Posted on 06/20/2008 6:42:16 AM PDT by LibWhacker
Troy Molde awoke at 3 a.m. Thursday to police flashlights shining in his face. Two uniformed Lakeville officers were in his bedroom, knocking on the wall to wake him up.
They were there, they said, to warn him to keep his doors closed and locked.
Their surprise visit was part of a public service campaign. Officers had fanned out across the city, leaving notices on doors to remind residents how to prevent thefts by keeping garage doors closed, not leaving valuables in cars and locking windows or doors.
But at Molde's house, they went further.
His two sons, ages 5 and 7, and 5-year-old twin nephews were having a sleepover in the living room. They awoke to find the officers in the house.
"I was violated, but ... I wasn't physically damaged," Molde said of what he considers an invasion of privacy.
The officers told Molde his garage door was open, the TV was on, keys to his truck were left in the ignition and the door to his house was ajar.
Police said the intrusion was justified because the officers' initial door knocks went unanswered. Police went inside to check if anything was wrong, Sgt. Jim Puncochar said.
He said the kids were afraid to wake their dad, so the officers went upstairs.
"It really was suspicious," Puncochar said.
But Molde, 34, said he went upstairs to bed at midnight. Molde didn't shut the garage door, and he remembers leaving the doors to his house closed — but unlocked. The kids fell asleep watching TV.
Three hours later, he had police in his bedroom. He immediately thought something was wrong.
"I was just dazed," said the 34-year-old dad. "It's not a safe way of (police) protection."
Puncochar said officers left pamphlets Thursday at eight other houses as a friendly reminder of ways residents can avoid becoming victims of crimes, such as burglary.
"We went there to determine that everyone was safe," Puncochar said.
Officers also leave the messages when checking on a home security alarm or to warn of a law violation they see at the residence. The department began using door hangers a year ago to tackle a rise in burglaries in 2006, Chief Tom Vonhof said at the time.
Police say many crimes originate with open garage doors.
Last month, a 52-year-old Burnsville man was stabbed and left to die in his burning town house after two assailants entered his home at 4:30 a.m. by way of an open garage door.
The suspects, who stole the man's car to escape, entered the garage and home through unlocked doors. Police have not found the assailants.
Leaving a door hanger for residents is a method used by other police departments nationally, Vonhof said. It can help create a police presence.
Lakeville police gave Molde a reminder he won't forget anytime soon.
"I haven't figured out what I should do with it yet," Molde said.
When I am away for the day, Spot is there to greet people. The doors are usually unlocked. My friends know where the goodies are located, and it's cool. Spot knows my friends.
He is just a dalmation, but if I am not there, you will have to shoot him to get in. He will protect our home from intrusion. He will warn you, and you should listen.
When I am traveling, I built the cabin with steel storm shutter roll-ups, for all openings. It's even tougher than Spot, to get into the place.
For a lawman to think that it is OK to enter a man's home, interview teen sons doing nothing, and then go upstairs, seems like a fairy tale from the USSR...
la de la de la de la!!!!! Everybody sing!
They couldn’t just ring the bell, or knock?? Still it certainly is not prudent to leave your house unlocked.
Thank you sir may I have another.
The nanny state at work: why weren't they going after the people who did this, instead of harrassing homeowners ? Then people could leave their garage doors open and their keys in their cars without worry.
” . . . and, sir, your water softener was low on salt, your yard needs mowing and your wife required servicing.”
I live in a real small town and haven’t seen my house keys for years. The key to my truck is in the ignition where it always is.
I left my garage door open one night in Lino Lakes. The police rang my door bell. I closed my garage door and thanked them. They DID NOT walk into the house, waltz upstairs and shine flashlights into my eyes. If they had I probably would have shot them.
OTOH, I probably would have been sleeping downstairs under the same circumstances, in an urban setting! The kids would have been upstairs, or we would all be in a tent in the backyard. The doors would still be unlocked, tho. The kids would probably need to pee!
The KG9 Kid: "These random police checkpoints on our highways are outrageous. One of these days, the police will be performing random stops in your bedroom 'in the interests of safety'."
Bunch of FR posters: "ROTFLOL! You're nuts!"
The KG9 Kid: "That may be true, but remember what I said."
Bunch of FR posters: "ROTFLOLPIMP! LOLOLOLOL! THIS IS DUBYA COUNTRY!!! USA USA USA!!!"
I was just telling somebody the other day about the Western PA neighborhood I grew up in...none of the houses had central air and during the summer we’d just leave the windows and doors open with a screen and fans, and they generally stayed that way from late-May through September, only getting locked up when the family went on vacation.
These a$$hole cops were way out of line. Knock on the front door! What jerks!
OK so they’re now leaving notes on the doors so burglars can quickly identify unlocked houses. Swell.
I’ve long since learnd the people who laugh at a slippery slope are generally sitting on a sled already.
Wow. A freeper who thinks cops should be able to enter anyone’s house for any reason at any time day or night is a rather unusual happening.
Well, until it happens to you, I’d wager.
The KG9 Kid: "These random police checkpoints on our highways are outrageous. One of these days, the police will be performing random stops in your bedroom 'in the interests of safety'."
Bunch of FR posters: "ROTFLOL! You're nuts!"
The KG9 Kid: "That may be true, but remember what I said."
Bunch of FR posters: "ROTFLOLPIMP! LOLOLOLOL! THIS IS DUBYA COUNTRY!!! USA USA USA!!!"
Deserves repeating...
Can you say Nanny State?
Please tell us that was sarcasm?!
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