Theft on the rise...

[ultrarunner]

A disabled friend could no longer open his driveway gate so he had solar powered gate opener installed... it wasn't cheap since he opted for a commercial unit...

Last Sunday I was admiring the job and he said it has been a lifesaver...

Yesterday morning he left the house to take his wife in for treatment... they both are up in years and getting frail... he found thieves had stolen the operator and solar panels and damage the gate enough so that he couldn't open it...

It's getting to the point where nothing is safe...

The only way to make a police report is online... no officers are available for private property theft...

There has been a rash lately... two weeks ago, also semi-rural area here, the widow of my good friend was in her home and heard a loud crash and the house shook... she got out of bed and found two men in her home... they had kicked in the kitchen door... thankfully she had the piece of mind to yell to her husband to come out shooting... the thieves turned and ran not knowing there was no husband...

Looking at stats... it seems the only way to minimize being a victim is by having a couple of dogs with perimeter fencing...

 

[ultrarunner]

I know the economy gets the blame... but not all poor are criminals and not all well to do are saints...

There has been a lot of theft lately... so much so the police no longer respond to take reports...

Another friend was coming home from work last month... she noticed someone on her front porch and thought it was a door to door salesman... As she drove up, the guy looked at her and bolted... he had broken a window and had reached inside attempting to open the door... her wheel chair bound 82 year old mother was home alone from 2 to 5 every afternoon.

The police did respond because it was reported in progress... the guy had cut his hand and there was blood... I thought for sure they could do a CSI and catch him til the officer told me that is only on TV...

 

[creekbend]

I was in law enforcement for 5 years. Heed my advice. If you have dogs in a contained fence around the perimeter of your house, train them to only take food or water from you or family members. Very important. The criminals will watch your dwelling, and when you leave, they will throw poisoned meat to the dogs and then take what they want before you get back. My dogs won't even take food or treats from my wife, but they will sleep at the bottom of our bed resting next to her at times. Happy Tractoring.

 

[Fixemall]

We have experienced increased thefts around here as well, I think the issue is people being out of work and a sense of entitlement. Personally I have gates, geese and guns, we also try to arrange things so someone is always home.

 

[creekbend]

We have experienced increased thefts around here as well, I think the issue is people being out of work and a sense of entitlement. Personally I have gates, geese and guns, we also try to arrange things so someone is always home.

Geese are a very good idea. Illicit drug dealers and meth manufacturers will sometimes used the geese as an early warning system. A proven and reliable alert system for people living in the country. Happy Tractoring.

 

[Fixemall]

Geese are a very good idea. Illicit drug dealers and meth manufacturers will sometimes used the geese as an early warning system. A proven and reliable alert system for people living in the country. Happy Tractoring.

I have a mix of Chineese and Embdien geese, they are very territorial and like to sit under a truck or machine and attack anything that moves, including rabbits, deer, moles, cars and people. I have a lot of expensive machinery sitting around at any given time waiting to be repaired or delivered and cannot afford to have things taken or tampered with.

 

[Mousefield]

This past Wednesday we had an ATV chew up our private road. The same day someone stole our government street sign. That's bad as one of our neighbors has had some medical issues and what if emergency personnel couldn't find the road. No point in going to the police with this "minor" complaint, fact is they just don't want to hear about it. They keep telling us crime is down :confused2: :ashamed: but so much crime is just not reported any more. All you can do really is try to be as pro active as money and time permits.

 

[IslandTractor]

This past Wednesday we had an ATV chew up our private road. The same day someone stole our government street sign. That's bad as one of our neighbors has had some medical issues and what if emergency personnel couldn't find the road. No point in going to the police with this "minor" complaint, fact is they just don't want to hear about it. They keep telling us crime is down :confused2: :ashamed: but so much crime is just not reported any more. All you can do really is try to be as pro active as money and time permits.

Street sign disappearance is rarely the result of professional thievery. More typical is a pack of drunk teenage boys trying to impress each other.. Acute testosterone poisoning compounded by more beer than they can handle is the main problem.

