Johanna Hirschboeck: Burned by theft

Being a recent victim of theft, and knowing many others who have had belongings stolen from them in the past couple of weeks, I've come to the realization that Summit County isn't nearly as safe as it used to be. Call me naive, but I really believed that if my gear was in my locked car, then it couldn't be stolen. I honestly never thought that anyone would put forth the effort needed to break in. Before this incident, I never locked the door to my house, never locked up my bike, and had a spare set of keys inside my vehicle. Obviously, I'm now changing my ways, and I am advising others to do the same. Always lock your house and your vehicle — and knowing now how easy it is to get into a locked car, I would recommend not leaving any valuables in even a locked auto. If you have a porch or deck that's easily accessed, make sure bikes and anything else of value are locked up as well. If you are a renter, consider renter's insurance. I discovered through this experience that most car insurance policies exclude coverage for stolen property within a vehicle. Stolen property, even from a vehicle, IS, however, covered by a homeowner's or renter's policy. It is well worth the low monthly payments with the amount of expensive gear we all tend to accumulate up here.

If you do get something stolen, file a police report as soon as possible. Also, look out for your neighbors, friends, and fellow community members — if you see or hear something suspicious, contact the police — the smallest tip can give them a lead! And I can't forget to personally extend the utmost appreciation to all the friends, customers, acquaintances, and visitors who have expressed concern regarding my situation and offered assistance in helping me get some of my belongings back. THIS is one of the main reasons I live here, and I hope that as a community we can all continue to look out for and support one another. And, excuse my language, but the jackasses who are doing this don't belong here — let's put them where they do (that's jail, if you were wondering).