Supposedly, A True Story.

[Muck DeFuslims]

George Phillips, an elderly man, from Meridian , Mississippi , was
going up to bed, when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in
the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. George
opened the back door to go turn off the light, but saw that there were
people in the shed stealing things.
 
He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?"
 
He said "No," but some people are breaking into my garden shed and
stealing from me.
 
Then the police dispatcher said "All patrols are busy. You should lock
your doors and an officer will be along when one is available."

George said, "Okay."
 
He hung up the phone and counted to 30.
 
Then he phoned the police again.
 
"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people
stealing things from my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them
now because I just shot them." and he hung up.
 
Within five minutes, six Police Cars, a SWAT Team, a Helicopter, two
Fire Trucks, a Paramedic, and an Ambulance showed up at the Phillip s'
residence, and caught the burglars red-handed.
 
One of the Policemen said to George, "I thought you said that you'd
shot them!"
 
George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"

[cjd]

True or not the story could be used to describe the advice people get from 911 in some parts of the country. The problem is the sickness is spreading. There are no officers available to catch people stealing however they do have them available to haul of the homeowner fending off this sort of situation when they call the police and get little or no help. Theft of property has become a very low priority crime. The police don't even want to make a proper arrest in most cases. I don't know if stealing from a garden shed requires home owners reacting with a gun however today it's the garden shed and tomorrow it might be a home invasion.