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Cottage Country Crime - an Unsettling Experience
By CottageGuru | November 12, 2007
We had quite a disturbing morning yesterday. Our good friends are away in BC, visiting relatives and spending the winter house sitting, and we are keeping an eye on their cottage, which is normally their year-round home. We pop down there every week or so, take a walk around the outside, and do quick check inside for any evidence of mice, or other unwelcome visitors. Their place is only a short walk from ours, but is tucked away, a kilometre down a quiet lane. So we were pretty horrified to unlock the door and find evidence of a break-in.
There was no damage we could see, just cupboards and drawers open with our friends’ belongings strewn around in the bedrooms. Since they are away for such an extended period, they took most of their valuables with them, and it looked like the only thing taken was a $40 telephone. But that didn’t take away the sickening feeling that our ’safe haven’ had been violated.
Since we’ve lived and had our own cottage in this area, we’ve always felt secure enough to leave doors unlocked, and toys out in the open in the yard and on the waterfront. Probably not a great idea under any circumstances, as the OPP Constable pointed out, but a real reality check nonetheless.
Since the break-in was made via a basement window that was locked from the inside, but seemingly easily removed, it has got us thinking seriously about an alarm system. Our cottage is well equipped but we don’t have anything of real value, but our home is another matter, and just as rurally located. So, over the next week or so, I’m going to do some research on this topic, find some statistics on break-in rates in cottage country, and check out alarm systems and the cost involved.
I’d love to hear your views on this topic. Do you feel it is necessary to install alarms in our cottages?
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