That’s one of the entrances to the Magic Circle subdivision in Tulsa. newson6.com reports that they’ve suffered a number of break-ins and decided to forewarn prospective burglars that the fed-up residents are forearmed. But the signs aren’t being universally well received. “(T)he Tulsa Crime Commission, the non-profit organization that runs Crime Stoppers, does not support the placing of these signs. Its executive director said the crime commission does not endorse anything that involves guns and potential violence. She said prevention programs, like neighborhood watches, work much better than letting a criminal know that the homeowners have weapons.” If you were an underemployed yoot with larceny in your heart, would you target this neighborhood?
“If you were an underemployed yoot with larceny in your heart, would you target this neighborhood?”
I admit, I’m biased, but no, if I was said yoot, I’d keep on walking.
When I was younger and in Boy Scouts, there was a local camping area, about 10 wooded acres, that all the local troops used. Along the back edge was a railroad track that ran to a railroad bridge over the nearby river. We used to sneak off property down to the bridge for our own little “Stand By Me” moments. However, if you went the other way on the tracks, they led to a neighboring fertilizer plant, and everyone knew you didn’t go near there, because “the guards carried shotguns loaded with rock salt.” Now, this was 20 years ago, so I suppose it’s possible, but looking back now, I find it unlikely. The point is, however, that none of us were willing to get close enough to actually find out.
Same sort of thing in my neighborhood as a kid. A somewhat rural area where farmers fields were within close proximity to suburban neighborhoods. Some roadways would come to an end with nothing but a giant dirt pile to serve as a road barrier. Us kids quickly turned them into giant jumps for our bikes. We’d race as fast as we could and jump into the farmers crops, (Hey.. I was a kid alright). All expect for one. For the same reason you listed… he shot with rock salt.
Yep, if I was one of those aformetioned yoots with bad intentions I’d stay away from here. Its like the exact opposite of the colorado dorm thing lol
I think this is better than the poster I’ve seen, that states my home is protected by Smith and Wesson, my neighbors house isn’t! But this kind of reminds me of the gas station that posted a sign “Guard Dog on Premises three nights a week, you guess which three”. So having a sign that states Concealed Carry Neighborhood, doesn’t mean everyone is, so it’s up to the yoots to guess which ones aren’t!
I appreciate the sentiment of those “protected by Smith and Wesson” signs, but it’s always seemed to me that what they really say to a criminal is “hey, I’ve got at least one expensive gun and probably a lot more and you should totally come steal them when I’m not home!”
I prefer subtlety.
Maybe that’s not the way I wrote it, but that’s the way I meant it….don’t advertise, even if you think it’s cute! I think the gated community has the right/better answer!
Ahh, gotcha.
Here’s a crime map to a random address in Magic Circle. The neighborhood has been there since the late 60s, so I assume the surrounding area must have undergone a demographic shift. Quite a bit of crime, both violent and property.
http://www.spotcrime.com/ok/tulsa
If that doesn’t work, the address I used was S 108th East Ave, Tulsa OK.
I wish my neighborhood had such signs. I’d much prefer to live in “Colt Heights” with the comunity firing range than “Daydream Valley” with the community golf course. Seperate but equal suits me just fine.
Hanging a few targets with the middle hollowed out would add to the scene.
#1
I much prefer this sign to individual houses having their own signs.
My house having a similar sign says “Avoid when occupied, but if no one is home, this house may have guns for free!”
The entrance to my neighborhood having a similar sign says “Some of us have guns, some of us don’t, roll the dice!”
Now to get my HOA to put this up !
If I was an underemployed yoot with larceny in my heart and sh!t for brains, I would target this neighborhood. Otherwise, I’d find easier pickins elsewhere. But since I’m not a thief, I think I’d prefer to tell the Tulsa Commission for the Preservation of Criminals to kiss my a$$.
I actually have no problem with that. It is a free country, with free speech and the right to bear arms.
The only time I would disagree is if they decided to use their guns first instead of their cell phones. Putting up a funny sign actually does not give them the right to just shoot anyone who looks like a burgler.
shoot only as a last resort. but this sign plainly tells the bad guys what that last resort is. time to look for a gun free zone.