 

[Clint S]

It's getting so bad around here that people are stealing scrap metal and old batteries because they are easy pickings. We had 8 or 10 old batteries(at least 20 years old) and some scrap stolen from one of the fence rows in a lot.

 

[brin]

It's getting so bad around here that people are stealing scrap metal and old batteries because they are easy pickings. We had 8 or 10 old batteries(at least 20 years old) and some scrap stolen from one of the fence rows in a lot.

What really make me mad is around here they are stealing the Brass Vases from local cemeteries...It cost us $400 to replace the ones on My wife's and My parents graves...How low can people get.

What is also really worrisome are these Flash Mobs ...where a whole gang is organized on the social media and they hit a store and steal all they can in 2 minutes or so and terrorize everyone in the process. If that catches on & the cops can't seem to stop it...how will retailers stay in business..?

 

[looknlearn]

We were robbed earlier this summer. Took over a thousand dollars in tools. Our house was obviously being watched because almost never does everyone leave. One sunday afternoon everyone left and they busted in and started collecting stuff out of the garage/shop. The dogs were in the house. Thankfully I went though all the trouble of practically welding my Lincoln 180C to the wall. They mashed the padlock, pealed some of the 1/8 inch steel back, tried bending and cutting it off and it still held .:thumbsup: Thankfully the sharp hacksaw was not out and the bolt cutters were behind a door. They had a bunch of stuff set up and ready at the street door and the door was unlocked. Thankfully the rest of my family got back before they took that load. The cops didn't care, basically said it was our fault cause we live in the city. I used to see the cops as the good guys but that respect is diminishing greatly.(no offence to you guys that are or have been cops) My brother says we are now modeling the garage after Fort Knox. Hopefully the locks will hold the next time.

 

[ultrarunner]

What really make me mad is around here they are stealing the Brass Vases from local cemeteries...It cost us $400 to replace the ones on My wife's and My parents graves...How low can people get.

Same here... the Julia Morgan design final resting place has lot of brass and copper accents, urns and vases...

The staff couldn't keep up replacing the copper bud vases designed to last an eternity... very sad indeed.

 

[Ken]

Son in law had a 1 1/2 ton Dodge flat bed truck T90 Finn Hydro seeder and load of fertlizer and seed stolen. Police made a report on line. Insurance said would wait for month or 6 weeks to see if returned. Then the payment of Replacement coverage consisted of present day price of sprayer and nothing else like tools hoses or needed equipment to run a sprayer. The truck was 8 years old so very little in payment for the coverage.
Replacement cost was 50 thousand dollars for a used machine and truck. Where is the price range before police become concerned.
Also become to thinking all items returned are put in storage until time for annual auction for the police retirement fund.

This only encourages the lack of concern for what we used to think the police were for protecting the citizens.

My opionion only of course.
ken

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Thieves these days are a little more sophisticated. They have cell phone detectors nowadays that let them know if a cell phone is in the house. If you are like me, your phone is with you. If you are not home, no cell signal at the home. These gadgets can reach 90'. I figured out that one was getting used around here. I got an old cell phone and keep it charged and leave it at the house. Even though it cannot make a call because it is not in service, 911 calls can still be made on it, so it still puts off a signal just like my other cell phone. I had even went to the extreme of putting a hasp and a padlock on my front door. Came home twice and the lock was hanging open. Things were missing. A real thief, the bad kind, don't want you to know they have ever been there. I came home while they were in the house, because the back door can only be locked from the inside, so if someone goes out the back, they can't lock it behind them. I didn't call the police. I called Remington Sportsman 12 Pump. Every once in a while, I sit back, get locked in the house with that padlock, and I wait. If someone comes in, my 12ga will turn them in to a "two piece special". I live out in the country, but have woods on three sides and no neighbors.

 

[ultrarunner]

Just hope the day never comes...

Around here a man defending his home is treated worse than the thief... sad but true.

Notice I did say "Man" not too long ago a woman with an infant took a shot at someone breaking in and the media treated it entirely different... go figure?

