Smash and Grab

[Jodi]

Yesterday outside the Peak Fitness Gym I was a victum of a smash and grab at high noon. I am so thankful that in the light of all that could go wrong I was not assaulted or held up. By 7pm I had recovered some of my belongings which were tossed in the trash over the SC/NC border. The thing that "gets" me is that this location is robbed repeatedly both inside and outside the location. It being a high traffic retail/shopping center and right off the road. It amazed me how many people stopped in the parking lot to tell me the same thing happened to them in the same location. I am a member of a Community Watch in my neighboorhood but it did me little good working and being a regular person in the Charlotte area. Now I will spend the next few months watching out for identify theft etc as the theifs got my SSN card and license as well as checks etc. Of course I closed all my accounts. Apart from the bother of being without funds the week of Christmas - the robbery made me reflect on how mobile society and drugs have greatly impacted each of our lives and to try to understand the patterns of crime in that area - namely Steelchase. Sad Sad Sad - I actually emphathise with the thiefs and attempt to think what they gain etc - that kind of thinking is exactly what criminals do not do- place themselves in the mind or hearts of their victums. Sad. Anyway - my main beef is against pawn shops and drug dealers. Observe and report.

[guest]

What a rotten thing to happen at Christmas

Everyone reading this please be careful of what you leave in your cars during workouts. A similar thing happened to a friend's daughter's boss at one of the nicer YMCAs. Nowadays I bring only my key chain with my membership card, my license and my phone when I hit the gym. This same friend mentioned that she's seen people that appear to be on the lookout in the parking lot at the Y and has reported them but I guess there's not much that can be done.

[RMU]

I am not sure where in this girl's post she mentioned that a non-caucasian person robbed her.
Look at statistics and form a judgement if you must, but I think such thoughts are best kept to yourself. It's just not fair to make racial assumptions. There really is plenty of white trash among us as well!

[metsfan]

There really is plenty of white trash among us as well!

Amen to to RMU!

However, I can see where the judging comes from. Four b/m stole my mothers car on Novemeber 3 and used it to commit an armed robbery. The cops caught two of them . . . but have yet to charge them because they were not in the car when they were caught. However, they were carring guns and hiding behind the car . . . c'mon . . . what do you think they were doing there anyway. The worst part was they WERE ARMED. I think they saw me leave the house and assumed (incorrectly) that no one was home. God forbid if my mother came outside while they were lifting the car . . . the thoughts are frightening! This has made me much more wary of young black males. It should not be this way . . . but what can I do. Humans are observers by nature, if we observe something to be true over a period of time then we make conclusions based on that. My challenge to those who use racism and profiling as cop outs to discuss a problem is this: PROVE MY CONCLUSIONS WRONG! I will be more than happy to change them.

[GODHELPUS]

Remember thieves are thieves and they come in many different shapes, colors and sizes. If you allow your opinion to be formed based on what "usually" is, then it will be easy for someone that is not the usual to come in and take advantage of you...you wont be expecting it...

[Perplexed]

The logic exhibited on this page escapes me. If a certain racial group makes up 'X' percent of the general population, but accounts for '4X' percent of robberies, drug crimes, and violent crimes, that is a serious problem that must be acknowledged and addressed, particularly by the leadership of that group.

Failure to do so only perpetuates the problem and allows it to multiply.

[godhelpus]

Only if all crimes were given the same amount of airplay. CRIME IS CRIME! Let's look at all crime as a problem period!!!

[BROWN]

On December 15, 2007 we were shopping in Dick's sporting goods( University Mall 8809 JW Clay Boulevard).
When we came out someone had punched the lock on the driver's side of my vehicle and had stolen a Garmin GPS and a Glock 40 caliber and back up clip. It was around 3:15 PM, I was three parks from the building and was only in the store around twenty minutes. The same night my brother-in-law and his friend were robbed at gun point when they got out of their car to go into a bar. If you go out shopping or partying please be careful so you won't be victims like us.

[fiveo]

Brown,
I am not saying it is your fault, so please don't flip out. This is just a tip. Don't leave anything that appears to have any value in your vehicle. Make the inside look empty. They usually pass up pn vehicles that don't look to have anything in them. Don't leave bags, GPS, IPOD's, or anything with any value in sight. Larceny from auto is an extremely difficult crime for us (the police" to prevent and solve. Believe me, we try. I have sat in an unmarked (non-police looking vehicle) for 8 hours in a Wal-Mart parking lot that was hit alot and got nothing, only to have it hit the very next day. I have been on the roof of fitness centers etc. and nothing.

[fearfulincharlotte]

I had my purse stolen from my car PEAK Fitness on Morehead on January 19. They punched out my lock. So nothing is safe inside of your car locked up. I understand that 28 cars within 1000 ft. have been broken into since October. It seems that other PEAKs are being targeted as well so be very wary of locking items in your car.