West Philly Local readers, Morgan and Tom, wanted to let neighbors know that somebody smashed a window in their car, parked on Baltimore Avenue:
“…A brick was thrown through our car window on Friday night. Surprisingly nothing was stolen, even a bag with emergency supplies that sits just below the broken window. It was parked on the north side of Baltimore ave between 44th and 45th. A brick was found on the back seat. Maybe they didn’t like our SC plates? We have no idea why someone would do this.”
Morgan and Tom said that they were going to file a police report today.
October 22nd, 2012 at 2:12 pm
My friends car was broken into on Sansom between 43rd and 44th. We found it this morning, with a brick inside the car. They did not take anything.
October 22nd, 2012 at 2:15 pm
Interestingly, I was parked at 48th and Baltimore, next to the Gold Standard, two weeks ago. When I returned to my car, I had a note left under the wiper saying that I was lucky this time but if I parked to close to their car again, I would get a brick through my window. I wonder if this is all related?
October 22nd, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Pamela:
My boyfriend’s was too, exact same block! We live on that corner. They took his school laptop and bag with books and school work in it (he’s a teacher). This was Wednesday August 9th.
October 22nd, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Wednesday, October 9th. Duh. Sorry.
October 22nd, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Let me try one more time, haha: TUESDAY October 9th. It was around 8:00 AM
October 22nd, 2012 at 2:52 pm
48th & Pine (June 2nd) – Rare window smashed with a snapple bottle. Nothing disturbed or taken.
October 22nd, 2012 at 2:54 pm
Ugh! Morgan and Tom are my neighbors. This must have happened right in front of my apartment. I am done with our neighborhood. My wife and I had our apartment robbed in late August. The theif(ves) stole my wife’s brand new bike which I worked hard to buy her for her birthday. Our block captain Fran was attacked by two juveniles on bikes who stole her purse and dislocated her arm as a result. We just had that trial for the kid who committed that armed robbery and rape. And there have been a bunch more random muggings. A few months back there was the senseless attack of cyclists by pranksters in a passing car. All of these cheap petty attacks have one important thing in common. They are done by self-centered people who have no love for their community. They have no sense of ethics. They have no long term goals to better their situation. Meanwhile the people being attacked are the people who while having more money and material than the criminals still nonetheless are the very people who tell their suburban friends and family that Philadelphia is a great place to live. We are the ones who have to fight the prejudices of our suburban friends and who stand up for this city and what it stands for. We are the ones speaking out against racism and classism from our suburban friends. Meanwhile these petty criminals one by one force those of us who are working to build a community in West Philly to leave. My wife and I are getting ready to leave now too. It’s a shame. I’ve loved this neighborhood. It’s been my home for 7 years. But to hell with it.
October 22nd, 2012 at 3:10 pm
I wish something like a “neighborhood watch” would be worth it but considering our block is patroled by UC District Ambassadors, The USP patrol car, UPenn Police and the Philadelphia Police, it seems like we’ve got an abundance of security. And frankly I don’t want to see something happening on our block like what happened to Travon Martin.
October 22nd, 2012 at 3:33 pm
Brendangrad: What do you mean like what happened to “”Travon Martin””?
October 22nd, 2012 at 3:43 pm
My housemate’s car suffered the same exact thing Friday evening, on Kingsessing between 48th and 49th. They left everything of value in the car, and the rock they used. She has Ohio plates. We filed a report as well.
October 22nd, 2012 at 3:59 pm
P. I meant I don’t want a kid getting shot by a neighborhood watch person, even if the kid is up to no good. Nor do I want a neighborhood watch person getting shot either. I am lamenting that we have a lot more security and law enforcement in our neighborhood than the rest of the city, so the only way to beef it up would be to go to a neighborhood watch. But I think there are drawbacks to the neighborhood watch thing as evidenced by the Travon Martin tragedy.
