Social Question

john65pennington's avatar

Would you be surprised, if your neighbor was arrested?

Asked by john65pennington (29268points) January 22nd, 2011

I have lived in the same house and neighborhood for 41 years. People come and go, but we are still here to stay. Three years ago, a grandmother moved into a house, located across the street from my house and down about four houses. Shortly after her move-in, I noticed her teenage grandson was also living there. I was not suspicious of him, until he began to walk the streets at all hours of the day and night. I knew he had a criminal record and this really aroused my suspicions. Two days later, there was a home burglary on the next street over from mine. Guess who was the burglar? It was him. He served about a year and was released. Within the past two months, three or four fast food restaurants have been robbed in my area. I did not suspect this person, because i thought he was still in jail. Not! I was totally shocked when my police buddies advised me that he was the armed robber of the restaurants.Question: do we really know our neighbors? Have you had a similiar situation?

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15 Answers

ANef_is_Enuf's avatar

It wouldn’t surprise me at all. My next door neighbor was arrested last year. I have to admit, I stood at my kitchen window all slack jawed as 4 or 5 black SUVs and several cruisers started to line my street and at least 20 officers started running through my neighbor’s front and side yard, as well as my own side yard. I suspected that the bust was coming, I had every reason to know that it was only a matter of time… but that didn’t make it any less interesting to watch. It was bittersweet, though, because I know their family – and their children – and it was a bit sad. However, I don’t want that shit going on next door.
Wouldn’t surprise me if the people currently living in that house were the next to be arrested. There are one or two other neighbors that wouldn’t surprise me, either. It is really unfortunate, but I have to say that I’m happy to see them go. This really isn’t a terrible neighborhood, but people like that make it considerably worse than it should be. The majority of the people living here are young, married couples with children – and one or two elderly couples that have lived here for a long time. I would be pleased to see the unsavory few leave for good. I like to feel secure in my own home, and having neighbors that bring less than desirable people into the neighborhood (usually to buy drugs) does not really make me feel secure.

lucillelucillelucille's avatar

I wouldn’t be suprised if an ex-neighbor was arrested for a sexual offense or hospitalized.
His nickname wasn’t Steviant for nothing,you know.

Seaofclouds's avatar

I’d be surprised if any of mine were. I don’t know them all well, but living on post, I guess I expect a bit more from my neighbors. Also, many of the are MPs, so I really don’t expect them to be arrested. Sure, things happen and it’s possible, but I really would be surprised if it does.

Austinlad's avatar

Not if the charge was for disturbance of the peace. ;-) He keeps two large dogs in his small back yard, and they bark constantly.

Cruiser's avatar

I am very aware of my neighbors now thanks to a certain A-hole next door to me. I pretty much can tell where trouble is in my neighborhood. But I must say I was taken by surprise when we caught a kid in the act of ransacking my car who was a live in guest of a religious group host in a house behind me one door over.

If there is criminal activity in my neck of the woods it is almost always kids looking for drug money.

SavoirFaire's avatar

The people who share our duplex will never be arrested. He’s always working, and she never goes outside. Also, almost all the crime where I live occurs within a two-block radius about 15 miles from our complex. So I’m not terribly worried.

963chris's avatar

No, we are all prone to arrest at some point be it our own behavior or the others with whom we subsist.

klutzaroo's avatar

Now, yes. In the past, not at all.

aprilsimnel's avatar

Nah. Being arrested’s one thing. Tell you what shocked me:

The son of a resident got shot outside our building last August and the whole neighbourhood went into shock. Turns out he’d had fallen in with a bad crowd and owed some bad guys a lot of money. In October, he died from his injuries. One of my roommates had been his best friend from childhood, but they’d grown apart as adults.

The shooting frightened the other residents enough that the co-op board had an emergency meeting to discuss whether or not to throw the man’s mother out. It was straight -up punishment for putting the building’s residents in danger by letting him stay in her apartment when she knew he was up to shenanigans. Once he died, the board backed down from pursuing her removal.

Most of the residents here are late middle age or older, were teachers or other city employees and seem very conscious of being middle class in a generally wealthy area. I felt bad for the lady. People would roll their eyes at her at the mailbox.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Depends on the neighbor. We have one gal down the street who, I wish, wish, wish, they’d lock up forever. She’s a crack head. Always outside screaming for her dog, Shadow. The police come, and then they go. I don’t know why she isn’t gone.

downtide's avatar

I have no clue. My neighbours on one side only moved in 2 weeks ago and I’ve not spoken to them yet, I don’t even know their names. On the other side the house is unoccupied – I’ve seen the owner come in now and again to do some renovation work but it’s not been lived in for nearly 3 years.

Bellatrix's avatar

I would be surprised, my neighbours on one side are a truly lovely family. The father goes off and mows the lawns for older people in the neighbourhood.

On the other side I have what we call a commune of Hari Krishnas… they do a lot of chanting but I can’t see them getting up to too much mischief.

But you just never know do you? The most ordinary people get up to some very weird stuff. I would rather think my neighbours are lovely people though.

Haleth's avatar

My family is really close with the next door neighbors. It’s sort of an old timey neighborhood where everyone knows each other very well, we give each other baked goods on holidays and birthdays, that kind of thing. I’d be pretty surprised.

On the other hand, I’ve had roommates who were arrested… two different times at two separate places. Maybe I’m the shadiest person living here, and that’s why everyone else seems so nice.

YARNLADY's avatar

Not at all. We have several rentals on our block, and at least two of them are group homes for incorrigible youths.

Dutchess_III's avatar

My next door neighbor plays the Indian flute all night.

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