break-ins in my neighborhood

So over the last 3 months someone has been going around my development breaking into cars in the driveways. So far 17 cars have been broken into; police either dont care or are stumped. It's a pretty secluded upper class neighborhood, in the lowest crime area in any suburb of my metropolitan area.

My next door neighbor captured a picture on his security camera of the suspect at 2:51am; single perp, white male in hoodie, looks to be about 19 to 26 years old. It's sick to think that if he was trying to break into my neighbors car, he probably has been to my car and on my property too, while I was asleep. Police could not ID the suspect, and he isn't anyone that lives here.

It's quite a shock really, no registered crimes in this community for 30 years, suddenly some guy is making DB Cooper look tame.

I personally have a lot of expensive equipment in my house and garage for my business, easily over 100,000 worth. Of course it's insured, but it would take forever to replace, and bankrupt me if it were taken.

What should I do? I have security cameras in my house, but of course they wont stop the thug from taking anything, only snap pictures of him taking it. I have guns, but I'm out of town a lot, every other week and they dont protect the house by themselves.

Should I sit in the bushes for a few nights with my shotgun and see if he shows up? Wait and hope the police finally nab him? Anyone know a motion alarm that works good and doesn't go off every time there's a breeze?

a reply to: WP4YT

Get yourself a large, LOUD barking dog.
he will think twice before breaking in

a reply to: WP4YT

LOL - pardon me. It's probably the teen-aged son of one of your upper class neighbors looking for a thrill.

Best wishes.

originally posted by: EyesOpenMouthShut
a reply to: WP4YT

Get yourself a large, LOUD barking dog.
he will think twice before breaking in

Good idea, but not feasible for me. Dont have the free time to take care of a dog and show it love, properly. My neighbors when I was a kid used to have a pet timberwolf and would kick it and starve it, it made a great guard dog but I'm not that kind of guy.

a reply to: WP4YT

no no no no
you do not have to abuse a dog for it to be good at guarding the home.
both of mine are big, lazy, people loving, dummies but they bark when they are inside and someone is near the property.

Take a picture from the security video and make pictures of it on flyers and hang all around your neighborhood! Maybe he will see it and either stop, or take his 'business' elsewhere!

a reply to: WP4YT

Should I sit in the bushes for a few nights with my shotgun and see if he shows up?

No. You will just end up arrested or shot. Besides wtf do you keep in your car that is worth shooting someone over?

Just lock your doors and if he comes in your house blast away.

I know you can get a motion censor that can ring your phone if someone enter's your home i saw it on t.v not long ago / or get a load of stickers for the home /cars etc

originally posted by: FyreByrd
a reply to: WP4YT

LOL - pardon me. It's probably the teen-aged son of one of your upper class neighbors looking for a thrill.

Best wishes.

I think that's what has the police puzzled. The photo of the perp has been shared on my community's Facebook page and forums, it's clear the perp does not live here.

My development is surrounded by a river on one side, a gorge on another side, a forest on one side, and the main road on the last side. He's not driving in here and parking his car, and this development is kind of by itself in the middle of nowhere, it's a loooong walk from any public parking. Unless he has a raft and is coming in from the river, I have no clue how he's getting in here and moving around so freely. He's like a ghost.

I think he may be a pro. He has somehow managed to open peoples trunks without breaking into the main cabin or setting off alarms. I'm not talking old cars either, one of my neighbors cars is a 2014 Mercedes and the perp got the trunk open and took a laptop, front of car still locked and no broken glass or scratches.

Some cars he has broken windows though, took a purse out of one and gps device out of another.

originally posted by: MojaveBurning
Take a picture from the security video and make pictures of it on flyers and hang all around your neighborhood! Maybe he will see it and either stop, or take his 'business' elsewhere!

I second this.

Had something somewhat similar happen years ago in a different neighborhood. The neighbors posted pictures and the criminal activity stopped.

a reply to: WP4YT

think he may be a pro. He has somehow managed to open peoples trunks without breaking into the main cabin or setting off alarm

you would be amazed at how much we just sleep through. We have had our cars broken into a few times and if they set off the alarm they just pop the hood and pull the battery cables real quick, car shuts up and they go back to stealing.

And it doesn't even wake most people up.

Buy a gun mr.upper class business man. they're not just or us peasants and such, you too can learn to defend yourself, your family, and your property! for a nominal fee that is..at your local fun range

a reply to: WP4YT

To deter robbers it's best to leave as many outside lights on as possible. They Prefer to work under darkness.
It's what helped me. We kept having our vehicles broken into, even stolen. I have 3 outdoor lanterns I leave on all night. I have motion lights in the back but they suck. They go on every time a cat goes by. Half the time they don't even work at all.

Beat of luck

OMG, are you from my city? I just read in the newspaper the other day about the same situation!!

I've got my dog and my shotgun. I pity the fool.

a reply to: WP4YT

O.K., I'll take the bullet. You said: "It's a pretty secluded upper class neighborhood, in the lowest crime area in any suburb of my metropolitan area."

Been there, done that, and taken the economic hickey as a result. The problem you've got starts with "suburb of my metropolitan area". The suburbs are under increasing attack and as a result, the property values in the 'burbs is under assault. My guess is that these problems in your neighborhood will only worsen and its not long before you'll start to see a proliferation of for sale signs. So, the best solution for you is to sell now, get out while the gettings still good.

Now, having said that, you may find that property values have already been affected and that you may be upside down on the note. However, rest assured, the situation will only worsen. This problem is overwhelming the housing business as more and more people have come to realize that owning a home in a metro suburban area is to experience property value depreciation rather than appreciation. One reason home builders can't sell new subdivisions in the 'burbs is that so many existing home owners can't sell their properties except at a loss. The other reason is that so many are looking at this situation and saying to themselves they see no reason to buy a "new" house in a new suburb of the same metro area only to know they're buying at the top of the market because the "new" house is still in a suburb of a metro area.

So, my humble advice, based upon my bad experience, is to sell now if at all possible. If you're still working in the Metro area, rent an apartment. If you want to own real estate, buy land, preferably 150 miles from any metro area. Look for land not subject to a home owners association and look for land where there's either an existing water well, or where you can still get permits to drill a water well. On that property, you can build your get away/retirement type home.

Remember... when the SHTF and you need to bug out, its no good if you don't have somewhere to bug out too!

a reply to: WP4YT


But would a 'pro' break into trucks for items of limited value? I don't think so.

If not a local kid, perhaps a vistor for the summer?

It really doesn't add up, does it?

Good luck

Put a "beware of Pitbull" sign up in your yard. He won't come back. ~$heopleNation