Help with catching some "regular" car criminals in our area.

[nickg123]

Afternoon all!

For the last year or so there have been numerous attempts throughout our housing estate of stealing items from cars. It seems they generally just walk around the whole road trying every door handle in the hope they occasionally get lucky and find one unlocked.

Last winter my direct neighbour had his Sat Nav and some change stolen out of his Ford Kuga (he swore it was locked although I think it was clearly left open). There have been numerous other cars that have had things like iPods, Laptops and sat nav's taken - anything left in them really and if they were daft enough to leave them unlocked there's not a lot the police can do. A Honda Civic Type-R around 6 houses along was also targeted despite the owner also saying it was locked. Another lad that lives around 10 houses down had his Mk4 Golf keyed all down one side around the same sort of time but never found out who did it or why.

Last night around 2:30am my Wife woke me up as there were 4 "yoofs" sprinting down the hill all wearing dark hoodies, shortly after this was my neighbour that owns the Civic chasing after them in just a pair of shorts waving the end of a curtain rail in his hand. I jumped out of bed and ran down to get in my car and go after him to try and help but when I got down the hill he had already stopped saying they'd got away. He jumped in and we drove around the local area trying to get at least a look at them to see if they are recognisable or had any obvious clothes, tat's or anything. He swears the car was definitely locked as he's been ultra careful since being robbed only a couple of months back so is there a chance they have one of these new devices that allows them to unlock certain cars?? Seems unlikely to me!

My wife was on the phone to the local Police while all this was going on as they are aware of the situation and have been trying to catch them for some time. The police were on-site by the time we got home so they asked us what we'd seen and agreed to go off after them.

The lad with the Golf 10 doors down fitted some basic CCTV after his car was keyed just in case it happened again so luckily that worked last night and there's footage of them trying all the doors on both his car, his sisters and a couple of others that you can see on camera. The police came back around 3:30 and took a copy of all the footage he had, and he also showed them obvious finger prints in the dirt on his car and his sisters but I don't think they bothered taking prints as it's probably not worth it these days.

We have all had a chat today and are trying to think how we can help catch these little scrotes, as obviously they're thick enough to keep coming back and are only probably 15-16 max.

Have any of you found any useful sensor systems or silent alarm type devices that could alert us to them turning up again? I know chasing after people is always seen as a bad thing to do but when your personal belongings or pride and joy are being targeted you just want to catch them. I was thinking of getting a paintball gun so I could at least mark them if I managed to get near enough?? Bad idea?? One that bloody hurts would be preferable!

Any other suggestions of how we can trap or at least catch them?

[lawrence567]

Dog st covered pins under the door handles?
Wait that would'nt work.

[lawrence567]

On a serious note however, what about you all getting some covert CCTV cameras?
I've no idea about silent alarms on your cars though?

[andymk3]

Even some basic security lights will help, I doubt they'll stick around a car once a 500w floodlight comes on.

[zac510]

What about a honeytrap like an old GPS with a radio signal/location transmitter inside it?

Of course the step you take after this will likely not be condoned by the police but you seem insistent on going ahead with something anyway.

Edited by zac510 on Friday 24th August 15:02

[Simbu]

[crispian22]

Had a similar thing on our estate a few years back,a load of cars and sheds were being done over on a regular basis for around a month,before then it was the sort of place where it was unheard of.
A group of blokes from my estate allegedly waited up 1 night in various cars parked on the estate at different places to try and catch the scum.apparently the thieves were spotted breaking into a motor and making off towards a local woods with there stash.the blokes in cars allegedly followed said scum on foot into the woods where apparently there were around 10 of these little thieving scrotes sat around a bonfire comparing they're nights hall.according to local legend,the blokes from the estate who may have been wearing balaclavas as it was a bitterly cold night and just happened to be carrying large walking sticks that may have been mistaken for baseball bats ,surrounded the fearless thieves and proceeded to knock 17 shades of st out of the lot of them,I heard that 2 of the scum had shattered kneecaps.