Well, I would guess the degree of deterrence will correlate to the hunger in said yoot’s belly. At some point they may come in numbers. The depression gave us, among other things, John Dillinger, Al Capone, George “Pretty Boy” Floyd, Bonnie and Clyde, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and they weren’t all bootleggers. Just sayin’
we had gangsters then and we have gangsters now. as always it’s up to the decent folk to look after themselves and their loved ones.
Most (if not all) of those were helped along in their careers much more by prohibition than the depression.
The difference is—the gangsters you mentioned robbed banks and bootlegged liquor, but they avoided targeting average citizens.
Those gangsters weren’t doing home invasions or shooting little kids in drivebys—and if a kid WAS killed in a crossfire, that gangster was eliminated by the others.
which is all the more reason that we need to be able to shoot back. all the more reason to do away with gun free zones. all the more reason to kick any polilitician that preaches gun control to the curb.
Since ‘Neighborhood Watch’ signs have utterly zero deterrent effect, I’d rather see signs like this one in my own ‘burb. It highlights the ‘herd immunity’ effect of law-abiding CCW.
I am not a big fan of signs like that. I don’t advertise I own guns or carry one. If my two barking dogs aren’t enough for them to rethink the idea of breaking into my house, I’ll be more than happy to show off a gun.
YMMV
“Since ‘Neighborhood Watch’ signs have utterly zero deterrent effect…”
I used to think that, and my own experience with an “inactive” or passive watch supported that. However when my wife and I started doing an “active” watch while we walked (and due to our schedules the walk times were pretty erratic) suddenly graffitti and other random vandalism went WAY down in our area.
Then the “official” neighborhood watch started getting upset with us because we were too visible. I finally got fed up with them at a meeting and told them “look, I’m not in your damned “watch”, I’m someone who lives here and keeps an eye on my neighborhood so don’t try to tell me how to do it”.
I guess what I’m saying is that I’m all for a modest warning sign and then if some wayward person decides to ignore it….let the chips fall where they may.
Now we’re talking. Sending a message is libspeak. Putting up signs giving perps fair warning is just the neighborly thing to do. Hope they can figure out what the symbols mean if they can’t read plain English.
Personally fond of the idea of getting a few volunteer grannies to sit in rockin’ chairs out on a few front porches in those high crime areas with a shotgun, a Bible and a clear line of sight.
Well the exec director said prevention programs, like neighborhood watches work much better than letting a criminal know that the homeowners have weapons, did she? Really, now. If fear of retribution from the ALMIGHTY didn’t work what’s next? Harsh language?
Let’s try it this way. If the rocket surgeons in the Crime Commission were any good at what they do, the homeowners in the Magic Circle wouldn’t be having to deal with break ins and put up warning signs now would they? Credibility rating 0 on that statement.
Wondered more than a few times how many perps casing a neighborhood noticed some cars and trucks with NRA stickers on ‘em and just kept going to look for a safer work environment. Any of ‘em over 8 years old who don’t know what a NRA sticker means only proves the public education system’s a waste of good money.
Read that perps who’ve been arrested a few times don’t worry so much about the Police, but the one thing they really do fear is a nervous homeowner with a gun.
Disheartening as they say that it’s all come to this. I’ve known places back in the day that were built and never so much as had a lock installed on any door. First crime those people ever knew was when the tax man came to their homesteaded and told ‘em they had to start paying .gov to keep living on their own property.
( That’s part of that legalized crime I’ve talked about before )
“If you were an underemployed yoot with larceny in your heart, would you target this neighborhood?”
Nope. And CC does not mean the guns are left at home during the workday to be easily stolen.
+ 1.
One sign with three lines:
Concealed Carry Neighborhood
Red & Green Lazer Dot Neighborhood Window and Rooftop Watch
Do you feel lucky punk?
That is a MUCH more polite sign than my neighbor’s sign that says “tresspassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again”. I fully realize that my neighbor has opened hinself up for all kinds of liability should he actually shoot someone, but he is one of the “mutants” that inhabit my neck of the woods, so trying to explain it to him would be pointless. If I was a “yoot with larceny in my heart”, I’d definitely be looking elsewhere for my “free to me” goodies.