Is Palo Alto really the “safe and secure” residential community we think it is? Just this year, a series of robberies occurred, and one of them, I am still shocked to say, happened in my very own home.

In the city of Palo Alto, one rarely expects a major crime to occur. We live our daily lives nonchalantly, under the impression that no incident will ever compromise the security that is supposed to be a defining characteristic of our town. When someone in another city hears of a robbery, it probably does not have the same impact it has on the people living here. This new “trend” in Palo Alto is certainly one that has negatively affected many residents and has taken away the strong sense of protection we once felt within our Palo Alto homes.

The unexpected robbery that took place in my house happened on a typical Wednesday afternoon in March. Fortunately for me, my mom was coming home early that day, so I did not have to face the unfortunate event alone. Upon arriving home after school as I did every afternoon, everything appeared normal at first. However, soon after, it was clear that there was no longer any semblance of normalcy in the house. My mom and I saw that all the drawers in the first room we entered were open. Further down the hall, more disarray was apparent. Immediately, we knew what had happened and were clutched by a sense of shock and fear. The adrenaline rush that came with discovering that someone had broken into our home forced us to rush outside and call the police.

When the police arrived, they made sure no one was inside the house, and then led us through each room while they inspected the damage that had been done. Every room was turned upside down, and we soon realized that the robbers had taken a significant number of our belongings—our game system, laptop, iPod and camera, among other things.

The police deduced that the robbers gained entry into the house through the garage, but the robbers’ methods were not perfectly clear. They informed us that burglaries were becoming increasingly common in Palo Alto, but I was truly surprised to hear that. I had never heard of any robberies occurring before this event, and never would have thought that such an incident would repeatedly occur in a seemingly secure residential community such as Palo Alto. When the police left, I recounted to myself all that was stolen, and could not help but feel melancholy.

I no longer feel as safe under the same roof that I had once thought was a safeguard against everything threatening. Even though I knew that robberies happen all the time to many people, the fact that it had happened to me was something that I could not grasp immediately. I could hardly fathom the fact that strangers had traipsed through my home and had taken away my personal belongings—items that people had thoughtfully given to me, and that were highly valuable. How could someone be so inconsiderate? I simply could not get over my misfortune. More to my dismay, the robbers were never caught.

It’s been nine months since and, in retrospect, it sometimes feels like it wasn’t a huge deal. But I still think about it whenever I am home alone, and the memories still continue to make me feel unsafe. If there’s something I’ve learned from this event it’s that, as cliche as it may sound, anything can happen, even when one least expects it. I encourage everyone to forget the fact that Palo Alto is known to be a safe community, and to take precautions by being extra vigilant in securing their homes, because even if you think you’re safe, it doesn’t hurt to take extra measures to ensure that you truly are.