October 22nd, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Former city-dwellers and soon to be former city-dwellers protesting too much about how they’re not like those *other* suburban people who never even gave the city a chance are as aggravating as a brick through a car window. Everyone knows your heart was never really in this place.
October 22nd, 2012 at 4:21 pm
Ok “anonymous.” You seem to know everything about where my heart is. Sorry I aggrevated you.
October 22nd, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Dude, you’re getting a little worked up over car windows.
October 22nd, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Whatever Anonymous.
October 22nd, 2012 at 4:50 pm
Of course we know, you’re telling us with your actions. From your comments on here, the neighborhood could see this coming a mile away.
October 22nd, 2012 at 5:05 pm
The interaction is great everyone, but please keep it on topic and not personal.
– admin
October 22nd, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Seriously Anonymous, you don’t know me. Get off your judgemental high horse.
October 22nd, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Anonymous, I do not know what your point, angle or intentions are with your comments. This is a space for civil, community building discourse and your comments are anything but such. I do not know ‘brendangrad’ but I do think s/he has contributed thoughtful remarks about how to keep our neighborhoods safe. So far, you have only contributed insult, derision and divisive commentary. What exactly are your feelings about the issues of crime and vandalism in our community and how we may address them?
October 22nd, 2012 at 5:24 pm
I would not be so “worked up” as you belittle my comment if my heart was not really in this city as you also asserted, without knowing a single thing about me. I love this city. I love our neighborhood. That’s why it breaks my heart to feel like I am being forced out by the crime.
I’ve lived in this neighborhood for seven years and in South Philly for 6 years before that. You don’t do that when your heart is not in a place. And I was not getting worked up over just my next door neighbor’s car window. I was getting worked up over a whole list of recent offenses against my neighbors and I that have happened, some of which I listed already, including a breaking and entering in my own apartment just a month and a half ago.
But go ahead and paint me and my wife and anyone else who dares to complain about crimes or show empathy to victims of crimes as just more racist/classist soon to be suburbanites, or people who have always hated this city when you do not know what the hell you’re talking about and are 100% wrong.
PS. We’re not leaving the city either. We’re just getting out of the neighborhood. I hope you can find it in your heart to judge us a little better. We beg for your anonymous mercy.
Ok, I am done on this thread. Sorry everyone for speaking up and taking up wayyyyyy too much space here. Morgan and Tom, sorry about your window. My wife and I are both feeling for you. Anonymous, I hope when you are a victim of a crime that you exhibit the same strong, unwaivering, live and let live attitude that you are showing here. My guess is though that if your car window were broken or your apartment robbed or your senior citizen neighbor had her arm dislocated by muggers you would also get a little “worked up.”
October 22nd, 2012 at 6:54 pm
49th and Osage – late on Oct 8 or early on Oct 9th, my Honda Civic was broken into with a huge brick.
October 22nd, 2012 at 6:57 pm
And just wanted to add that neighborhood watches don’t necessarily translate to people getting shot. There’s an enormous gap between the two…
October 22nd, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Nearly 10-year residents of the neighborhoods covered in this blog and subject of this post, here. Next to nothing has happened to us other than a few random unpleasantries, knock on wood. Sincerely sorry for your troubles, but baby/bathwater, etc.
October 22nd, 2012 at 9:06 pm
If one can afford to live in the area, one can afford to get their windows fixed no offense. I do research on sections of the city and if one would actually looked up the vandlism in the area then one would think twice to move there. Chestnut Hill is way better neighborhood , peaceful good schools and no vandlism. Just remember it is ”West Philly”
October 22nd, 2012 at 9:38 pm
First of all, there’s more than one Anonymous on here. As the initial Anonymous, I am concerned about crime and vandalism and of course I know people that have been victims of crimes. There’s a difference between being reasonably concerned and productive with it and getting excitable. Excitable people do not last in the city, much less in this area.