Know one seems to recall who the blokes from our estate were though?

All I know is,our estate has been pretty much crime free ever since......

[cptsideways]

I'd electrify a car parked on a driveway off the public paths, sit & wait. Or arm all the neighbours with paintball guns & indellible ink & see what happens


or simply buy one of these

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QcfZGDvHU8

Edited by cptsideways on Friday 24th August 15:01

[theshrew]

Since they got chased off they might not come back.

However they sound stupid as fook to keep robbing the same cars, street etc anyway so you never no.

Get cheap cctv and a big light or could you rig a sensor to your gate so a alarm goes off in your bedroom if someone opens it i doubt it would be that hard to make.

[redgriff500]

You want one of these:

(It's the first one I found on Ebay I'm sure I paid less for mine)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Radio-Alarm-for-Drive-Sh...

The only problem is foxes etc also set them off.

[BFG TERRANO]

It must be rich pickings, what about not leaving any valuables in the cars in the first place? After a few fruitless thefts they will move to a new patch?

[80quattro]

You could ask your neighbours in your street if they would be happy to pool some cash together, and get a private security firm to park up for a few hours a night to keep an eye on things.

Failing that, borrow a big bitey dog from someone.

[RedAlfa]

BFG TERRANO said:

It must be rich pickings, what about not leaving any valuables in the cars in the first place? After a few fruitless thefts they will move to a new patch?

Here is the answer . I can't believe people leave iPods, Satnavs etc in their cars ..... I only leave a few coppers and empty wrappers in my car

Edited by RedAlfa on Monday 27th August 09:43

[BFG TERRANO]

RedAlfa said:

Here is the answer . I can't believe people leave iPods, Satnavs etc in their cars ..... talk about making a rod for your own backs

I thought those days had long gone and people were wise to leaving pretty much anything in their cars? Without repeating my first post on this, there's a simple reason for their return visits is there not? The residents need to wake up!

[BFG TERRANO]

Just read the OP again. You leave lap tops in your cars??? LAP TOP?? Seriously? I live in a good, low crime area in Wiltshire. On my drive now are our 3 cars. Honestly all you would find is some cds made from I tunes and maybe some jump leads that's honestly it. People of your area are pushing all our insurance premiums up.

[redgriff500]

Whilst the last few posts are correct... it's a feckin sad state of affairs though isn't it.

And then only a short leap to start blaming rape on girls wearing short skirts.

Cut the thieves hands off and they won't do it again would be my preferred solution.

[BFG TERRANO]

redgriff500 said:

Whilst the last few posts are correct... it's a feckin sad state of affairs though isn't it.

And then only a short leap to start blaming rape on girls wearing short skirts.

Cut the thieves hands off and they won't do it again would be my preferred solution.

Agree completely. It is a sad society we now share. Nail it down or lose it is unfortunately to true. Yes cut their hands off or as my dear old grandfather said once, tattoo THIEF on their foreheads. Going back to the OP the answer seems obvious to me? No bait no fish right?

[PaulG40]

Unfortunately as we found out when our 206 was paint stripped and keyed, even though the youths were caught on CCTV both doing the deed and seen disposing of a tin of nitromor, as they were wearing hoodies they couldn't be identified for the police to take any kind of action. A sad state of affairs indeed!

[BFG TERRANO]

PaulG40 said:

Unfortunately as we found out when our 206 was paint stripped and keyed, even though the youths were caught on CCTV both doing the deed and seen disposing of a tin of nitromor, as they were wearing hoodies they couldn't be identified for the police to take any kind of action. A sad state of affairs indeed!

cctv is pretty much worthless. Deterrent that's about all. My place of work is full of cameras but as The police tell us the image quality needs to be a good quality full on facial shot or it won't stand up in court. As pointed out on another thread cameras indicate there's something worth nickin and security lights show them where it is.

[Strawman]

Honey trap car?

said:

A dim-witted thief was caught red handed when he broke into a police honey-trap car because he had his name and date of birth tattooed on his neck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYbw8fMQg4I