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Car prowl in Olympia

TechnoWeenie

TechnoWeenie

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So it's 1am.. and I hear an alarm go off, and realize it's my damn truck, in my driveway....as my pager alerts me seconds later.

I run outside, get to my vehicle, and notice that the dome light is on (only comes on when the door is open)...

I kill the alarm, and then hear rustling bushes behind me (exiting my property) approximately 100' away... I hold for a second, and then return to scope out my truck..and notice the drivers side door is unlocked...

My alarm confirms it was a door trigger.. don't know how the # %(#& got in, because there are no marks on the door/sill/lock.. So he may have used a shaved key...

No point in calling the police..

no damage done, no suspect description, nada..

#%(&#!


The kicker...


I have a friend over who has a POS van, with a window already broken out.... and another with a POS taurass, whose passenger door doesn't lock....

So they see that there's nothing in the POSs to steal, then they see my MDC/comms/etc and get in... W T F.


I need to move the F back to the country...

Lessons learned : Keep a flashlight next to your gun when you take it off at the end of the day....
 
OrangeIsTrouble

OrangeIsTrouble

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What you need to do is hook a train/ship horn to your truck! Might not keep them out but you'll steal some of their hearing!

I've dreamed of wiring up my house with loud sirens/explosion sounds and flash bulbs everywhere so if someone ever broke in, it'll be like flash bang mania and leave the sucker disoriented. Neighbors would be up instantly and po po would be there pretty quick too.
 
BigDave

BigDave

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If you are wanting to catch them in the act, disable the audio alarm and just have your beeper notify you.
Thus they are not alerted to your activity, call 911 and gather what information you can.

Of if you dare take up a advantage position, assess and then choose how to respond.
 
J

jeangordon

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I would call and report it anyway so they can track it. Maybe increase patrols if it's frequent or use it to keep more LEO on the streets. If they think there is no crime then we don't need police.

2 cents...
 
massivedesign

massivedesign

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jeangordon wrote:
I would call and report it anyway so they can track it. Maybe increase patrols if it's frequent or use it to keep more LEO on the streets. If they think there is no crime then we don't need police.

2 cents...
Click to expand...

+1
 
Mainsail

Mainsail

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Silverdale, Washington, USA
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jeangordon wrote:
I would call and report it anyway so they can track it. Maybe increase patrols if it's frequent or use it to keep more LEO on the streets. If they think there is no crime then we don't need police.

2 cents...
Click to expand...
+1

If they saw what you have inside that truck, they may try again. Living as far out as you do I would have been tempted to touch off a shot (into the ground) to scare the crap out of them. That's not a suggestion.

Back in the 80s my friend had his convertible top cut many times and his radio stolen. We toyed with the idea of gutting the inside of a car stereo and rigging up model rocket motor and some magnesium powder, so that whenever the car thief put power to the radio it would start a fire that even immersion in water wouldn't put out. Probably a good thing we never got around to doing it.

You may see if you can find a game camera (try Cabela's returned goods room) or web cam and set it up inside the truck or near their approach route. If you get a picture of the jerks it'll go a long way towards getting them busted. I would bet dollars to doughnuts it's one or more of the local teens.
 
amzbrady

amzbrady

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Marysville, Washington, USA
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Mainsail wrote:
jeangordon wrote:
I would call and report it anyway so they can track it. Maybe increase patrols if it's frequent or use it to keep more LEO on the streets. If they think there is no crime then we don't need police.

2 cents...
Click to expand...
+1

If they saw what you have inside that truck, they may try again. Living as far out as you do I would have been tempted to touch off a shot (into the ground) to scare the crap out of them. That's not a suggestion.

Back in the 80s my friend had his convertible top cut many times and his radio stolen. We toyed with the idea of gutting the inside of a car stereo and rigging up model rocket motor and some magnesium powder, so that whenever the car thief put power to the radio it would start a fire that even immersion in water wouldn't put out. Probably a good thing we never got around to doing it.

