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I live out in the country on a dead-end gravel road; you can't see another house from mine. Have felt safe here for many years.
A couple of weeks ago while we were at work, someone broke the door to our attached garage and stole a $2K worth of my husband's tools.
I am sorry to report we did not immediately go out and spend money to fortify the security, but simply repaired the door.
Yesterday, we worked at home and only left the house for a short errand. During that 30 minutes, the thief broke the door again and took my husband's welder. It is apparent that the thief can see us come and go out our road. Our closest neighbor's adult son has been caught stealing multiple times lately and it is common knowlege he is on crack.
I am so sad and so mad at the same time. Not only did we lose the tools and welder, but also the money it will take to beef up security. And, of course, I will constantly worry now.
My husband just left to get building materials and cameras. I hid my car. If the thief shows up, I'll let you know.
I've had the same, someone I thought was a friend asked to "borrow" some lawn equipment and he lived in an apartment. It turned up missing two days later. Actually he was a friend . . . drugs do awful things to a person's thinking.
I live in a small town in Southwest Oregon, and meth is the demon here. It's really sad to live in such a beautiful place and have so much evil around you. But druggies only want to turn the stuff into cash, and most dealers won't accept it as a trade because they almost always know it's hot. So hit the pawn shops.
This guy is such a known thief that none of the local pawn shops will do business with him.
I don't know what town he takes stuff to now.
I had a friend who was restoring an old camaro. He is obsessed with that thing. He was so anal about it that one day he noticed finger prints on the driver's side window (Figured someone was scoping it). He hooked a car battery to the body of the car. Sure enough, that same night he heard a bang and came outside to see a guy running down the street with a bit of a limp.
There's no justice like street justice.
Now you know what all those TWEEKERS S@CK bumper stickers are about. What is the difference between a tweeker and a regular thief? A thief will steal your stuff, a tweeker will steal your stuff then help you look for it!
I had a girlfriend once who got into that stuff- it turns people into monsters. One night she broke into my house four times; after I ran her off and waited for the cops to come and go, I screwed the doors and windows shut from the INSIDE, then woke up the next morning to find her inside again!
So yeah, get those surveillance cameras installed discreetly, have some conspicuous decoy cameras with wires running to a junk VCR which you also leave running, then try to go about your business. Best luck, I can unfortunately empathise.
-Automan
I live out in the country on a dead-end gravel road; you can't see another house from mine.
Under those circumstances, no one should be there uninvited. Security cameras aren't terribly expensive these days. You could run one from inside a window somplace. It won't get your stuff back and it won't stop the next theft from happening, but it may conclusively identify the thief next time.
I don't know what town he takes stuff to now.
Small town. The local law probably has some pretty good ideas, if not the time/resources/interest to handle personally. Are they trying to be helpful?
An acquantaince was just telling me about a conflict he had with his wife who wants to let her adult son (his step son) with drug issues move in with them. She wants to let him move in because he's her son, he's said no because of the stealing issues. Its created a lot of conflict between them but it sounds like the step father is making the right call.
The local cop came right out and said it was likely our neighbor. He said he had personally put the guy away once for a whole year, but the crackhead never learns.
We replaced the garage door with a wall but we're still camera shopping. We want to be able to monitor our property from work and also record video and have motion detection. While we're at it, we'll also set up to monitor the business from home in evenings and week-ends.
What a drag. I hate being forced to spend money like this.
I just hate thieves.
On a positive note, It suddenly became time for me to learn to shoot a gun, something I have been meaning to do.
If he drives onto my property while I am home alone, I will surely at least be able to shoot his tires out!
My brother had two masked intruders once in the hall of his home, only his girlfriend there at the time.
Lucky for her he has two Staffordshire bull terrorists as pets both are freakin huge and both went in to their natural attack stance.
Needless to say they both bugged out PDQ.
He now has a good alarm system and cameras that active through out when your not at home.
On the breed, I often play fight with both of the dogs, im a little over 6 foot tall and weigh 19 stone, I have NEVER won a 'fight' with them. Quite often I have to have them called off.
A great breed.
If he drives onto my property while I am home alone, I will surely at least be able to shoot his tires out!
I'd make sure I had a very visible no trespassing sign(s) before doing so... could come back to haunt you if you don't. ( now if he's in your garage or dwelling, that's a different story ).
Maybe I would chicken out and not do it at all, but this is a rural county in a southern state. It might be illegal, but protecting your property with the family rifle is largely considered admirable anyway. Especially when there have been the rash of thefts that we've had around here lately. Even the Town Hall was burgled. Keep in mind, the police say they feel confident they know it was him. Apparently he has to be caught in the act.
I'd like to think I could shoot his tire out, slow him down enough to give the police time to arrive, and take my lickings in court over the shooting.
I wouldn't lie either. No "gun went off accidentally". I'd look that judge right in the eye and tell him that I am the lady responsible for busting ______. Do with me what you think is fair.
I would not ever shoot a person unless I had to in order to protect a life.
I don't want to get more dogs. I have a lab and he likes being the only child. He probably licked and loved the thief, though.
He hooked a car battery to the body of the car
OMG. Maybe you forgot that many cars have a tank... filled with gasoline? Electrifying your car is just about the stupidest potential-Darwin-award-earning thing I've heard in a while. That story is cute, but sounds implausibly like a bad urban myth.
-
Staffordshire bull terrorists
*ROFL*
Surely you meant 'terriers'...or do you mean that there's an even bigger, tougher breed than this one [images.google.com]?
-b
It's sometimes the threat which is local and you know about which makes you feel much more insecure than the random threat from a 'someone' in the nearby town. I hope that you and your family will be able to feel safe in your home, there is nothing like fear to make you hate where you live.
I'm kind of blown-away that the police are telling you that they think it's your neighbour before any charges have been brought. Surely they don't want to risk compromising the trial?
He got 4 months in jail for the probation violation and bound over to grand jury for the vehicle theft.
My little community will feel a bit more secure for 4 months, possibly much longer. Three people have called and invited me to celebrations.
---Interestingly, I saw him walking down the road towards town the night before he was arrested (for vehicle theft).
WBF
[edited by: Essex_boy at 7:38 pm (utc) on July 12, 2006]
I gave it to him in quarters only, figuring it was a humbling thing to have to face your crack dealer with change.
I know, it defies conventional wisdom, but it worked, I never got ripped off and was able to impart some decent counsel, he is in recovery (again).
I hate drugs.
I know this post will get a backlash, but do you need to buy trouble?
I am glad they banned them here, speaking as a father.
I was cornered in an apartment building once by a pitbull, it was the most scared I have ever been. The stupid thing would not let me leave for 5 minutes and growled and showed me his teeth the whole time. His drunken owner passed out with his door open.
Besides, if somebody wants your stuff bad enough, a dog is not going to stop them.
