I don't live in a high crime area but I still protect my car hauler by locking its wheels together, chaining the trailer to a rather large oak tree and parking a non-driving GMC Suburban in front of it. So, it's not getting stolen but a few days ago somebody used bolt cutters on the Master lock and stole a bunch of wrenches out of the tool box inside the trailer. I replaced the lock with a trailer style Master lock (the kind with almost no exposed shackle to bite on to) and last night, that one was cut and more tools were stolen.
Now, I have installed locks on the inside of the door and backed the trailer against the house so the only way in will be to move the Suburban, then the trailer OR cutting a hole in the side of the trailer. I will be installing cameras soon and a fence across my driveway come spring but this is all so maddening. I can't get into my own trailer now. I am going to install a car style alarm on the trailer, one that will text me if the trailer is opened or moved. I know it's someone in the neighborhood and I really hope I figure out who. The city of Winnipeg, in its infinite wisdom, has outlawed anything that is seen as a boobytrap and in the perverted justice system of today, I would get in more trouble for the boobytrap than the criminal who sets it off.
Anyways, it seems every day there is another post on Facebook about somebody's trailer being stolen so if you have a trailer, you can't be too safe with it. Take measures to protect your stuff, even if it's parked in your driveway.
I’m sorry to hear about your problems with criminals. I’ve had a home broken in to before. I’d consider lot’s of cameras and then pester local law enforcement and politicians with the photos.
My wife went up and down the street asking neighbors about their experiences and found that most had a car or garage or trailer broken into recently, but not one filed a police report. So the police have no idea that a crime wave has hit our neighborhood. We reported both break ins separately.
loosecannon said:
My wife went up and down the street asking neighbors about their experiences and found that most had a car or garage or trailer broken into recently, but not one filed a police report. So the police have no idea that a crime wave has hit our neighborhood. We reported both break ins separately.
That is a problem. I find the idea of calling the cops to be a total waste of time, at least from a "getting your stuff back" point of view. Getting some attention and making the crime stats more accurate might be worthwhile.
The north industrial area of Saskatoon is a shopping mall for meth heads after dark, and the cops don't do a thing about prevention. The only time they make a pass through is to take a theft report, set up a speed trap, or do roadside vehicle inspections on working people's vehicles.
Frustrating.
This type of apathy from the police drives a wedge between honest citizens and the police service. If I can't depend on the police to protect me and my stuff, and am not allowed to protect or retrieve my own stolen goods, what are the alternatives? In my experience, the police have no interest in anybody unless there is some financial benefit so they will go after the person who roles through a stop sign before going after the person who broke into my trailer.
44Dwarf
UberDork
12/30/18 5:47 p.m.
Man that sucks. I've got signs all over saying Smile your on camera and surveillance cameras in use (required by law here) and 12 cameras with night vision. All three of my trailers have locks from Heartland lock as they can key them alike. link
Where i could i used the "hockey puck" type but they are not drill proof but make'm work for it if they have to get in.
I chain the wheels too and still lose sleep some times....
Best of luck with the cops, I've had three break ins and one they got nothing walk around all cars in the snow leaving nice foot prints... Cops took pictures as did I after two day i called no leads when i asked about the sneaker prints they told me we got nothing, On to Zappo's i whent and found the sole of the sneaker is a high dollars skate shoe sold only in scate shops and the nearest one was 30 miles away. gave the cops all the info even the store managers name.... they never followed up. That kid got a way with a ton of cash and stuff from 8 other driveways that night. I bought my camera system two days later.
Cooter
Dork
12/30/18 5:51 p.m.
This is a pretty common MO for pros who steal from contractors.
They steal the tools the first time, knowing full well there will be brand new replacement tools in there within a week or so. If you get hit the first time, change things up, as they will be coming back for the nicer stuff next.
If no one has reported the burglaries, it's hard to put blame on the police.
stuart in mn said:
If no one has reported the burglaries, it's hard to put blame on the police.
The general feeling is that the police will do nothing. A staff members car was smashed in our parking lot this year and we provided the police with the car description, name of the driver and drivers license number of the driver (we are a members only kart track and had their drivers license on file) and do you know what the police did? Nothing at all, my staff member had to eat all the costs of the smashed car. A drunk driver tried to run me off the road several times and I called the police, they pulled me over and questioned me for 45 minutes instead of pulling over the drunk driver. So, even if they did eventually talk to the drunk driver, there is nothing that could be done because they had time to get home.
