Guess I better start locking it!

I have lived in a very poor, run down area of town for 25 years and I never had any problems with property loss. I knew all my neighbors and we all looked after each other (kind of the way neighborhoods are supposed to function). We got a small inheritance a couple of years ago and we moved to a better house (with a garage for me) in a better area of town. Since then, my vehicles have been burglarized twice.

I guess that I should take some of the blame because I usually don't lock the cars when at home. Like I said above, I never had to. The first time I just lost some change and a few things from the cab. This last time I lost my winch controller, the hand help part of my CB radio and a flash light. The controller is no good to anyone without a winch and the radio needs the bottom part to function. I guess they can use the flashlight without assistance though.

The nature of the thefts kind of tells me that this is probably the actions of some kids that are looking for something simple to grab. It just really irks me that I have to lock my cars. Well it could have been worse though. I had a leatherman in a side pocket in the truck that they missed. It is an old leatherman but it was given to me by my brother and I value it greatly, so atleast I still have it. Geez, I hate thieves, but who doesn't, eh?
Mikey

It's disheartening, isn't it? I, too, lock the doors to my cars and house when I never had to before. Times have changed

I feel your pain. I've been broken into twice in the past year. Both times had a window smashed and made a huge mess. First time they got my tools, air compressor, street GPS and topo GPS, and some other small stuff. Second time thankfully all they got was a small flashlight. I hate thieves...

Ya Mikey, I hate thieves too. Its frustrating to be on guard all the time.
We had problems at our house a few years ago so I ended up installing a bunch of security lights, a home security system, alarm system in my vehicle and upgraded the latches/ hardware on our work shed and garages. It sucks to have to do all that.

Never got taken till we lived in a nice neighborhood.

Tally since we "moved on up"

2 Bikes
3 Ipods
1 Nintendo DS

The rest is unknown.

I caught the little bastards in the alley and a bike and ipod showed back up...

Here's an option http://www.paintballsentry.com/
It's interesting that the guy who designed and built this is completely self taught. Anyway, the computer program automatically senses and tracks motion - it's up to you whether you would prefer a camera or an airsoft/paintball gun

Regular security cameras don't provide nearly enough detail to identify someone. They can tell you what happened and when but don't provide much help for figuring out who did it. The system we've designed is essentially the same thing as if there was a person standing guard 24/7 with a digital camera in his hand. Our software analyzes the video feed from an overview camera. When a valid target is detected the software sends commands back to the zoom camera mounted right below it that tell it where to aim and when to either record video or take a picture. We have been prototyping this system for about 3 years.

Click to expand...

It would be neat to catch someone

I went ahead and ordered a new radio and as soon as I remember to get the model number off the winch, I will get the controller ordered. I am kind of wondering what the theives will do with the ones they have. Both the radio and controller are somewhat useless on their own, but who can tell the mind of a thief? At this point I am not willing to lock myself into my home and put up lots of security but heaven help the poor fellow if I ever catch them taking something from me or some other neighbor. I have never been too good at expecting others to take care of my problems.
Mikey

Sounds like the work of a young child that is probably playing with them as toys. Just lock your doors.

I had my cb radio stolen, but the wire harness was left. My cd player face plate, but not the cd player. All out of my door-less 4Runner. I have remote lock unlock on the Tundra so it's always locked.

The poor don't steal from each other...the poor go to the upper class neighborhoods and steal from them. Its that way here where I live for sure. So if you live in a bad neighborhood, you probably are safe as long as you don't show them wnat you have....the second you flaunt a new shiny car of they see a big screen TV box in the trash....your gonna be hit. The poor know that the upper class neighborhoods have the people with money, so of course those rich folks who live in big fancy houses, and drive expensive cars...they are gonna get hit.

You can be filthy rich, drive an old beat up looking truck, live in a poor neighborhood and no one will know the difference. You flaunt your wealth to eeh poor, your gonna get hit. Its only gonna get worse as more and more people lose their jobs, and those that do have money and it shows...even in little ways...you can bet those thieves are scoping you out. Now what you have to do is sit on your porch cleaning your shotguns, and pistols in plain view....that will deter them. Or post an NRA sticker in the window or "Beware of Smith & Wisson" window stickers....that also usually gets thier attention. They want low risk people to hit and of course they are banking that you forget to lock your cars and homes.

We have already had people try to turn our door knobs on our front door WHILE WE WERE HOME. When they saw it was locked they left pretty quickly....whats bad..we have a cop that lives four houses down from us. But thats ok...I'll be sending them to the county morgue...we are locked and loaded.

JJ

Yup it sucks. Built out house from the ground up, the day before we moved in someone popped the window and cleaned out 10k in tools which were all moved upstairs since it was still unfinished. They had obviously been watching me since non if the tools were visible thru a window. But one of the two left two complete hand prints on the window. He had pawned a few of the tools which were returned to me eventually and was then arrested and charged. Still lost 90% of the tools.

Too bad he didn't come next next day, would have gotten a German shepherd in the face.