Local thefts - What does Steve Bizzell do about it?

I noticed the thread that was started about the kids on Old Drug Store Road who were robbed of their music equipment. I read that and wanted to cry for them. It took about 10 minutes for my sorrow to turn into an anger.

You see, the fact of the matter is that house and barn was my Aunt's property for many years and a part of my family property many years before that. This gives me a little history of the property.

The house and barn have been broken into at least 10 times (collectively) during the last few years. (Maybe more, 10 that I know of) In fact, after being reported to the Johnston County Sherriff's department several years ago, I actually think the crime on that property has increased. 2 years ago the barn was broken into so many times that we stopped making reports. The stronger we made the doors the more determined the thieves became. At one point 4 wheeler tracks were seen against the door of the barn and it appeared that someone winched the doors from the frame.

I ride by that house several times every day as it borders our property and see the kids out playing music and having a good time.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if anyone on this board thinks that Steve Bizzell will find a way to monitor that place, you are Dead Wrong. (I challenge someone to prove me wrong) Crime has increased within a 1 mile radius of that property for the last 5 years. I have placed several calls to the Sherriff's Department. My grandmother has been robbed. Bloody clothes have been found on our property. Buildings have been abused. Mailboxes have been destroyed. People speed and race up and down the highway. Crotch-rockets race the highway. People ride by and openly throw beer bottles from the window.

For the kid's recent loss of property, I am sorry........ but good luck getting something done about it. Your property is NOT safe in this area. Period! Locks make no difference. Fences will be cut. Only neighbors helping neighbors will catch the thugs.............but be careful, if you decide to watch your own property and take action, you must abide by a series of guidelines. Call 911, but hide in your closet until they arrive 20 minutes later after you have been robbed. Does anyone even know if you can confront a robber outside of your home in this County?? I am not sure but have heard other's say that they were warned against it.

4042 area has a lot of nice folks here now. A little collection of folks from all over the world now call this home. My family has been here for generations and we embrace those who come here. The community is becoming a real social network of some really good folks.

Maybe one day we can get some real service in this area. There is NO EXCUSE for the same property to be robbed over and over and over again during the past 5 years and no one ever seems to get caught.

Guys, if I can find a lead, I'll do it and we can take the reward money and petition Steve Bizzell to sit down and talk with us about the repeated robberies.

It is a sad state of affairs!!

For any ideas on how to come together and share ideas and get the management tier of our local law enforcement to buy into some plan to monitor this place, send me an e-mail or give me a call.

kellylangdon@bellsouth.net
919-280-1943 (8:30am - 8:00pm)

 

I hate a thief. Because my home has been robbed in the past (not while living in this area), we invested in an alarm system. The police can't be everywhere all of the time. I really appreciate the job the police do in this area. However, I have done what I can to keep my own home & property safe. I commend those groups who have started neighborhood watches. If a particular place has been robbed repeatedly my guess is that word has passed through the scum in the area that the place is an easy hit with little security. Before anyone places anything of value in that barn again, hopefully the owners of the barn will invest in some type of security system ... even if its just a simple one with a loud alarm to scare away the crooks while alerting those near the property of the break-in. Hopefully someone warned the kids who lost their equipment about the risks of storing their property in the barn if the place had been hit 10 times in the past few years. I hope the thief who took the stuff is caught soon. Cameras are cheap and an alarm system makes me feel a little more protected. Unfortunately, if a crook really wants to take something ... they'll probably figure out a way around our safety measures eventually. However, I'm definitely not going to make it easy for them ... and if they are caught in my home or yard trying to take something that belongs to my family ... I doubt anyone in my house will be hiding in a closet waiting for the police to respond.

PS ... If you are looking into purchasing a security system ... or the owners of the barn are, I believe Harley may be able to help you out. Yes, crime has increased over the past few years ... but so has the population of the area. This is a wonderful area, made up of mostly wonderful people. Hopefully the crooks will be caught ... but its not just law enforcements job to keep our community safe ... its got to be a joint effort between property owners, the community and the police.

 

Thief Reply

I agree, a thief is a worthless coward dirtbag.

I can not speak for the family that now owns the property, I do know there was a limited security system at the house at one point with a loud speaker. It never slowed the thieves down to my knowledge. For a while my cousin lived in the house and was robbed over and over again.

I know once that the thieves were caught .......but only because my cousin followed them almost to Smithfield (after standing in his front door watching the thieves load a truck with his belongings) while calling 911. The authorities final pulled the folks over. Had my cousin not followed them, I have all ideas that they would have never been caught.

