MiL's tyres have been slashed again - anything we can do?
Discussion
The MiL has had 9 tyres slashed in under 6 months - she had a disagreement with someone fitting a bathroom for her, and since then....
Police say they can't do anything due to lack of evidence, but she really can't afford for this to continue.
She lives in sheltered accommodation, and parks in a shared car park, with no CCTV, and the housing association don't want to install a camera (even with her paying for it) due to the 'image'.
Is there anything we can do?
The blokes a nutter, and so loathe to go down the 'sending the boys round' route, as it's a small village, and it'll end up dragging me and mine into it as well, and with two young kids, that's not good.
Suggestions?
Police say they can't do anything due to lack of evidence, but she really can't afford for this to continue.
She lives in sheltered accommodation, and parks in a shared car park, with no CCTV, and the housing association don't want to install a camera (even with her paying for it) due to the 'image'.
Is there anything we can do?
The blokes a nutter, and so loathe to go down the 'sending the boys round' route, as it's a small village, and it'll end up dragging me and mine into it as well, and with two young kids, that's not good.
Suggestions?
Sounds awful mate. I'd be putting more pressure on the Police to do more. I'm guessing she's no spring chicken and 9 tyres is very much beyond a joke.
I agree you don't want to be 'sending the boys round' as, if that isn't your normal approach, the consequences don't really bear thinking about.
Police need a flee in their ear after 9 tyres.
I agree you don't want to be 'sending the boys round' as, if that isn't your normal approach, the consequences don't really bear thinking about.
Police need a flee in their ear after 9 tyres.
Cameras, its the only way. You can buy little spy cameras from ebay for not a lot. They only record for an hour or so at a time but they cost about £8 and take SD cards which are cheap. You just need to set them up at the right time...
There must be some similar things out there that record for a longer time...
There must be some similar things out there that record for a longer time...
I would be tempted to invest a couple of hundred quid in a PIR-activated trail camera a bit like this one. They can be found cheaper, I chose the ad because it includes some nice demo videos. One point to note is there's no flash - the camera uses an intra red illuminator.
Thinking about it, if you're handy it probably wouldn't be too difficult to knock one together out of a cheapo compact. You would need to dismantle it a fair bit to wire the PIR into the shutter connections and you would probably need to remove the IR filter from over the sensor, but apart from that I can't see it being too difficult. Could be a fun little project for photographing garden wildlife and so on - hmmmm.
Thinking about it, if you're handy it probably wouldn't be too difficult to knock one together out of a cheapo compact. You would need to dismantle it a fair bit to wire the PIR into the shutter connections and you would probably need to remove the IR filter from over the sensor, but apart from that I can't see it being too difficult. Could be a fun little project for photographing garden wildlife and so on - hmmmm.
MarJay said:
Cameras, its the only way. You can buy little spy cameras from ebay for not a lot. They only record for an hour or so at a time but they cost about £8 and take SD cards which are cheap. You just need to set them up at the right time...
There must be some similar things out there that record for a longer time...
.....that's got to be the way to go.....get the b'stard bang to rights.There must be some similar things out there that record for a longer time...
I had a spate of my car being vandalised and reported it to the police each time. Like you, there wasn't enough evidence - even when I caught him in the act. You have to wait until after they've done the damage. 
Plod were good actually and did all they could. They went round and had a word with him which I thought would stop it, but not long after I saw him driving slowly round my company car park.
I'm not a big guy and I'm far from intimidating, but I went to his house anyway. He'd brought a mate with him, but this poor guy had no knowledge of the situation so stayed well out of it.
Now I don't believe there are many sober people who will start swinging for no reason so I had no intention of giving him an excuse.
I began by giving him an opportunity to explain (even though I knew for certain he'd done it). He had a list of excuses lined up but since he didn't know I had the CCTV from work, I knew it was lies. When he'd finished I explained why I knew he'd done it, and that he owed me £X for the damage. I didn't shout or get angry, I just stated the situation as I saw it. I didn't threaten him or anything, and I even complimented him on his car as I left (although that was purely for psychology: I knew his car
).
