I got home this afternoon to find that someone had been rummaging through my unit! Im staying alone in Sydney right now, and although this thing happens all the time in SA its kind of scary when it happens in your house. Yikes! Imagine if id been there, scary!

Edit: they didnt get anything because my neighbour must have disturbed them.

one of the reasons i left sydney in the 90s. but hey at least your safe.

Sorry to hear that Katalina.  I lived in Sydney for a while (near Bondi Beach) and it felt really safe.  I am so sorry it happened but I am glad that you are safe.

i am in SA, and it NEVER happend to me.

*puts a shrimp and a big ass piece of beef on the barbie*

wow! at least your ok, and nobody was harmed!

Get renters insurance. I highly suggest getting it. It's affordable and you will thank yourself later should they decide to come back.
Reinforce your doors and windows with better locks. I've had my house broken into before and even though they cleaned me out the first time they came back.

I'm glad you're safe though, it's strips away all of your security to know someone has broken in your home.

Similar thing happened to an ex-fiancé and me while living in Rose Bay SA in the late 80's.

We came home at 3:00AM to find a scum bag crawling out the back window with our VCR and Camcorder.

She beat the frick'n crap out of this guy, and then called the cops who were very impressed with her petite size and demeanor yet lethal punching performance.

My friends joked with me for years that I'd been engaged to a Kangaroo

Sorry to hear about it.
Do you have an alarm system?
Or please get a dog. I have 3 German Shepherds and we never have a problem, local police said that thief prefer a quiet place instead a noise place with dogs, alarms, etc.

Do NYC style.. Get at least 5 dead bolt locks on your doors and gates on your windows..

Hey, thats just how it is in some parts.

Ja, I got another bolt installed on my door to my balcony. Crime isnt supposed to be a big thing in our area (Rushcutters Bay). I suppose though, you win some you lose some. My neighbour got robbed once in Newtown (Sydney) by some guy jumping on a bin and hoisting himself up onto the guy's 1st floor balcony.

Criminals look for weaknesses such as your statement that crime doesn't happen here. They know people have let their guard down and will be quick to prove them wrong.

Case in point. Green Hills, a wealthy neighborhood here in Nashville last year had a  wake up call. People forgot that while they may have a $10,000 security system installed, it doesn't do their ass a bit of good if they don't turn it on. Some went as far as to leaving their doors unlocked. Boy were these people shocked when burglars started waltzing into their homes in the middle of the night jacking their shit right beneath their noses.

The best action you can take is to let all your neighbors know. They will keep a better eye on on who is creeping around cars /apts / homes for a short time and might end up catching the person.

double post monster was here.

rawr.

I sympathyze with all who have been robbed.
I have been robbed twice - at the point of a gun.
Not fun.
I now "profile".
I found humour after the fact, for it was my way with dealling with being at the mercy of another person in a life or death situation.
The first time I was driving a cab in downtown Los Angeles. 2 hours and the 4th fare. Good ole boy white trailer trash.
He said he had a gun, but I was not about to play trick or treat. The cold steel against the back of my neck was enought.
I ripped out the pocket of my jacket to give the guy $6.38.
"Is this all you have?" he said incredouslly.
"Well," said I, "As you can see this has not been a good night for me."
Luckily, even though pissed off, he left not harming me.
There was a foot switch on the floor that would turn off the left head light of the cab. I drove for blocks looking for a cop and was finally pulled over for defective equipment.
I went back to the dispatcher. Turned in my offical hat and the great map of Los Angeles. The dispatcher said, "Look, lots of guys drive for 20 years without ever getting tapped. Take off a few days and come on back."
"I have just driven for 2 hours and done my 20 years. I am resigning while I am ahead of the game."
The second time was a year ago September.
Armed home invasion.
Real gun.
Afro-American.
My wife, a nice quite girl from Brooklyn, would not be quite. He begged me to tell the B***h shut up. After being married to her for 35 years, I just shrugged my shoulders. He was on his own.
He went to tie us up, and I begged him not to. I felt it would be all over.
"Ok, I'll tie the b***h up with this silk scarf"
She was out of the scarf as I saw his foot go out the door.
She raced to the computer and said "We just got a big fucking lemon, and we are going to have lemonade for the rest of our lives."
I called 911.
The police were here before the alarm people even called after I had tripped the alarm.
The police photographer took picts of the crime scene and went to my home studio. I had been preparring for a coming hurricane and said, "Don't bother. This is the way my studio looks all the time."
The next day, while waiting in line to get new drivers licenses at the only license bureau from Key West to Palm Beach, I started to laugh.
"Ok, wise guy just is so funny?" my wife said.
"Ah nothing dear. Is is a "guy" thing."
Silence.
Silence
Silence.
"Ok, Ok, you win! Tell me what is so F***King!!"
"Does this mean we can't play tie up any more?" said I ducking and sidesteping out of the range of her fist and feet.
We never recovered anything.
He was caught two weeks later.
He had been release early for good behavior for the same thing, armed robbery serving a 12 year stretch.
He is back in the slammer finishing his 12 years plus 25 years parol violation with a gun. He will be an old man in his sixties when (and if) he gets out.
I for one am goint to see if I can find out when ever he goes up for parole to be there and do my best to keep him off the streets.
We have a new alarm system, enought security lights to frie and egg on my roof at midnight and SUPER alert for ANY strange noises.
Any one know where I can get a fire breathing dragon????
I still wake up, the reason I am typing this epistle, at all hours of the night.
Because of medication I can't even have a glass of wine for those nights.
We had all of our papers by dinner the next day.
My wife takes very good care of me. I wish I could have returned the favor that night.
Now I can only be super alert, profile and be outside at night when she comes home.
Ok, time to get in the hot tub and a pain pill.
Yours,
Tom

BURGLARY-entering a home, structure or dwelling with the intent to comit a crime
ROBBERY-depriving a person of thier property by using FORCE OR FEAR

....So you were BURGLARIZED

NO! ARMED home invasion is was it was. We were held at GUN POINT!
Like the term Rape.
The term "rape" is too romantic a term.
It is SEXUAL ASSAULT. Ask anywone who was raped, they were assaulted!!!!!

I think they were referring to me.

But my poor balcony door was violated! lol