Leave it unlocked with "toolboxes" filled with glitter bombs. The thieves will be happy to lift the boxes, ignoring actual things of value.
Ideally you could install a GPS tracker and a motion sensor to set the whole thing in motion once they pick it up.
Now you got me worried someone will break into my shed. All I got is a wimpy handle lock.
Grizz
UberDork
12/30/18 6:46 p.m.
wait in the dark and club some thieving seals with a bat?
I’d be buying a German Shepherd or two. Set them up in the trailer with water and beds.
Everything else I could come up up with involves someone getting a case of “lead poisoning” and that type of talk is frowned upon here.
Grizz said:
wait in the dark and club some thieving seals with a bat?
Yeh, it's -20 degrees here until May so laying in wait doesn't really work
And that's how crime has been lowered in the last 10 years !
Some cities around here charge you for a copy of the police report !
Years ago you would report if the kids bike got stolen , now it's not worth the hassle , so no report made equals no crime ,
California last year raised the limit from $500 to $1000 theft before it's a felony..,....amazing felony crime went down this year !
Sorry to hear your trailer got busted into , get a game camera from Amazon that goes off with movement.
Grizz
UberDork
12/30/18 7:10 p.m.
loosecannon said:
Grizz said:
wait in the dark and club some thieving seals with a bat?
Yeh, it's -20 degrees here until May so laying in wait doesn't really work
That's why I scrapped my idea involving nudity and a bottle of lube.
In reply to californiamilleghia :
Here in MD it's 2500 bucks before it's a felony.
759NRNG
SuperDork
12/30/18 8:03 p.m.
Anyone found snooping around on my property (Texas) is subject to a lethal hot lead injection......
I'm sorry about those troubles, man. The same thing keeps happening at our church shed over a longer timeline. A camera is the only possible help here it seems. I considered trail cams, myself. Even a camera inside the trailer with a good IR spotlight inside it, offsite data storage, battery backup. Not really a honey pot but if they're getting in anyway, you might as well get a good shot of them.
Regarding the police response, I'm trying my hardest to find a house not in the big city proper. I've seen in the past how much more seriously smaller towns pursue petty crimes than the nearby "mother" city does - esp those feeder towns with a reputation for safety by which they attract new residents. Case in point, my friend's house in the big city was broken into, guns were stolen. The police showed up decently fast, got out with notepads, poked around, told him they were sorry for his bad luck, gave him the report number and left. Small town a mile away had a rash of three thefts from cars in the local park and police were crawling all over the place, doing interviews, looked like they were taking prints.
"I would get in more trouble for the boobytrap than the criminal who sets it off."
wellllllll if done right he'd get to spend a few more decades in hell. i keed. i keed.
Wait a minute you're in Canada? I thought you guys didn't have these kind of problems.
Property theft sucks. I know it's hard but I do take the if you can't afford to walk away from it line too religiously otherwise I'd be down in Texas too blastin' away.
I kinda look at every purchase that way. Tools especially although I'm a little more protective of the cordless impact as of right now but that too will pass.
reminds of an Irish rally car driver who went over to England and despite boxing in his Sierra Sapphire Cosworth during the Rally GB a WRC event the tea leaves stole it right from the event hotel parking lot.
In reply to nutherjrfan :
Canada has a pretty low crime rate compared to other developed countries, but even in the Great White North, crime does happen. Canadians are probably easy targets because we do trust others too much. I suspect that if all these petty crimes in the area were plotted on a map, there would be a hot spot in our neighborhood because it's a local POS doing it. However, I believe that the crime rate has risen in my city recently because of an increasing meth problem. I don't have any answers, except maybe moving out of town to a farm with a long driveway. I used to live on a farm and crime simply didn't happen because the risk is far too high for criminals. There is no sneaking up on a farm yard, a good chance there will be a big dog, a 100% chance there are loaded guns in the hands of people who know how to use them and no quick escape if you're discovered.
In reply to loosecannon :
A farm is fine if you are always there. An empty farm is a prime target around here.
I hate to hear your misfortune. It’s quite common around here to have a follow up break in. They see other stuff they want, they just can’t take it all the first time.
