just re-reading this, such a shame many of you have been hit. I find the best defense is a good offense, lights, cameras, etc. Again it dont stop them but sure makes you less of a soft target. Even better is a nosy neighbor whom your on good terms with. Should my house have anything a miss the neighbors will call me and tell me. I had once left and forgot to lock the front door-they called, told me I told them to go lock it please and they did. The reality is if a thief wants something they will get it.
Check out this video of how this guy got his stuff back. gps trackers..
Ill tell tale of how I my atv got stolen and then i got it back. Its a good one.
Several years ago I was living with my parents. housing prices in NJ are stupid crazy and they were ok with me living there till I landed a good paying job so long as I took care of the house and helped out. I alternated storing my race atv in the garage or shed. in the winter, the shed was fine as we moved the snowblower into the garage. who was gonna trudge thru that much snow to get it, i thought. well one year I got lazy, didnt swap it with the blower so it lived in the shed.
I go to move my work vehicle to the street on a saturday morning and notice the shed door is ajar. I walk over, open the door and no more atv. now this thing is NOT cheap, theres like a good 12k invested in it. I SHOULD have locked the shed at least or better yet not left it in the shed. Immediately I think who might have stole it, was it someone I knew? Someone randomly who saw me put it int here or maybe the door was open and saw it? There are landscape crews and service people everywhere in the neighborhood, its an affluent section of town with large homes on 1/2 or 1 acre plots.
So who would want it..maybe some rando got lucky or saw it and stake it out...or was it someone I knew.. HMM. I deduce the likely culprit is my best friends wifes pos cousin who is known to steal everything that isnt nailed down. It makes sense, he knew about it as I had met him plenty before and during times when he was out of work-which is often, he would mow lawns with the husband as they were landscapers.
I call the cops, explain what happened. They send an officer out to take a report and are VERY interested when I mention the possible perps name. he is well know all over the surrounding area. As this is happening my buddys wife shows up to mow the lawn with a helper (IDK where buddy is) and I ask her what pos cousins has been up to. Im positive she knew cause the officers taking the report and she doesnt get out of her truck. Officer leaves and shes crying telling me cousins been staying with her lately and he showed up with a quad theother day but then left with it and came back with another one. She knew.. she probably told him about it, ill never be able to prove it. I tell her, dont care how it comes back but it better.
Later same day landscaper wife leaves, I get another cop show up to my house. Wouldnt you know its the landscaper wife daughters ex BF I know, hes a cop. He is PISSED says he bets it was cousin and he gives me personal num and helps me anyway I can. I call the local PD in the town cousins from, they are VERY interested in my case. An officer calls me back and gets as much info as possible, he knows pos cousin too. A detective calls, same deal.
I search all the local riding spots for weeks, I didnt post it on social media for awhile hoping he wouldnt be spooked and still had it. I tailed him and yea he had an ATV-not mine. About a month later I get a call while out looking for it at a local sand pit-they want me to verify the vin, they found it they think. Yup its mine. Where did they find it, in that same town pos cousins from at a known drug dealers home.
I got it back a bit worse for wear, I found out exactly who had it (thank you tow driver for the ADDRESS on the slip you towed it from lol) and that guy was prosecuted and went to jail. I had to send in all the paperwork and invoices on it as I had to fix it but Ill never see a dime of it, its been years now. the prosecutors office can try but cant get blood from a turnip
Anyways I COULD easily do whatever to this pos kid, but the first door they will knock on is mine. All I ever hoped was that the guy who got locked up made sure he paid. I put an airtag on it now..
