I guess I could put the boxes in front of the neighbor's house ;)

But really, we usually stash the boxes for a while in the attic, so if we need to bring something back, its easier. And later when they finally do go out, its not all at once, and I suspect no one is keeping quite the same eye out.