My car wasn't touched again but I moved not long after so I can't say whether my visit had any impression. I think the main reason people do things like this is simply because there's no consequence; it's a faceless act and they'll get away with it. I hope that by providing a consequence - even if it was just going round to say "I know you did it" - had some impact.
Disclaimer: If you go round and get a punch in the face; not my fault
Plod were good actually and did all they could. They went round and had a word with him which I thought would stop it, but not long after I saw him driving slowly round my company car park.
I'm not a big guy and I'm far from intimidating, but I went to his house anyway. He'd brought a mate with him, but this poor guy had no knowledge of the situation so stayed well out of it.
Now I don't believe there are many sober people who will start swinging for no reason so I had no intention of giving him an excuse.
I began by giving him an opportunity to explain (even though I knew for certain he'd done it). He had a list of excuses lined up but since he didn't know I had the CCTV from work, I knew it was lies. When he'd finished I explained why I knew he'd done it, and that he owed me £X for the damage. I didn't shout or get angry, I just stated the situation as I saw it. I didn't threaten him or anything, and I even complimented him on his car as I left (although that was purely for psychology: I knew his car
).My car wasn't touched again but I moved not long after so I can't say whether my visit had any impression. I think the main reason people do things like this is simply because there's no consequence; it's a faceless act and they'll get away with it. I hope that by providing a consequence - even if it was just going round to say "I know you did it" - had some impact.
Disclaimer: If you go round and get a punch in the face; not my fault
hornetrider said:
2 Wycked said:
That's quite a grudge he's got there; did he fit the bathroom to a high standard and then she didn't pay him or something?
Are you serious?! 
t state that the lever taps couldn't both be turned on cause he'd fitted them to the wrong pipes, the tiling needed to be replaced by someone who actually knew what they were doing, the sink was uneven, etc. So, she finally decided she'd stop giving in to his demands for more cash, and told him to sling his hook.
This is after knowing him for 30 odd years, and considering him a friend....
Cameras are a good idea, but not sure how practical it would be - the carpark is small, but there is no line of sight from any of the bungalows' windows - it has a wall divider.
So anything would be fairly obvious, as there is a street light illuminating it.
Will investigate further, and pop round to see a fairly senior local copper I know to get advice/support.
ETA - the calm, measured contact with him is out - I've since found out he's already spent time inside for aggravated burglary or similar - beat the st out of an elderly lady he was robbing - he's not the rational sort of chap you can reason with....
So anything would be fairly obvious, as there is a street light illuminating it.
Will investigate further, and pop round to see a fairly senior local copper I know to get advice/support.
ETA - the calm, measured contact with him is out - I've since found out he's already spent time inside for aggravated burglary or similar - beat the s
t out of an elderly lady he was robbing - he's not the rational sort of chap you can reason with....Edited by Sway on Saturday 16th October 12:12
Sway said:
ETA - the calm, measured contact with him is out - I've since found out he's already spent time inside for aggravated burglary or similar - beat the st out of an elderly lady he was robbing - he's not the rational sort of chap you can reason with....
Hmm... fair enough then t out of an elderly lady he was robbing - he's not the rational sort of chap you can reason with....Extending the idea of putting up a sign, you could buy a webcam (for peanuts) and set it up somewhere relatively obvious. It doesn't have to be wired up to anything necessarily.
Sway said:
She lives in sheltered accommodation, and parks in a shared car park, with no CCTV, and the housing association don't want to install a camera (even with her paying for it) due to the 'image'.
Is there anything we can do?
Suggestions?
Go back to the housing assoc. and tell them that THEY have created an image of "not giving a fIs there anything we can do?
Suggestions?
k for their residents security or well being" and they should be ashamed of thier "jobsworth" attitude and and if they still maintain they are right tell them you (or MIL) will be writing to the local and national papers so that everyone can see their non-caring image.Makes my blood boil when you get this attitude from the very people who are paid to help.
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