This has been a continuing problem in Oakhurst as of late. Based on numerous posts on the Oakhurst message board over the past couple months, thieves are smashing in the front door of homes with visible flat-screen TVs from the street, taking them and nothing else, and bolting. It all takes less than a minute, so they aren’t concerned with alarm systems. Additionally, other posts indicate that they aren’t deterred by dogs (regardless of size).

A recent post/email from by the Winnona Park neighborhood watch (forwarded by Cherie) sums flat-screen thieves’ actions and intent around Atlanta.

* Thieves working in a group of 3 young men are pictured kicking in a door, rushing into a home, finding the big screen TV, ignoring other valuables, and loading big screen into a truck that is backed up to the door, for quick exit.

* Remarkable is the speed at which the operation took place:
In only a minute or so did the burglars kick open the door, locate the high value Big Screen TV and load it. So even if the alarm was sounding and the monitoring company was calling the police or the residence first, by the time it was clear to the alarm company/resident,etc. that this was a genuine burglary, the bad guys escaped with the one quick item in the truck.

So, if you have a flat-screen, its probably a good idea to make sure it can’t be viewed through a front window.