ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Ripped off...in my own driveway!

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Waukegan has good and bad areas. Gurnee's mostly OK comparatively speaking. North Chicago (west of Green Bay Road - IL 131) is mostly OK.

I live on the "exclusive" east side of North Chicago - the "hood", as it is so quaintly referred to... home of gang tags, liquor stores, and "thumpa thumpa" as a vehicular musical art form.

I used to think that our neighborhood was pretty secure. Minimal police reports for the area, and we (F.D.) don;t get called here for BS like we do in the "trouble" areas.

I think I'm being targeted by a certain individual. Here's why.

About a month ago, a guy claiming to be from the neighborhood offered to rake up the leaves by the house. He did a good job, so I gave him a few ($5) bucks. The wife gave him a fairly sizeable chunk ($40) in advance to clean up all the debris in the back yard (way too much IMHO for the area).

Well... the wife had a bed habit of leaving her purse in her car (We used to say it didn't matter - no credit between us, and not much more cash , but I'd always be on her case about "targets of opportunity"), and I'm sure this guy spotted it.

One evening, the "cleanup guy" stops by and voluteers to carry a bag of groceries into the house. I didn't like this _at_all_, and hurried him out, but apparently, not soon enough.

Well, while I was at work one night, she came back late, with a bad back. Locked the car, but doesn't remember if she locked the house while getting our daughter inside. I came home to find the driver and driver's rear doors ajar on her car. Thinking she didn't close them all the way, (our daughter's car seat is behind the driver) I start to close them and realize the inside of the car's been tossed. The thief went through the glovebox and center console, and stole my wife's purse, our tollway change, my (empty) PDA case... that kind of petty BS.

I call the cops, and give them a preliminary inventory.

I get a call from my wife later - she discovered that the thief had apparantly gotten into the house, and had taken 2 bags of frozen breaded chicken tenderloins, 2 packs of flank steak, and a cookie sheet.

Nag my wife about how the security system only works if it's turned on. She replies that she has a way to deal with that...

We get a dog.

A few days later (once again, while I'm at work) someone pops her car again; this time bending the window track on the passenger side (away from the house) to gain access (I assume pushing the door lock button with something). They didn't get anything (since there was nothing to get) but nobody ever said street crooks grew up bright.

When my truck got hit last night, it was parked "nose in" to my driveway, well illuminated by a city streetlight that lights up the front of my house. And, of course, I was home. Even the cop said that was bold for an ordinary "grab and go" thief.

New development - stopped home with the wife tonight, and the front door deadbolt was unlocked. Think they're " 'loiding" the side door lock. I'm installing a deadbolt on that door when I get off duty tomorrow morning (6 years too late - kick self in head), and I'm pricing IR cams for mounting on the driveway side of the house, as well as motion sensors to alert us indoors.

I know we're not rich, but maybe, being the only "eligible" (young & white) family on the block, and having two vehicles, we look a lot better off than the idiot who keeps stealing my stuff. I don't mean to sound racist, as I know all too well that s**t comes in all colors and wrappings, but the east side is predominantly black, as is the "cleanup guy" who conveniently stopped showing up after the car got hit the first time.

I'd be happy to pay the guy to do chores around the yard - but my charity stops well below the $1500 mark, as well as the loss of a sense of security.

Thanks for the feedback, and the vent space, guys (and gals).

Doug

[This message has been edited by DougW (edited 04-10-2004).]

Doug,

I hate what you're going through. I got hit in Chicago around Central & Laramie a couple years ago. It too was a bold move on their part. I remember my whole outlook was off kilter for awhile. I was suspicous of everyone, and very angry. I would lay in bed at night knowing there were people like that out there and just be uneasy about it, wondering who else was being victimized by plotters of evil.

And I live a good 20 miles from where I was wronged. I can't imagine if it was at my own house. Now I'm thinking about getting an alarm or some puck locks.

I hope things turn around for you.

Sorry to hear about your stuff.

We had two guys tool boxes get broken into in the plant the other day. (Probably someone else in our dept) Now managemanet says that they cant do anything about it. So what good is the 2.5 million dollar security system.

We all want to be safe, but the sad fact is that locks only stop honest people from stealing. The lazy, low lifes will always steal instead of working for what they want.

I lost the whole truck out of my driveway about 2.5 yrs. ago. Filed $25,000 in lost tools on the company insurance.
I live in a yuppy revival neighborhood. None of the people living here would steal a tool or know what to do with it. But low lifes drive thru and take advantage of oppurtunity.
Took the truck once; tried again 6 months later; broke into the garage and walked off with $2500 worth of tools.
I finally knocked the garage down and rebuilt a bigger one with a 9ft rollup door and a good alarm.
Park it inside and sleep better than I have in years.

It's enough to make you scream.

How about a shotgun filled w/buckshot!

Oh, the wife had a 12ga pump on her side of the bed - the 9mm is on my side (.45's on loan to a bud from another PD). If scummo comes in the house and I'm home? Well, let's just say that I can get Luminol at a good price... and I know several "disaster restoration" pros.

Looked at a PIR vehicle/people sensor today - it signals a control box inside the house, and can activate a horn, lamp... whatever you rig on the other side of a latching relay.

Thought about just a sensor light, but I'd rather not just scare him off - I'd like the cops to grab this schmuck... maybe get my stuff back (or at least point me where to go)

Mc Welco's truck boxes are virtually bullet-proof! Last I heard, they had a guarantee to replace the contents of the box if it was broken into. Sorry to hear about your tools... People that steal your livelyhood like that should be burned at the stake!
http://www.mcwelco.com/truckboxes.htm

If you're interested

-Randy

Sorry to hear about your problems Doug.

Maybe I'm fortunate in that I've never had a break-in or anything stolen in all the places I've lived. I guess that's one of the big benefits of living out in the sticks.

DougW wrote:


I always thought the South Side was the nasty "no go" part of Chicago....

The "hockey puck" locks that JCooper mentioned are the heavy duty ones that I was thinking of when I wrote my first post.

They're widely used on NYC store gates because you can't snap them off easily with a pair of bolt cutters. And I doubt any petty crook is gonna take the time to fiddle with lock-picks.

Weld grates on your van windows, especially the back door windows.... The ones I'm thinking of consist of a square made of steel "angles" with heavy security "mesh" welded (kind of like a window screen on steroids). It's the stuff they use for making storage cages.

I know it looks ugly and all that extra stuff you tack on will diminish resale value of your truck greatly.

But it's worth it to keep out the "smash and grab" types. And your work tools are worth more than the cosmetic beauty of the truck they're in.

Actually, if the truck was sold to another tradesman, I imagine they'd be quite pleased to have the protection already in place.

Doug,

Somewhere else on this site someone mentioned that the use of a Lo-Jack recovered his stolen vehicle with most of his tools. That might be a very good investment, at least something to look into.

I feel for you though, I've had hand tools stolen before while on the job. Not thousands of dollars worth, but I was angry all the same.

-John

[This message has been edited by BigJohn (edited 04-12-2004).]