How do you feel safe after...

Many years ago my apartment was broken into. It was the type of place where the windows were actually ground level and you could get in just by opening or breaking into a window. We were asleep except for my son who was about 4 at the time. The girl actually asked him where my purse was and he told her! Now that I live in another apartment although it's not in the best area of town I'm still on a first floor but the windows are high enough that nobody could break in and it's a secure building so I feel safe here.

Two summers ago 4 "woofers" (these are drifters that people hire to work in exchange for room & board)came in thru an open window (summer-hot)at 4 a.m.! I could not get to my phone because of the configuration of my house. They took my computer, purse, electronics. I had seen these people around, so was able to call the police & identify them! I could see their profiles in the moonlight. They were arrested 5 days later, living under the power-lines behind my house, the biggest surprise was all of my other things they had in their possession, they had been looting my garage & storage sheds, for days. I live on a small island, where we NEVER lock our doors! I have lived here for 28 years. Sadly enough thru this experience, not only was I robbed, but I felt personally violated, even tho' they had not violated me. I guess I felt the violation because of the intrusion into my home and knowing that they had been watching me for days. Saw my pattern/work....and LOL they even had food from my fridge. I am now vigilante about locking everything up/ and have had to kick-start my mistrust! I can't express enough how sorry I feel for you, and I can't even assure you how long it will take to get over "feeling unsafe."

Our house was broken into in April of 07. I had left to meet a friend of mine at the park, and when I got home the first thing I noticed was that the gate on my back fence was swinging (was normally closed and locked). That made me nervous, and then when I went inside I noticed my printer was gone, and preceded to run outside to call the police. They ended up taking our new all in one printer, digital camera, my husbands electric razors, some diapers and toilet paper, and a few other things. I can't imagine being home and waking up to somebody else in your house though. To me that would make it 10 times worse. I struggled with feeling safe in that house until after we moved. Now we're out in the country with dogs and good neighbors, so I feel somewhat safe again, although I think once you've been robbed once you never feel quite the same again.

Once when I was staying with my Sister, I was asleep on the couch in her front room. I heard a noise. Someone had slid open the patio door and was looking through her CD collection (which was extensive). I rolled over an thought it was Jen, so a muttered something to "her." It wasn't. Someone had broken into her car to steal her CD player and then got into her apartment to go through her CD collection. I guess I came out lucky. Police didn't do much, even though the individual injured himself getting out the CD player and left a spot of blood on the frame of the patio door. Sigh.