I know that the local LEO's do a good job. The deputies are aways courteous and apologetic concerning the crime. A.C. Fish has been by several times in an effort to cut crime in this area. I do not fault the laymen......I fault top management in the process. If a man attempts to secure his belongings, abides by the law as a good citizen, there is no excuse to be robbed over and over again. I have a place that local LEO's can sit on my property and have made it known that they can park there 24 hours per day if they need to.

My grandmother was robbed. Her yard is partially fenced. With motion detectors etc. She was roobed on Thanksgiving Eve a couple of years ago. The sad thing is someone stood at her window watching her (conclusion the Sherriff arrived at) and smoked cigarettes while at least 2 other people robbed her buildings.

I have personally interrupted at least one robbery at her house during the last 2 years.......but until a person commits the act what do you do? People pull in and say they have car trouble etc. etc.

A drunk lady tried to kick my door in 3 years ago. I called 911. The lady had to climb over a 17 ft. wide gate or crawl through 8 strands of electric barbed wire to get into my yard. She had to pass at least 3 No Trespassing signs. By the time the Sherriff arrived she had walked 1/4 mile down the road stopping at 3 other houses trying to kick the door in. When they finally caught her (because 'a male apparently pushed her from a car in the middle of the night during a drunken fued') they (local LEO) gave her a ride home.

I could tell you story after story after story of acts during the last 5 years.......they are all within a 1 mile raduis. I suspect if someone pulled the records at the court house they can verify story after story..........robbery, wrecks caused by speeding............all within a 1 mile radius.

I would love to get some kind of neighborhood watch going on.

SAL

 

Final Note

Stealing is wrong.

There was a time that people knew that if you went to someone else's house or barn (EVEN WITH THE DOOR UNLOCKED) and took something that was not theirs that they WERE STEALING.

God forbid, we live in the age of POLITICAL CORRECTNESS now. You have to have a fence, signs, lights, loud speakers, security sytems with cameras and video...........and whatever other latest gadget is offered.

What ever happened to stealing being WRONG?

Friend of my family put in a basic security system a couple of months ago that he purchased at Sam's Club. I do mean basic. Large pixel pictures, 4 low grade cameras with PC. He spent $2,000. Where do we draw the line? How many people have $1,000 + to put down for systems when gas is $4.00 per/gallon.

When we started accepting crime and making excuses for it is when we lost the battle. Not every highly populated town has high crime. Some places refuse to accept it as a way of life. That's what we need to do.

SAL

 

You go, Sal. There was a day when I did not lock my house nor car when I was home or away....boy has that changed.

While a previous post was making good points about security and neighborhood watches, we must realize that many families in our community live on farms or private land. For me, a neighborhood watch consists of phoning a neighbor down the road if a cow is out! :lol:

I DO believe in neighbors helping each other, I DO believe that Johnston County is a large territory for the sheriff's office to cover...and with little funding, and I DO believe in security...whether an alarm, camera, dog or my right to bear arms.

I also DO believe that this thread could go on and on and on...let's see...the next post will be that we need to incorporate this area to add a town police dept., then let's touch on how residential and commercial development affects crime rates in our community and oh yea, let's not forget how we've seen the news reports about owners of nice, expensive houses with alarm systems (in neighborhoods) that have recently had items stolen from their garages, during the middle of the day, while the owner was home, with their children playing outside...etc. etc.

Let's get back to the shack ....I mean barn....None of gabbing I'm doing above is helping the local boys find the theives who stole their equipment nor stopping the crimes in this area.

You are so right about getting Back to the Basics...stealing is wrong...but more importantly to me is your comment about our societies' political correctness. I believe Sheriff Bizzell would gladly hear our griefs and make an effort to help our communtiy, BUT I firmly believe that nothing will change until our community (first step) and society (next step) join an effort to get our politicians Back to the Bible.

As you posted "A Final Note", I'll conclude with this thought....Why start at the court house? Let's etch "Thou Shall Not Steal" (along with 9 other commands) on every elementary school wall in our community!!!

....and that's "My Final Answer"....

 

:iagree:

 

I do believe you solved the crime spree! Lets stop those law violators by violating the law!

 

As much as I'd like to take credit for simple resolve, you make my earlier point {Nothing will change until community and society, with the support of our politicians,} go back to the Original Law....

"Begin with the TEN"....religous or not, following seven of ten commands would reduce many of our societies' problems. Let's see, profanity, adultery and divorce, stealing, kidnapping, murder and overcrowded jails, over-working, envy, etc. etc. etc. (Following the first three commands, affect the type of society one resides when dead). Let's face it...if everyone in the world followed ALL TEN commandments, ALL of the time...that would be Heaven!!!

I apologize that "my answer" of {etching school walls with "Thou Shall Not Steal"} was taken so literally as to mention that it would be violating the law in itself....but as history proves, many statements, ideas, creations, inventions and even laws that are intended to "improve" our lives, are ridiculed and viewed negatively....until they "really work(ed)".

