My car got broken into this week.
It's one of those instances when something you often read about actually becomes a reality.
Up until the break in I was lucky enough not to have been effected by any serious crime before.
They took just about everything that wasn't screwed down and then some, even the loose change down the backs of the sofa.
I had a prompt response from the police but in reality there's very little that can be done about it.
I looked it up and crime for my area is well above the English average, almost by a third.
But what seriously can be done.
In the local paper capture cars seem to be having a great effect.
This is where cars are set up by the police, hidden cameras inside, just waiting to be broken into.
Everything is recorded and they have a high degree of conviction rate.
More so, however, they create a fear that any car could be one of them.
A fear of being caught seems the ideal antidoate to the fear of crime itself.
North Yorkshire Police Authority has set targets for car crime to be reduced by almost a third by 2010.
Police are aiming to reduce the rate of car crime which currently stands at 4,235 incidents every year and improve the detection rate.
I will watch with great interest on how these capture cars work in the future.
And in the meantime, if the thief is watching this, can I have my stick on Garfield back please.