And by the way p, if you put Chestnut Hill into the crime maps it does not look all that different than here in terms of property crime.
October 23rd, 2012 at 8:47 am
First of all, thank you everyone for your support! And P- the point isn’t the cost of fixing the window, insurance actually covers it & it takes 5 days for the part to come in- the point is the senseless vandalism and the annoyance of the whole ordeal. Are you saying that its ok for people to have their windows smashed just because they can afford to get it fixed?
This happened between 5-10pm, and a neighbor reported hearing glass break around 8pm but didn’t see anything. We’ve lived in west Philly for 3 years now and had a bike stolen from the porch a year ago- I wouldn’t call us ‘excitable’ but we are concerned about something like this happening at an hour when so many people are still out and about on the street, and not at 4am.
Also I hope everyone else who says they have had windows smashed has been filing police reports!
October 23rd, 2012 at 10:43 am
Did the police test the brick for prints? Maybe this person has a record.
October 23rd, 2012 at 11:53 am
>>> “If one can afford to live in the area, one can afford to get their windows fixed no offense.”
Is that just another way of saying, “shut up”?
October 23rd, 2012 at 2:18 pm
Can bricks even be tested for prints? I had a home invasion (44th and Larchwood) about 5 years ago and I was shocked by the lack of surfaces they could actually dust for prints. Not at all like Law and Order. Brendangrad – I wouldn’t give up on the neighborhood so quickly. I’ve been here since 94, and believe me things are only getting better, not worse.
October 23rd, 2012 at 4:14 pm
People are dying everyday in the city of Philadelphia, and city is having a hard time finding those people,so what makes you think they are going to dust prints for a brick that million of people touch for a car window. If I was a cop I wouldn’t pay these reports anymind. Stop watching tv it
s obvious poisoning yall people minds, LOL how could someone really beleive that law and order is what really goes on in the real forensics field
October 23rd, 2012 at 5:16 pm
FYI, a few years back (i want to say 2006?) there was a whole bunch of car window smashing along baltimore ave (4300 block, maybe 4400 block as well). The police said they knew the guy who was doing it, but they couldn’t arrest him because whatever they had on him was not enough to meet the requisite legal standard.
Also, FWIW — the person i know this happenned to had to pay out of pocket because of course insurance only kicks in after the deductible. and it wasn’t cheap.
October 24th, 2012 at 7:38 am
I’ve lived in this neighborhood since the early 80s, and like ANON said, things are better now than they were then. It seems like there’s been a spike in crime recently, and it sucks when things like this happen to you in your own neighborhood. But I think it’s important to remember all of the great things this neighborhood has to offer, one of which is that it is full of people like the ones on this message board who are able to have an intelligent discussion about crime without immediately calling for some sort of Charles Bronson-esque vigilantism or advocating a police state. Brendan, I hope you and your wife will reconsider your decision to move because, based on your comments here, you seem like the kind of people who help make this neighborhood what it is.
October 24th, 2012 at 9:46 am
(Hi again everyone.) Mike, you make a good point. And I do hate the idea of leaving the neighborhood because my wife and I know how great it is and we can’t think of many better places in the town to go to. Maybe we won’t. The truth is West Philly is still the best neighborhood in the city BUT it will only stay that way if we continue to hold ourselves to a higher standard that doesn’t cynically brush off a spike in crime. Car windows like Morgan and Tom’s get broken all the time. Apartments like mine get broken into in other neighborhoods too. Bikes are stolen all over town. But when one of the pillars of our neighborhood, Fran Byers, can’t hang up posters for community and police involvement without having two juvenilles attack her on bikes and dislocate her shoulder so they can get her purse, that should be the blinking red light that tells us ‘Houston we have a problem.’
Like Mike says we don’t want to go Charles Bronson here. I know I sound like Judge Dread to a lot of my fellow liberal progressives. I hope people realize I am not some crazed right wing law and order type.
