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="" />