 

[Fixemall]

We were robbed earlier this summer. Took over a thousand dollars in tools. Our house was obviously being watched because almost never does everyone leave. One sunday afternoon everyone left and they busted in and started collecting stuff out of the garage/shop. The dogs were in the house. Thankfully I went though all the trouble of practically welding my Lincoln 180C to the wall. They mashed the padlock, pealed some of the 1/8 inch steel back, tried bending and cutting it off and it still held .:thumbsup: Thankfully the sharp hacksaw was not out and the bolt cutters were behind a door. They had a bunch of stuff set up and ready at the street door and the door was unlocked. Thankfully the rest of my family got back before they took that load. The cops didn't care, basically said it was our fault cause we live in the city. I used to see the cops as the good guys but that respect is diminishing greatly.(no offence to you guys that are or have been cops) My brother says we are now modeling the garage after Fort Knox. Hopefully the locks will hold the next time.

I regularly turn down jobs in Buffalo, between the risk of theft and payoffs to city inspectors, I refuse to do business there...don't even get me started on the cops.

 

[Ken]

Thieves these days are a little more sophisticated. They have cell phone detectors nowadays that let them know if a cell phone is in the house. If you are like me, your phone is with you. If you are not home, no cell signal at the home. These gadgets can reach 90'. I figured out that one was getting used around here. I got an old cell phone and keep it charged and leave it at the house. Even though it cannot make a call because it is not in service, 911 calls can still be made on it, so it still puts off a signal just like my other cell phone. I had even went to the extreme of putting a hasp and a padlock on my front door. Came home twice and the lock was hanging open. Things were missing. A real thief, the bad kind, don't want you to know they have ever been there. I came home while they were in the house, because the back door can only be locked from the inside, so if someone goes out the back, they can't lock it behind them. I didn't call the police. I called Remington Sportsman 12 Pump. Every once in a while, I sit back, get locked in the house with that padlock, and I wait. If someone comes in, my 12ga will turn them in to a "two piece special". I live out in the country, but have woods on three sides and no neighbors.

Good afternoon fellow Arkansan. For some reason never heard of your town but then there is a lot of small towns.
map quest gives to locations 1 near South Conway area the 2nd close to DeWitt.
Any way Good to read your post.
ken

 

[fuseboxer]

I have decided to cable lock my JD to a post hole full of cement that is flared slightly at the bottom of 3-1/2'. Piece of old log/bulldozer chain is in the cement with two large bolts through a couple of links. The pin that allows the hitch to be removed on my tractor I heated and bent. A large security cable lock feeds through the extra hole in the hitch bar and through the king size 4" or 5" chain link. We are lucky and have very little crime at this time in my area. But with less than $4. buying a precut key that anyone can buy and drive away my deere and yours I feel better making an effort. Probably not needed but if we go on vacation I do not want my deere jumping fences and running away. ----Fuseboxer

 

[aczlan]

I have decided to cable lock my JD to a post hole full of cement that is flared slightly at the bottom of 3-1/2'. Piece of old log/bulldozer chain is in the cement with two large bolts through a couple of links. The pin that allows the hitch to be removed on my tractor I heated and bent. A large security cable lock feeds through the extra hole in the hitch bar and through the king size 4" or 5" chain link. We are lucky and have very little crime at this time in my area. But with less than $4. buying a precut key that anyone can buy and drive away my deere and yours I feel better making an effort. Probably not needed but if we go on vacation I do not want my deere jumping fences and running away. ----Fuseboxer

It will slow down someone who is looking for a loose tractor to steal. But one of these will make short work of your security cable.
As was said in the securing your tractor against theft threads (here and here), the only sure way to secure it is a replacement value insurance policy.
To quote CurlyDave from the 2nd thread:

1. Insurance.
2. Cover it with a ratty old tarp, preferably silver or brown painted camo or camo, but it must be genuinely old. Prematurely age one yourself if necessary.
3. Lojack.
4. Fuel shut-off.

Aaron Z

 

[WilliamBos]

A month or so ago, a groups of people stole the hydro lines from a construction site. They were hooked in to a building, typical construction sized trailer, that housed a big Generator. Replacement cost is approximate $300K.