But if I wanted to live in a neighborhood where decent people don’t show some mild justified outrage when petty crimes like this seems to be on the rise, I can choose from a whole lot of different and cheaper neighborhoods in this city. So, I apologize to everyone for “dissing” the neighborhood. I was perhaps a bit too passionate. But if my sentiments were a bit too strong, it’s because I, like all of you care about this place.
October 24th, 2012 at 11:21 am
This is terrible!
Also, over the weekend, my coworkers car was vandalized near 49th and Springfield. Someone spray painted NAZI symbols on some cars on that block.
October 24th, 2012 at 11:33 am
This has nothing to do w/ the cars (I think!), but I will post it here, since it is right around where Stephanie says cars were vandalized. I sent a tip to that West Philly detective who used to post around here, as well as to the general police hotline, but got no response, as expected.
==
6pm on Saturday, Oct 20, 2012. Three African-American males, appeared to be in their late teens, were walking along the S 49th street near Springfield, checking the doors of every house; they would go onto porches and try the knobs and look into windows. They went into the alleys between some houses. At one point they all stopped and inspected a scooter (like a Vespa) and put their hands on it as if ti move it. I was sitting on my porch, when they saw I could see them, they began yelling at me [ex, ‘What are you looking at?’] and threatening to ‘beat my ass’ [at one point one of them called me ‘ugly’! 🙁 ]. I went inside as they were crossing the street towards me. I went upstairs to get my phone to report to the police, but they were gone when I returned to the window.
October 24th, 2012 at 11:50 am
Thos, my home around 45th and Baltimore was broken into during the daytime on August 28th. They broke into a window that is way back in our alley way that has since been better secured.
I can’t help but want to think that the guys you saw are likely the same guys who broke into our place, ransacked our bedroom and got off with my wife’s brand new bike as well as a Sony Playstation that I could really care very little about. In my incident based on the items stolen the police officer said that it was most likely “kids.” We got to get these kids off of the street, especially if they seemed to be threatening you for calling it in.
October 24th, 2012 at 2:35 pm
What is a ”African American”?
October 24th, 2012 at 7:18 pm
I wanted to post that yesterday evening, Tuesday 10/23/12 I had two vintage bikes stolen off my porch @ 4723 Cedar Ave between 7-8pm. They were U-locked together and locked onto the banister. It appears that the robbers cut the banister spindles and took the entire unit, with bikes locked together. A report has been filed with Penn Police, but if anyone has further information about the incident, please contact Penn Police or reply to me.
Thank you
Jocelyn A.
October 25th, 2012 at 10:30 am
Our locked car was broken into sometime between 6pm last night and 8:30am this morning on the 800 block of South 49th. GPS and change stolen. The most unsettling part is that there were no signs of forced entry but the car was definitely locked. Police report made.
October 25th, 2012 at 10:44 am
I agree with Brendangrad that the persistent crime in this neighborhood does make it a lot harder to live here. I constantly feel on edge after multiple thefts, attempted thefts, car vandalism, and infestations since I arrived here just three years ago. That said, it is a beautiful place and overall has a stronger community than I’ve seen in any other neighborhood, which includes thoughtful discussions at times like this.
On a more practical note, I also learned a lot about how to keep myself and my things safe here and have listed the basics here for other newbies:
– Bicycles belong inside. U locks will be broken, banisters smashed, cable locks sawed. These things are more likely on side streets after dark, but I know of a bike stolen in broad daylight from a u lock at 40 and Walnut.
– Anything left in your car is fair game and makes it more likely someone will try to break in. Any visible change, bags, etc are up for grabs, especially with out of state plates, side streets, after dark, etc.
– For personal stay there is no substitute for knowing your neighbors, making eye contact with people and trusting your instincts when a situation seems weird.
