Cemetery Crimes?

[DonP]

A good friend of my fathers and his wife, both in their early 80's, were visiting one of our local cemeteries a couple of weeks ago and were mugged and beaten up by two punks. The only weapons used were a baseball bat, fists and feet.

Wallet, purse, watches and wedding rings taken.

Fortunately no serious long-term injuries. My Dad and I went to the police station with them to fill out the forms, as you can imagine they were pretty rattled.

The desk sergeant taking down the information told us there has been a regular series of these "cemetery robberies" through out the south side of Mayor Daley's gun free utopia Chicago. It hasn't made the papers for one reason or another, but as soon as some socially prominent citizen is beaten or kiilled it probably will.

I guess I have two points to his post.

1. Has anyone else in other cities run across reports of this type of crime? Easy victims, usually older and by themselves or an elderly couple, distracted by grief or memories. No police presence to deter them. Multiple entrances and exits.

2. Seems a shame to have to do it, but in spite of our state's regressive laws on carrying, I may have to start keeping a pocket pistol handy when visiting passed relatives now. Based on the logic that if the cops don't see the bad guys, they probably won't see me either.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Standard Disclaimer

You know, IANAL, never advise doing anything illegal, blah blah blah.

BUT . . .

Better to be carried by six . . . ?

Oh, wait, that's wrong somehow . . .

 

[Biker]

That was in poor taste, Arfin. This is a grave matter.

Biker

 

[AmbulanceDriver]

Biker, you kill me.......

Were I in your shoes, I would go to the media, especially after hearing what the police said about it being a rather more common event than the media seems to be aware of. Who knows what kinda interest you might stir up on a slow news day.......

 

[gyp_c2]

well...

...I'm gravely concerned about yer' apallbearing remarks...

...and yes, I would think the more people that are aware, the better...
If I had to take my grandparents to the hospital due to an incident as described, and found out that the knowledge of this had been available and not spread, I might want do a little spreading myself...

 

[RNB65]

This is such a dead end thread...

 

[ZeSpectre]

Have a look at the map on this thread.
Note the two markers in Alington National Cemetary (and my comments).

 

[El Barto]

Cemeteries are a very common place for crimes to happen. People are absorbed in their own actions and they tend to ignore what others are doing. Some see it as being rude to stare at others while they grieve. Think about it. Decent people leave others to their grief in private so they don't "question" others like they should. They allow strangers to come up to them unchallenged, and most people don’t think of locking their cars or securing valuables.

Cemeteries are also perfect for many different types of 'exchanges' to occur. It is common for drugs to be cached there and of course muggings and thefts.

 

[News Shooter]

Didn't any of you

See Night of the Living Dead??

 

[Hemicuda]

Just because you are grieving doesn't mean you should let your guard down...

carry when legal, and stay situationally aware!

 

[ZeSpectre]

Just because you are grieving doesn't mean you should let your guard down... carry when legal, and stay situationally aware!

While I agree with what you say in principal, let's not start blaming the victims. I lost an uncle about whom I cared very much (more of a father to me than my own father) and at his funeral and for a couple of visits to the gravesite later all I was aware of was this gapeing void. Very easy to say I should have stayed "situationally aware" but it was quite simply an impossible thing at the time.

 

[Battlespace]

The comments here are all killers.

 

[Manedwolf]

NO's famous crypt cemeteries had lots of crime..muggers hid among them.

Though I have to wonder at the police report from any such investigation. "Several hundred dead at the scene..."

It just reminds me of when I'd seen an ambulance pulling into a cemetery with its lights on, and made someone else in the car snort their coffee by saying "Dude, it's TOO LATE!"

 

[hexidismal]

Just because you are grieving doesn't mean you should let your guard down...

carry when legal, and stay situationally aware!

That's all well and good, but the initial thread tells the story of a couple in their 80's, in an area where it is not legal to carry.

 

[langenc]

Catch the perps-beat it out of em and chain them to a tombstone.

 

[TnRebel]

Yea gota watchout for those Zombie's

 

[biere]

I would get the word out, older folks tend to have their information lines to get this info spread among themselves.

I also agree with trying to get the news involved but I don't know if that will go anywhere.

On another board I would give the standard SSS reply but I am not sure how that would play out in a graveyard.

 

[Technosavant]

Get a little creative with the makeup before going. When accosted, turn slowly, lurch forward, and say "BRRRRAAAAIIIIIINNNSSSS!"

 

[Axman]

Get a little creative with the makeup before going. When accosted, turn slowly, lurch forward, and say "BRRRRAAAAIIIIIINNNSSSS!"

This would not work well because criminals have no brains!

 

[thexrayboy]

The desk sergeant taking down the information told us there has been a regular series of these "cemetery robberies" through out the south side of Mayor Daley's gun free utopia Chicago. It hasn't made the papers for one reason or another, but as soon as some socially prominent citizen is beaten or kiilled it probably will.

As long as it doesn't make the papers these crimes won't be counted. Just a little more of that creative bookkeeping the Chicago PD is so good at. If they actually reported every crime commited in Dalyland accurately and in the proper category the stats would probably make Chicago look like a training ground for criminals. Or is it already.

 

[smince]

Not a cemetary crime, per se, but: Three men parked in the cemetary next to our church. Two made the pretense of 'mourning' (actually "lookouts") at one of the gravesites while the third tried to break into our building (during a worship service, no less). Due to recent crime incidents, we had started a security patrol during services. They were very surprised to realize I had been watching them the whole time

 

[del4]

There has been a rash of people stealing copper urns in N.O. Copper sells for $2.50 a pound.

If people have no scruples, they have no scruples.

 

[06]

Be it in "gun free" Chicago/New York/ or where ever if one is accosted he should be able to defend himself--legally or illegally. Seems a jury would be hard to find to convict an 80 yr old against punks robbing/beating them. When crooks have no fear for their worthless safety then they have free reign to terrorize everyone. Samuel had the right idea about his "equalizer".