apparent thefts out of our garage -- suggestions?

I get so mad hearing stories like these!!! :rant

What about one of those driveway alarms? Can you put one out there so you know if someone crosses the path? I'm not sure if it would work for someone on foot.

I think the cheapest thing to do would be put signs up stating the area is under surveillance and there are cameras watching, even if it isn't true. You can even buy "dummy" cameras that look like the real thing and have a red light on them and everything.

The wildlife cam is a great idea too, and they're really coming down in price. Like someone mentioned, I bet you could get one for easily under $70.

I'm so sorry that happened!! It is not fair that hardworking people have to pay to replace items that stupid, lazy, mean, selfish, jerks stole! :hugs
 
Yes, what crap! So sorry Pat!

We had a long livestock gate and a big floor jack that suddenly disappeared. Grrrrrr.......Same thing, they had to use a vehicle to move that stuff. I work from home, but had been in town for a couple hours. Dogs barking wouldn't have helped with them being in a fence and no one home. Since we're off the main road (yet visible from the road), the cop said it almost had to be someone that we knew or had been out here before since the stuff wasn't out in the open.

After our stuff was stolen, I told a few people that DH had bought a security system with several motion cameras that recorded directly to our computers. (We hadn't, but I played it up by complaining about the cost. ) We also borrowed an extra sign from a neighbor who has a security system installed at her place. We haven't had anything stolen since then.

Make a sign "Guard Snake on Duty". Hang a shed snake skin by the door.

When we lived in town, the motion lights just gave them more light to see what they were stealing.

I still just want to smack thieves like this!
 
Huh, thnks for the encouragement to look into game cam systems more, they HAVE come down a lot more than I realized, at least in the States (and I will be visiting in a couple months so could get something then)...

Already got a largeish dog. He is an indoor dog though, not much use for guarding!

One neighbor goes thru a lot of renters in her downstairs ap't, so that thought did occur to me, but thefts of snowmobiles etc out of garages are common enough around here that it needn't be anyone right local.

I'm home most of the time, but obviously not *always*, and in the middle of the night would never know if someone showed up, you can't hear cars in the driveway from inside the house. The idea of a driveway alarm is an interesting one, I *think* they are way pricey but then I was somewhat wrong about game cams so I should look into that more too. Although I'd *think* that anyone with half a brain would be LOOKING for a driveway alarm if they were driving up with intent to burgle, and just stop short of it.

So what do you all know/think about the value of obvious warnings/deterrence in a rural environment? I've been real reluctant to do the fake security cam/signs thing, or warning signs, or alarms, or anything like that, because if *I* were going to steal something, the presence of those sorts of things would tend to make me try HARDER to get in, since obviously the people htink there's something valuable worth protecting in there. Because after all, it should be apparent from our location that even if there were a burglar alarm wired directly to the police dispatcher, you'd have a pretty good long while to stuff things into a truck before you had to worry about leaving :P

I'd rather have someone look around our house, maybe stick their head in the garage, and go "geez, what is wrong with these people with all this worthless junk, how pitiful!" and go off to find someone with snowmobiles or expensive silver or whatever.

But, maybe I'm wrong about that, I dunno... opinions? Experiences?

Pat
 
I have a sensor (meant to be a driveway alarm). It runs on batteries and the "bell" part plugs in. Depending how far away from the house, the garage is- this system might work. Even if the bell didn't ring in the house, you could have it ring in the garage. If I was a thief and I heard a loud bell, I certainly would look elsewhere... This was under 30 bucks.
 
Could you store the expensive stuff in the house somewhere, locked in a vehicle trunk in the garage, or in another building on the property that you could lock, and just stick things you don't want anymore in the garage?

Its creepy when you find out someone has been coming around when you aren't there (or when you are there and just can't see them) and stealing things. Sorry to hear this is happening.
 
patandchickens said:
I'd rather have someone look around our house, maybe stick their head in the garage, and go "geez, what is wrong with these people with all this worthless junk, how pitiful!" and go off to find someone with snowmobiles or expensive silver or whatever.

Pat
Click to expand...
I agree . . . much better to look like you don't have the money to replace the tires even. Better to just leave worthless junk in the garage.
 
Lesa said:
I have a sensor (meant to be a driveway alarm). It runs on batteries and the "bell" part plugs in. Depending how far away from the house, the garage is- this system might work. Even if the bell didn't ring in the house, you could have it ring in the garage. If I was a thief and I heard a loud bell, I certainly would look elsewhere... This was under 30 bucks.
Click to expand...
Hm! Do you recall what type store you bought it at? Not necessarily the name, but I am not even sure where to even start LOOKING for soemthing like that, except maybe in the locks/security aisle at Home Depot but our HD *never ever* has what i'm looking for.

Pat
 
Yep, that's the sort of alarm I was meaning. My dad has one and you can't even see it. I'll ask where he got it.
 
I thought I *did* have all the valuables (such as they are :P) elsewhere... who knew that people'd steal a fencer and a set of tires???

(well, perhaps some of you knew that, but I sure didn't til now!)

I believe we may start storing the tires in the basement, and contemplate a lock for the basement door.

Pat
 
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