– PPD is overwhelmed and focuses almost all efforts on violent crime. Make a report about thefts, etc but do not expect any investigation or response. Response times for 911 vary from 20 minutes to 8 hours depending. Penn Police have more resources, but are also focused on violent crime and physical safety. UCD patrols are extra eyes around but are not trained to respond to emergencies, other than biking away and radioing for help.
– Get renter’s insurance if you own valuables. It will cover thefts as well as floods, maggots falling from ceiling, etc.
– Make a decision whether or not this is your neighborhood and act accordingly. It is not for the faint hearted, the light sleepers, etc. But if it is for you there are lots of ways to enjoy it, even as you recognize that every physical thing you own might be taken from you. Good luck and stick together.
October 25th, 2012 at 11:39 am
“..maggots falling from ceiling..”
Thanks, now I have one more thing to worry about.
October 25th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Detective Murray, and anyone who follows him on Twitter, would take issue with your characterization of PPD and Penn Police only focusing on violent crime and not investigating thefts.
October 25th, 2012 at 12:46 pm
@ p, I was trying to be funny re: Law & Order, perhaps I should have concluded the sentence with an “LOL”. Anyway, I think what we had happen was a little more serious than a brick in a window. It was middle of the night, One guy got in our house (somehow, we still aren’t a 100% sure possibly an open back door) he robbed us, tied up my brother, and held a knife to my mother. All this, while I was asleep on the 3rd floor with a newborn. The police never arrested the guy or even followed up much with us. However, a few weeks after our incident, there was report of a man matching the description of the guy getting axed in the head by another potential victim. I like to think that was him.
@ Sarah, I had renters insurance which covered much of what was taken, and we got an home security system, I would suggest one of them for everyone in the area as well. They’re really not that expensive and definitely worth it. TWICE since then the alarm has been set off by people trying to break in, and both times it made them run before anything else happened.
October 25th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
@Amara: I don’t think that any individual at PPD is indifferent, but I do believe the department is stretched thin enough that they can’t track down a lot of property crime. I reported a stolen bike and stolen computer with absolutely no investigation. I also had my car almost stolen, as in the window was smashed and steering column ripped open as if to hot-wire. I called 911 and it took until 2 am to file a report. I asked the officer if it made sense to get a tracking device for the car and he laughed saying, “we don’t have time to track those things’. (‘those things’ being stolen cars.) I agree that violent crimes are more important but I’ve learned that it’s my responsibility to protect my own things with common sense and renter’s insurance.
October 26th, 2012 at 10:09 am
It’s a little late to be adding to this thread, but by way of practical suggestion regarding the original broken window post…
Some kids threw a chunk of our neighbor’s broken-up sidewalk through our dining room window during my son’s birthday dinner a few years ago. It was one of those bizarre hot spring nights when the kids were still in school and they were all out on the streets. It was frightening to be the room when it happened and I ran out and screamed obscenities at the kids. I took the whole incident personally, kids have no morals, sign of race or class warfare, blah blah blah…and when complaining to my neighbor, he confessed that as a kid, he had done the same thing to a store window in his town. And then I realized, that kid wasn’t out to get me or my family. Kids are stupid (or impulsive) he saw a chunk of sidewalk, picked it up, and threw it at our window. It wasn’t premeditated. The whole “decision” was likely less than 8 seconds. I can’t keep people from doing stupid stuff.
And this may be far-fetched, but when it comes to breaking windows, I can help make sure there isn’t anything available to break them with. So now I am the crazy lady, who picks up bricks and big rocks that I see on sidewalks in our neighborhood and I throw them in the trash (sorry UCD PSM employees!) In a few of these posts, a car window was broken and nothing was taken. My guess is that the brick that was used, was something that was close by the car when the window was broken. As someone who actually walks around carrying bricks (I carry them to the nearest trash which is sometimes several blocks), I can attest that it isn’t much fun. A real thief will carry a tool to break-in to cars. But stupid broken windows can likely be prevented by just eliminating random rocks and bricks and other potential “weapons” that are in the area.