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#56674 09/28/05 04:20 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 615
J
Jps1006 Offline OP
Member
FYI:

My truck ('97 E350) was burlarized 9/22/05 outside of Home Depot at Butterfield (56) and 355 in Downers Grove at 5:00 PM. roughly $2000 worth of power and hand tools. Downers Grove police were helpful, but I will refrain from publicly compromising the investigation. Just beware, last time was 3-4 weeks before. Happening all over around here, and from reading archived posts, common all over. Just (to borrow from homeland security) to "be vigilant". And if you find my tools feel free to be vigilante as well.

My truck had no alarm and no suppimental locks. One thing I put off one day too many. These trucks are too easy to get into.

From what the cop told me, they stake the place out and as soon as you go in is when you get hit. I am considering when I go to these stores as a matter of routine, going in one door, and walking down to the next and back out to check the van (with cell phone in one hand and 4' 3/4 rigid in the other - 911 "I need an ambulance, maybe some police too")

heads up

#56675 09/28/05 05:37 PM
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 840
C
Member
Home Depot, Lowes, etc are notorious for this. I am very careful myself, and I try to not go there with a lot of stuff in my vehicle.

Many Home Depot's now have security cameras inside the store and out. The older stores are having them added. Were they any help in this case?


Peter
#56676 09/28/05 05:52 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,429
L
LK Offline
Member
The box stores are all higher in pricing, then our local supply houses, so the risk is just not worth going there, pipe some wire and cable, but everything else is on the high side, this year alone we saved well over 30% buying from our local houses.

#56677 09/28/05 07:05 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 615
J
Jps1006 Offline OP
Member
Agreed LK. I was trying to locate a Broan S80LU to match an existing elswhere in the house, and since it was discontinued my suppliers didn't have it. I rarely buy electric parts there unless it is an oddball. I will usually shop tools, but maybe not any more. The crime occured at 5:00 PM. I didn't notice until I got home, ate dinner, put the kids to bed, and went outside to install some new shelving in the truck at 8:00.

Well the first thing I did was call Home Depot to inform them that a crime had been commited at their store so they could save the tape. "Well how do you know it happened here??" "We don't even know it happen here." "I can't give you any information about our security system." "Our security people won't be here until 8:00AM"

Gee thanks for the help. Glad we're in this together. It's not like I'm going sue. But I sure have told everyone how UNHELPFUL you've been. But here's what gets me. The cop was out there last month reviewing tape. I asked "do you think you could get a plate?" "No, the camera isn't high enough resolution to get a plate number."

!!???!!?? what is the point of the camera? "Yes, we can confirm there was a crime. Can't tell you anything else, but there was a crime."

#56678 09/28/05 09:41 PM
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 821
S
Member
I read an article a year or two ago. It said that the thieves at Home Depot are a two man operation. One guy stands outside and robs your truck, while the guy inside follows you around on a cellphone and tells his buddy outside when you're about get back to your truck. This is just one of the organized ways that I know of. The thing that gets me is that if people are this smart to rob you, imagine if they applied themselves to being productive in the workforce how far they'd go.

Knock on wood, I have never been robbed at the Depot. But I did have over $700.00 worth of tools stolen out of my truck by a drug addict up the street from my house.

#56679 09/28/05 10:15 PM
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 814
B
Member
I avoid HD like the plaque, high prices, no service etc. Sometimes I am forced to run in for something because it's late or the supply house is 40 miles away from where I'm at. I got the Viper alarm and the Club. I also circle till I can park CLOSE. Been lucky so far.
One thing I do is sometimes at night I'll think of something I forgot for an early AM job. Then I go to HD in my Jeep and leave the truck at home.
Good tip about the cellphone, I'll be on the watch for that. Here in Arizona we are among the highest in auto theft.

#56680 09/29/05 04:21 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 717
M
Member
I took out the forward left side shelf unit supplied with my chevy 3500 van. I then bolted in the big greenlee box I got with my Super Tugger kit, using carriage bolts with the bolt head side below decks and the nuts in the bottom of the box. They will need to steal the whole van, and then go steal a cutting torch to get to my goodies, but I would not put any of that past them either.

#56681 09/29/05 07:26 AM
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,803
Member
Electric Fence Machine rigged up to the alarm via a relay?
Anyone remember the South African news item about cars fitted with propane Flame Throwers at ankle height to deter car-jackers? Prise open door- WHHOOOOMMMPHHH!!!
As to the cameras, they only fit the sort of resolution quality that will read a number plate when they want to tax you for speeding.

Alan


Wood work but can't!
#56682 09/29/05 08:15 AM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 706
T
Member
Sorry to hear about the theft Jps1006. I'm not too far from you. Were they marked?...in case someone tries to sell me some used tools.

By the way everyone....Never buy used tools, this is where they come from.

Dave

#56683 09/29/05 10:19 AM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 368
M
Member
I don't think that it matters if you have tools or not to get your vehicle broken into at a big box store.

I was at the Home Depot by my place about a year ago to pick up some screws, and came out to find out that somebody attempted to steal my personal vehicle.

It was partially my fault as I figured that I would be in and out and did not put my club on the steering wheel.

I don't know if they gave up or somebody scared them off but they did close the drivers door before they left. This HD did not have camers on the lot.

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