So let's put down the chisel and find those theives....

 

Sheriff Steve Bizzell is a wonderful caring human being.

I'm sorry that you are having problems, but how in the world does it fall down on being Sheriff Bizzell's fault?

S.B. cares about the elderly, children, single mothers, etc.

He is a caring person, and even his assistant (can't think of her name right now)is wonderful and caring.

Even his spokesperson Tammy Aaamon is wonderful and kind.

Johnston County is growing by leaps and bounds.

Considering with what he is dealing with, I think many will agree with me that we have a wonderful group at the Sheriff's dept.

Okay everyone, start disagreeing with me... But this is honestly how I feel, and I feel safer knowing that Sheriff Bizzell and his staff are there to help us.

Spunky

 

Wonderful & Caring

I do believe that Steve Bizzell is a caring man. I think there are things that he does well. Cracking down on illegals and the random checkpoints in our County are things that I am very VERY thankful for!

I should have taken the time to list some of the positive things before diving into the challenges.

However, I feel that sometimes he is a little over confident (maybe that is the wrong choice of words) I am not sure how to say it..........but the point is, if there is specific location in this County that is robbed over and over again, it should get a little TLC. I mean there should be a noticeable difference in the presence of the LEO's. The decision is made by top management to make this happen. The guy out on the beat does what management tells him to do.

Let's do a little hypothetical creation........let's say one of these kids sees some thieves loading music gear into a car and shoots him in the back. How do you think the kid will be viewed? Will he be well received? I think not. Remember, we must be politically correct these days. The kid would be demonized and the dead thief will be listed as 'victim' on the local stations. I am telling you, it is not like it used to be. Thieves get a slap on the wrist. Property owners are expected to spend tons of money to basically protect their belongings from the thieves. If they don't then they are the negligent ones.

It's all fun and games until someone loses their life. Then suddenly good people become canon fodder for the media. If a lady confronts a male thief on her property and she is armed and the thief is not and the thief tells her he is going to rip her throat out if he gets his hands on her and she pulls the trigger, she suddenly becomes the villain and he is a 'the unarmed man who was killed by the trigger happy cowgirl'.

You see where I am going? How does the common law abiding citizen win in these scenarios?

I submit that we as citizens must do all we can but after we have done all that we can, we must depend on the Sheriff to bridge the gap. That is what he gets paid to do and that is what I expect him to do...........and frankly, I should not have to beg or catch any flack for asking him/her to do their job. I voted for him/her, I have the God given right to peaceably assemble and to petition them for a redress of grievances.

May we have Godspeed as we collectively fight for what is right.



SAL

 

:iagree:

 

Exactly.

Newsflash folks. It's not all about *you* and *your* religion. There are plenty of other religions (in fact most of them) that have the same basic tenets. We don't see them insisting that they be posted in schools or courthouses. This country was founded by Dieists, not Bible Thumpers. And no matter what their religion, one thing they agreed on was FREEDOM of RELIGION.

 

... dear god. *quickly re-reads the post a few times just to make sure*. i think I'm in love. =O

 

You didn't love me before? :cry: :lol:

 

Well yeah... good point. you like nightwish. <3.

 

Oh, reminds me... <Off to playlist.com>

 

For those of you that want to blame the Sheriff's Department for crime, I can only say they can't be everywhere. Johnston is a very big county with many square miles for the deputies to cover.

Now if the Cleveland area wants to incorporate and become a town, a group of local residents would be the Council and a local police department could be hired to patrol in this tight well-defined area. But then there would be city taxes.......

 

Exactly.

 

Centurian - An Old Solution That Works

Guess what? I have a plan that keeps the Sheriff out in the 'Big County' and it does not take a city tax to pay for it.

Allow a man that lives on his own property to fulfill his God given right to protect it no matter what the costs! Keep the city out of it and let the Sheriff ride the roads and deal with the County crime. There was a time in this Country that a man was able to keep someone off of his property. Now the thieves have to kick your door in and then you have to see that they are armed and intend to hurt you. If a guy is half way across the yard in one of your barns loading his truck and has no weapon, what can you do?

This is a sick & twisted bunch of crap. We have written the laws for the crooks and then offer cities and taxes as the solution to problems.

Folks like you twist this into something that it is not.

1.) It is as simple as letting property owners protect what is theirs. Period.

2.) Because we refuse to this in a PC society, we are forced to dial 911 and wait for the Sheriff.

3.) What we really need is another layer of government to go through after we dial 911. (I hope the saracasm is evident with this one)


I am amazed at how difficult we make the simple these days.

SAL

 

YEAH! SHOOT 'EM ALL!!!!