Eastside Defender

I was awakened yesterday morning by a knock on my door. It was about 9:30 am. By the time I got my wits about me, the knockers had moved on to the house next door. I could see them quite well from my front window.

I checked my door, and there was no literature left there. They did not appear to be security system salespeople, and were not well-dressed like the various evangelists that troll our neighborhoods.

My curiosity was rising, and I was thinking of calling 911. The police want us to call anytime there's anything suspicious, and I was. The two fellows stood there at my neighbor’s front door for about a minute. They appeared to be talking. I could see one guy very plainly. We made eye contact.

I thought they had found my neighbor at home and were giving their pitch or working their hustle. They left and moved on to the next house. I decided that if they kept working the block, I would call 911 and have them checked out.

But they moseyed on down the sidewalk after the 2nd house I saw them visit. I figured there was no chance the cops would come before the dudes were off the block, and, if these were bad guys looking for targets, why would they give up?

Because they found one.

While I was shoveling today, my neighbor stopped me and told me his house was robbed. Yesterday, around Noon. His back door was kicked in.

It appears to be a crime of opportunity, since my neighbor lost only his laptop, camera, and some jewelry. Stuff that’s easy to find, easy to carry, and easy to sell. Not the most valuable stuff, just what could be grabbed in a minute or two.

If I had called, would it have stopped the crime? Maybe it wasn’t the same guys, just a coincidence. Who knows? But I didn’t call, and my neighbor was ripped off.

The people I saw were 15-25 years old. Male. The one who looked at me was wearing a baggy gray hoodie and baggy gray sweatpants. His partner was wearing a black-and-white plaid jacket. A broad plaid, with wide stripes. Pretty obvious and recognizable, another reason I hesitated to call 911. Mr. Baggy fits a certain criminal profile, but Mr. Plaid was trying to stand out.

I’ve had people from the same apparent demographic come to my door a few times. One morning, the kid pounded loud for 30 seconds. I didn't answer (my habit is to ignore people I am not expecting). But I was already up and was checking him out through the blinds. He put his hand on the knob. I opened the door.

The kid told me he was trying to wake up his friend so he would get to school on time. I told him “David” did not live here. He wandered down the block and made a phone call. Since the kid seemed confused as much as afraid, and he was in no hurry to get out of the area, I did not call 911.

Another time, a group of under-15s came knocking on my back door. When they didn't go away, I confronted them. They gave me a similar story, that they were looking for a friend and must have come to the wrong house. I gave them some grief, they gave me some sass, but one eventually apologized. I did not call 911.

This summer I saw a group of 13-18s shuffling through another neighbor’s yard. That time, I did call 911.

I wish I had called yesterday.