Thieves

[zimman]

I have some land about an hour from where I live. For almost 3 years now, I've used a shipping container on the property as a workshop and storage. I also put a camper on the property to have a place to stay when I go there. Yesterday I was up there for the first time in several weeks. Thieves broke in and stole all my hand tools, power tools, a generator, welding equipment, a tractor battery, ham radio equipment, and tractor and motorcycle parts. The trailer got cleaned out as well, even taking a bottle of Listerine. At least they will have good breath after eating the canned goods they stole.

These are just things that can be replaced, or at least that's what I'm trying to tell myself. To a point that is true. I can go to HF or WalMart and replace the hand tools, though the new tools won't be US made SK Tools or US made channellock. The welder was an expensive multi process machine that is now out of production. If I replace those tools with equivalents to what was taken, it'll cost me 3 times today what the tools cost originally.

A sheriff's deputy was dispatched and a report filed. But I expect little to come of it as they can only track stolen items by serial number. So, here is my new project-Document everything with a serial number on it that I own. Those numbers will be saved both as a hard copy on paper stored away hidden and as a text file on a thumb drive. I don't know why I'm posting this. It's been a long time since I have been this angry. If you made it this far, thank you for your time.

I'm near you in Southern Missouri. I don't think that issue is here yet. Most folks around me have weapons and fooling around with other folks gear here might find you deleted. LOL. Crack heads will tend to rob other crack heads because it's illegal for crack heads to have guns. Sorry to here of your problem. I love the area but we do have some poor folks around here and sometimes it leads to drug abuse.
I do have four cameras watching the property but it requires internet. I get notified immediately when someone enters the property and gets close to the house.
Zim

 

[GaryM909]

Bleach in gas? Wonder what that does?

According to Google;

What does bleach do to an engine?


Any mixing of the chlorine with the engine oil then reduces the lubricating capabilities, leading to overheating, seizures, and failure.

 

[Uncle_Charlie]

I appreciate everyone's input. I'll try to address what has been suggested. Municipal power is not readily available at the location. I would have to have a couple poles put in to connect to the nearest line. The plan is to build a shop and place the shipping container on the south side of the building to act as a power plant with solar panels mounted on the roof and all electrical components in the container. I have almost enough saved up to start building the shop, so that'll be in the next year I expect. Yes, I recognize that a steel shop building is no more secure than a shipping container.

I already have spoken to the owner of the local pawn shop. He put my information into a notebook that already had many, many reports of stolen property. FB marketplace and craigslist have not yielded any results.

Someone mentioned NWA being a nice place. It is, if you don't mind the gentrification. I have lived in Rogers for 30 years, and could not afford to buy the house I live in now if I had to buy it again today even though my salary has increased over the years. With the changes over the years, I want to get out of the area. There's too many people for my liking.

Sabotaging your own property in hopes that someone steals it is legally risky. There are states where you can be charged with assault if you deliberately put an allergen in your lunch and someone at work steals your lunch and has an allergic reaction. It would, however, be satisfying to hear these bastards when they learn there is farm diesel in the gas tank.

I thought about the internet camera thing. Cell phone coverage here is spotty at best. Even if I got notified, I'm still an hour away. The replacement tools won't stay there under any circumstance until I can move up there full time. I'll have to carry them with me every time I go to the property.

I thought about a convoluted system where a 2x4 steel tube could be locked perpendicular to the outside of the SC doors, and the camper parked parallel within inches to the steel tube so that the tube prevents the camper doors from being opened and the trailer itself prevents the SC doors from being opened. I hate the idea because it means moving the trailer every time I go up there.

This got way too long. I apologize. Here's a picture of one of the locals, just because.

 

[bluedog225]

Sabotage? Perish the thought. I would never.

I just enjoy storing my 220 grit garnet sand in my gasoline container. No law against that.

 

[MichaelP]

Home insurance (with photos of your belongings)+home security service

 

[theoldwizard1]

If you have property that is far from neighbors, preventing thefts today is nearly impossible with battery operated grinders.

