ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Just can't have nice things!

I kind of had the feeling this would trigger a few responses!

E57: The camera idea is a good thing and I will be looking into them but as far as lighting, my truck was parked on the street , in front of my house and directly under a 100W HPS street light. As a matter of fact all 3 vehicles were in well lit areas and all were parked on the street.. It did appear they were looking in a few parked in driveways but close to the road. The girl across the street even had an alarm on her car but no one really paid any attention to it I guess, even neighbours a block over heard it going off at 5 AM. Pretty brave individuals as a lot of people are up for work at that time especially a few of the neighbours that live on this street. If I do get an alarm it will have to have a pager of some sort and sound unique.
As for a deterrent, perhaps there is some way to connect an ignition coil of some sort under the door handle of my truck, just to give any would be thief a belt across his fingers???

A.D

I'm not about to "blame the victim." I agree whole-heartedly with Miss Congeniality: We need stronger penalties for parole violators!

Yet ... let's look at this from a different perspective.

The "Church" has a doctrine that says we all are subject to temptation. So, now I ask: What make YOU want to steal?

For myself, I find I have a real attraction to "shiny things." I can go into a store, having just parked a truck full of screwdrivers .. but as soon as I see the nice shiny new packaged screwdrivers offered for sale, I want one! (No, I don't steal ... but the desire to 'get one' is there).

I suspect that merchants know this, and that is the real reason so much attention is paid to packaging and display.

Now, let's apply that to our problem. I have had great success in using stuff that is dull, ugly, marked, and of obscure brand.
I seem to hold onto stuff longer when it is either displayed so well that an empty slot really stands out, or when it's not displayed at all. That fancy plastic red box that says "Milwaukee" seems to 'walk away' a lot quicker than the old army ammo can that REALLY has the tool in it.

I have even used the opposite tack: painting aluminum pipe wrenches "cast iron orange" .... and I couldn't GIVE them away!

Then there is the matter of effort. If crooks wanted to work, they'd have jobs. Hefty locks, screened windows, etc., all say "work required." The casual, impulsive, idle hands will move on.

A lot is to be said for both the neighbors and the police. My area has LOTS of transients ... but neighbors look out for each other, so the transients behave. The police, on the other hand, seem to "reduce" crime by keeping you from reporting it.

It has been said that 'poverty breeds crime.' I believe that this saying has it exactly backwards. I hold that crime breeds poverty.
Why strive for nice things if they'll only be taken away?

Prevention - Deterrence - Alarm - Response - Action. This is our 'ladder' of activity. I think we can agree that it's best to stop things as early as possible on this ladder.

My area isn't as bad as some say. I have to go now ... I have a second job ... as tail-gunner on a bread truck

"Over here, all you'd have to do is tell the police "No hurry, I've just knocked the thief unconscious." They'd be there in 2 minutes flat to arrest you for assaulting the intruder. Tell 'em you have a gun on him and it'll be 30 seconds."

Sort of funny, just to bad it is the way things are done.

1)When there is a hold up in progress, it is important to remember the longest route to the scene.

2) Pay attention and listen to your radio, for the dispatcher telling you the owner just notified us the bandits left the scene.

3) Turn on lights and siren, Comb your hair, brush any lint off your uniform, and find the quickest route, pull in to the location with siren screeming, jump out and act concerned.

Another job well done!

The good news is not all police departments work this way, but the good departments need your help, in keeping crime down, as said in some of the posts, take all the preventive measures you can, don't be afraid to notify the police if you suspect a problem, most departments are run well, but like any other working group, they have their share of low production people.

Reminds me of a story.

A guy calls the police when he sees somebody breaking into his service truck.
The police say "There's nobody available to help you."
He hangs up the phone and calls them right back and says "Never mind, I just shot and killed him." and hangs up again.
The police get there, catch the guy red handed, but ask "I thought you said that you shot and killed him?"
To which he responds "I thought you said nobody was available to help."

I hope I wasn't mis-understood to be advocating violence - although it has come down to that for me here on those occasions, it is not my first choice. But presented with thief in site and reach, I tend to speak a language that is easily understood that the task at hand is going to be difficult for them. Unfortunately it is something that comes to me instinctualy from having grown up in and around the crime riddled housing projects of the Boston area.

My first choice is to sleep through the night undisturbed by car alarms, particularly my own... (although I go out for all that I hear.) Which is why I do advocate lights, alarms and cameras, that have helped my own situation. I also subscribe to the "Broken Glass Therory", that your neighborhood should not appear appathetic to crime. If you allow this type of crime to take hold at the sidewalk, (where my van is parked) the next step is inside your home, which has also happened here to me, with only my cat as a witness. (I unfortunatly suspect a painting contractor for that one... So little was disturbed that the thief either spent 8 hours in my house carefully looking around, or 8 hours on the clock looking for things prior.)

I live in a town with no police dept. The county sheriffs office is supposed to be our police. In the 16 years I've lived here you could count on one hand how many times I've seen the sheriff or the State police cruising our roads. The sheriffs dept is closed from 1 am to 7 am every day. On the other hand, I never lock my door, my truck is wide open as is my shop. Money may be hard to come by but I love Maine.

I am thinking of installing my own alarm system on the doors of my van with a very annoying sound . This way the only time the alarm will sound is when someone is trying to break in.
Off the shelf alarms are so sensitive that when the garbage truck drives by the alarm goes off, and thinking oh it is the trash truck and one doesn't go outside and check.

Edward

Niko just use a regular alarm ~$40 or < just don't use the glass break sensor - although they do work wonders when the glass breaks... And often thieves will just break the window and climb or reach in.

It's about 4:10 A.M. now and the cops just left. Hearse left about 3:30 A.M. At about 2:40 A.M. I was awakened by gunfire, engine noise, and yelling. Called 911, got my .357, and went next door. Neighbor had caught 3 dudes breaking into his garage/workshop. He confronted them and they tried to run him down with their car. He shotgunned them at that time and one deceased and one injured. Third took off running and I nailed him as he rounded the house and we came face to face. Didn't have to shoot him as he laid down quickly. Seems as if they have been burglarizing to steal tools and copper. All have warrants and long records. Car was loaded with tools marked with name of local EC. Looked out window and TV truck has just pulled in. There have been clips about copper theft in the past week or two on TV. Good riddance of at least one ******* and jail for two.
Rowdy

Not a TV truck but the crime investigators/detectives. Came to door and want a statement later.
Rowdy