You may see if you can find a game camera (try Cabela's returned goods room) or web cam and set it up inside the truck or near their approach route. If you get a picture of the jerks it'll go a long way towards getting them busted. I would bet dollars to doughnuts it's one or more of the local teens.
Click to expand...
Motion lights are a good deterent, Web cams are always a good idea. You can even get motion sensing software, that only runs when triggered. I catcher used to offer a free limited trial version. I used it with a web cam on my desktop computer to see which dog kept crapping on the rug.
 
S

Semper Paratus

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Spokane, Washington, USA
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We have had allot of car prowlers around our hose as of recent. I have called and encouraged my Niebuhr's to call to. One neighbor caught a guy in his car, but before he could properly deal withe the dirt ball. Mr. bad guy pulled a knife on him. We are starting a block watch. 23 prowler's in 1 year is the info I got from my neighbors. I hope my car dos not get broken into again. The thiev's might steal my fast acting ex-lax pills in the old pain pill bottle in the glove box.
 
T

TheJeepster

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I used it with a web cam on my desktop computer to see which dog kept crapping on the rug.
Click to expand...
I think this is hilariously funny!!

Is this what technology has made us stoop to? :lol:
 
D

daddy4count

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Seattle, Washington, USA
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I have taken to putting up a couple of game cameras (the kind we hunters use to watch trails) that watch my mailbox and driveway... two of them have the front of my property and the neighbor across the street covered.

The next little punk who manages to break into my car or steal my mail will be caught by night vision, high resolution digital photography.

If I knew which days they were coming I would sit outside, next to the bushes, in my Rivers West camo and scare the living piss out of them... sadly the pictures will probably be more effective...
 
TechnoWeenie

TechnoWeenie

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Mainsail wrote:
jeangordon wrote:
I would call and report it anyway so they can track it. Maybe increase patrols if it's frequent or use it to keep more LEO on the streets. If they think there is no crime then we don't need police.

2 cents...
Click to expand...
Living as far out as you do I would have been tempted to touch off a shot (into the ground) to scare the crap out of them.
Click to expand...
I moved to Olympia proper... I live in a cul de sac with about 12 other houses.... shots would be a no go..
 
N

nofoa

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Arlington, Washington, USA
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My neighbor had this truck broken into and taken for a joyride out in the woods. They found it jammed between 2 tree's and a stump. It was near to about a dozen other cars also stolen from the area. I told him they should have taken my truck, i wouldn't have even noticed the fresh dents.

He got a video camera that sits under his house eve pointing at his truck/street.

+1 Video Camera
 
gogodawgs

gogodawgs

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Federal Way, Washington, USA
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jeangordon wrote:
I would call and report it anyway so they can track it. Maybe increase patrols if it's frequent or use it to keep more LEO on the streets. If they think there is no crime then we don't need police.

2 cents...
Click to expand...
Always call, they are doing it to others and it tells LEO the direction they are headed when everyone calls.
 
T

TheJeepster

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Where do you live? The Meadows?

I live on Tumwater hill by SPSCC going on 12 years now. Never had a problem, but some of my neighbors have over the years.
 
M

Magister

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BigDave wrote:

Of if you dare take up a advantage position, assess and then choose how to respond.



I did just this when my crusty old volvo was "broken into" Thankfully I never locked my doors because a broken window was more expensive than my radio. And I never spend more than ~$100 on a CD player. Camped out across the street in a tree line and the morons came back. All of a sudden they had the barrel of a mossberg 12 gauge poking his temple. I win. :p
 
Beretta92FSLady

Beretta92FSLady

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About ten years ago a friend of mine had his truck stolen in the middle of the night. For about a week he would drive around Salt lake valley in the evenings to see if he could spot someone driving around in it.

It was about 1 in the morning, he was driving through a neighborhood and happen to see his truck. He chased his truck down, with the perps in it. *strait out of a movie* he cornered the truck down a dead end road. The perps turned the truck around and my friend was at that point standing outside of his car...with a .44 mag. The guys began speeding toward him, my friend fired off a few shots, hitting his truck. The perps drove onto someone lawn, escaped. A couple of blocks down the road that same evening the truck was found. The perps had been driving his truck around and parting it out. The front seat was missing, the perps were sitting on 5 gallon buckets.

My friend received a ticket for discharging a firearm within city limits. The ticket was thrown out after about a year as the wheels of justice slowly turned him out.

He should have just called the police, unfortunately.
 
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