So I post to ask some opinions for dealing with a thief. I tried to find the thread that I knew was around here a while back where a guy got his windshield smashed but couldn't find it. I remember posting in the thread because right around that time my roommates car got broken into and his speakers and stereo stolen (in the parking lot right behind our duplex). That parking lot is where we park along with a bunch of other people that live in the area. So now my girlfriend comes to visit on her way through to college and her passenger side window gets smashed and they take her computer and a bunch of other stuff needed for college. This thief guy is really pissing me off, I can think of 5 instances of the identical crime, method, and location that are all in that parking lot. When my girlfriend reported it at the end she asked "So what now?" they just replied that they would send something to her house for insurance purposes. What the hell? What can we do to get this guy that obviously preys on this same parking lot and the police don't care. Me and my 4 roommates have considered setting up a car that looks like a good hit and catch the guy/girl but figure we could get sued by him/her for beating him/her up before turning him in? Is there any way to get the police more involved or do we have to set up a sting and get a picture of him/her in the act? He grabbed so much stuff from my girlfriends car I figure he has got to either have a vehicle or a driver with a guy that does the grabbing? Sorry for the long post but I don't want it to come to this person touching my truck and then I would flip out even more.

Can you solve the crime on your own without making yourself the jury and the executioner? I know, it'd be tough not to just beat the crap out of the guy, but here's what I'd think, if you're really serious about fixing the problem.

First priority, keep yourself safe. By that, I don't mean carry a weapon with the hopes you're faster than him (not necessarily a bad idea, but that's a last resort, not Plan A), but rather keep yourself out of site. Whether this is a hard-core crime ring or (more likely) some local punk needing meth money, it's better if he doesn't see you.

Given that, just set a bait car, and some kind of surveillance. If you can use several cameras from different angles, you could just go to bed at night and wait for him to hit, then review the tapes.

Another plan would be to stake it out, sit somewhere and wait and watch, then take pictures. Again, if you can keep yourself safe, you could even follow him home.

The more evidence you can give the cops, the better. So if you have videotapes, and his license plate, and his address, and you do a little extra poking around and can even give his name, all the better.

On the other hand, you can always pick him out of a photo lineup - "Yes, sir, I'm sure that's him. I recognize the cracked skull."

I'm not a detective, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

"Well officer, I just happened to be coming out to my car for my (smokes, CDs, homework) and saw this guy in there." <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />

Cops are "too busy". Alot (not all) of detectives are "too lazy". Trust me, after living in Phx. for 30 years, and getting ripped off a couple of times, it's a part of life that sucks. That said, bait a car, and put a piece of plexiglass over the window. Hopefully, the bat (or whatever) will bounce back into the a*#holes <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" /> head...

I am not really calling cops lazy but you would think that after at least 5 car break-ins in the one parking lot since I have been here (around sept 6th) they would try and do something. Its not that I don't feel safe because I keep a machete behind my drivers seat but when you get stuff stolen it is just flat out gone. When I walked by my girlfriends car I just got a sinking feeling because I knew exactly what had happened. The thief is just a cowardly piece of ****, the fact that he can continually prey on the parking lot is what bothers me the most. It isn't just a one time deal for this person, it is part of their income.
The only problem with setting up a sting sort of thing is he might not come and you end up sitting there all night but I guess that might be the only way. I figure since I have 4 roommates we can take up different positions, stake out the place and get pictures if he shows. If it is multiple people in a car I figure they would want to flee so get as many pics as possible and take a tire iron and a bat to their car on their way out so you have a chance at easily identifying the car with a smashed windshield, no tail lights and one headlight.

12ga + rocksalt = problem solved. Oh the good old days.

The reason why the Cops don't care is that vehicle break-ins is a low level priority for them, you are lucky they sent someone out to you. The best thing to do is as mentioned set up a sting car with some camera's. If the parking area is dark, I would contact the landlord and request he/she puts up some security lights. In a lot of states once a landlord has been made aware of problems, they have a responsibility to their tenants to try and remedy them.

I myself would sit up wait for the him to hit, making sure he is in the act before I gave him a good beating, while attempting to detain him for the police. You have a right(in most states) to defend your personal property, as long as you don't use unnecessary force.

Haha...unnecessary force. Just do what they did in a hunting episode of South Park..."Oh no, it's headed right for us!"

Someone stole the airbags out of my prelude a few years back. The police did nothing, and the insurance company blamed me for stealing my own stuff!!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> So I still have a hole in my steering wheel, and in my pass. side dash cause I don't have the $2,000 to replace them.

I hate theives! You should put one in his head, then he would not be able to sue.

Or, if you do catch him in the act, tell the cops there is an underage smoker or drinker. They will be there in a hurry. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Yeah, I am just trying to gauge what I can and cannot do that would be mostly legal. Plus I really do want to catch this SOB and teach him a lesson. I'm thinking pictures are crucial and the beating comes second.

Ya, as already mentioned, unfortunately car prowls are very low priority crime. Just about any property crime is extremely low priority unless the dollar amounts are really high or it's a string of house burglaries.

Sometimes, when they get publicized in the local media, there's a little more effort to investigate due to political pressure, but the biggest problem is the punishment is so minimal, it's just not worth it.

A lot of DAs don't even bother prosecuting even after the guy gets caught, if he wants to plead not guilty. There was a DA here in Oregon that actually announced to the media that low level property crimes would not be prosecuted, due to lack of funding for his DA's Office!!! Talk about inviting trouble.

If people knew what they could get away with these days, they'd be shocked. Especially when it comes to low level property crime, fraud, etc.

It's frustrating as hell. If there were real consequences, we wouldn't have all these property crimes.

I would do the camera thing, maybe set up a bait car. Some Police agencys have stings where they can put cameras or computers in bait cars that can be tracked and the perp caught. You might inquire about that.

But I think you're single best bet is if you catch the guy redhanded on video, and if he happens to just be a local punk teeny bopper, as many times they are..I would sue the pants off him and his parents. That would probably have more of an affect on them and their lives than any action with the Police would. Especially a teeny bopper, because they get even less punishment for crimes like that than adults do.

Beyond that, blinking alarm lights and alarms in the cars are a deterent when the criminal has a number of cars to choose from. Laptops are a HUGE target, and even with alarms a smash and grab is guarenteed if you don't hide them in teh truck or in the back. Make the car appears as empty and unenticing as humanly possible. Store everything in the trunk. Even change, garage door openers and cell phones could intice a theif to break in.

I hate theifs. I wish they were treated like the old days. Remember what they did to horse theifs? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" />