About the only defense you have is a burglar alarm system with multiple cameras and cellular modem to the closest cell tower. Of course, this means you need power ... In some areas, timber theft is an issue.

Expensive items (motorcycles, ATVs, etc) should have an Air Tag.

 

[zendriver]

In the 21st century, in the middle of nowhere, there is a camper, with a locked storage container nearby. What are the chances this will be of interest to the nefarious, wanting a look-see?

Theft is never right, but this almost seems like a common sense issue.

FWIW, situations like this were targets, many, many decades ago. Not saying how I know.

Sorry the OP lost his stuff. It will likely be available for sale in the places mentioned.

 

[cgrutt]

My son bought an electric scooter two days ago off FBM for $170. Somebody stole it last night. Some people just ****...

 

[zendriver]

Certainly a timely thread.

I live in the country, but at a road intersection that used to be a small village, so there are a dozen homes/buildings total, close to each other like in town. Never a problem with any crime in 10 years I've lived here.

My neighbor lives in town with this girlfriend, so rarely is there a vehicle in the driveway. Our mini golden doodle Dahli, is a sweetie, but has an alarm bark that can stop Godzilla in it's tracks. Look out the window, broad daylight, there is a guy wheeling neighbor's crappy homemade trailer sprayer towards the road. Looks at us through our window, see he's been spotted, meanders away and takes off. Didn't look like a meth-head, nicely dressed and rode on a really nice motorcycle. Maybe thought "hey I need that crappy sprayer, more than they do!" Didn't see if he had a hitch or comeback for it tonight.

Bottom line it was something left out in an unoccupied property, that was an easy grab for a have-not. Wonder why my neighbor left it out, maybe he thought no one would steal it. I contacted him and told I'd put it in my garage. He'll get it tomorrow.

I never lock my garage door, but I worry some day I'll wish I had. Sure they can get in anyway if they really wanted to, but simply walking in opening the big doors and taking my stuff, would make me feel worse.

Locked tonight and from here on. Theft has always been a problem in society, seems to a bigger one today.

 

[whateg01]

I'm near you in Southern Missouri. I don't think that issue is here yet.

That's the mentality that leads people to stick lots of tools and machinery "out at the property" and then be surprised when they go back a month and a half later and it's gone.

... Crack heads will tend to rob other crack heads because it's illegal for crack heads to have guns.

If you believe that, you might be smoking crack too.

 

[RTM]

thought about a convoluted system where a 2x4 steel tube could be locked perpendicular to the outside of the SC doors, and the camper parked parallel within inches to the steel tube so that the tube prevents the camper doors from being opened and the trailer itself prevents the SC doors from being opened. I hate the idea because it means moving the trailer every time I go up there.

Nothing is going to stop a determined crook. Knew a guy who had a Knack portable tool box in his back yard, welded down to metal poured into the slab, or something like that, been a while now.

One day he came home, and it was gone, rolled out intact thru his side gate. Said they ground the welds away while no one was home, then a big truck showed up for the load out. This was long before the age of quick n easy internet cameras, so he pieced it together later from anecdotal evidence left behind.

He figured a someone saw something, from a neighbor's yard or house, and planned a bit.

 

[StillTooManyHobbies]

Don't be in a hurry to restock at the remote location without a plan. When I lived in a less desirable apartment complex many years ago, someone stole a bunch of car batteries. A week later they stole a bunch of new car batteries.

 

[M635_Guy]

That really *****. Worth considering motion-sensing lights on top of the container with a solar-powered battery and a couple of security cameras that are connected via cellular. It's a decent deterrent (though I guess they could just shoot the cameras). I have a buddy who has some remote land and uses a camera like that positioned at the entrance. It alerts him as people approach, and he yells at them that he's on the way

 

[neophyte]

Don't be in a hurry to restock at the remote location without a plan. When I lived in a less desirable apartment complex many years ago, someone stole a bunch of car batteries. A week later they stole a bunch of new car batteries.

How many people would have realized if they stole the old batteries, and then returned a week later to switch the old batteries back in for the new batteries?