any theft problems in your area?

[kubotaguy]

2 summers ago my neighbor two miles down the road had his relatively new compact utility tractor stolen (it was green....but that is different story). in the same time frame another neighbor (a retired illinois state trooper) had a handgun, a computer, some of his wife's jewelry, and his retiree trooper badge stolen. last summer i caught a guy snooping around my place around 5:30 AM and he said he was looking for a hotel... I am miles from the nearest city and live on rural road and have a driveway over 1/4 mile long. i took his plate number down, called county sheriff. deputy came out, and said same guy was pulled over in a nearby town 5 hours earlier for possible dui. he told officer he had come from chicago to sell gold. after that incident....i keep a loaded .357 magnum revolver handy. the guy I caught had a thick middle eastern accent.

times have changed....none of us are safe anymore and it's not going to get any better.

 

[nightdevil]

interesting point, while I'm still searching for a good deal on a tractor (or pulling the trigger for a new one).... I came across one that was really good but the guy wanted to deliver it only, I couldn't come by and check it out or anything and he was even local. I thought that was too iffy for me and I didn't go through with it. I don't want anything hot on my hands.

 

[hodge]

interesting point, while I'm still searching for a good deal on a tractor (or pulling the trigger for a new one).... I came across one that was really good but the guy wanted to deliver it only, I couldn't come by and check it out or anything and he was even local. I thought that was too iffy for me and I didn't go through with it. I don't want anything hot on my hands.

Yea, that sounds sketchy. Anymore, I prefer that I meet prospective buyers or sellers in a neutral place, keeping them away from my residence.
If someone insisted on delivering, I would call his bluff and keep looking.

We live in a very isolated area, but everyone knows everyone, so a stranger stands out. I would be an easy target- lots of tools in old, hard to lock up barns- but we have dogs, we keep our eyes open, we have plenty of outdoor lighting, and I am proactive about protecting my family. It would be difficult for someone to steal from me.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I live out in the middle of nowhere, and I have a really good security system brought to you by Wolves, and backed up of a few guns.

One of the reasons I moved up here was that the crime here is really low, and I like that.

 

[fishkiller73]

I have a small 95 acre tree farm where i keep the tractor but i do not live there,yet.I store everything in a 40 foot shipping container.I welded pipe to the inside of the doors,cut a hole on both sides so i could run a bar threw both holes and the pipes.After that i drilled holes in both ends of the bar for locks.I Took 8 in square stock and welded it over both holes,did a little cutting and customized a key to get to the lock.You could drag it around with a dozer and not get in now and with the square stock over the locks there is no way to get a hammer or bolt cutters on the locks.This was all done because a neighbor had his tractor stolen over the summer.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Day times robberies seem to be the latest trend. My mom used to live in a rural part of town for a while and her house was broken into like 4 years ago during the day. Crooks figure you're at work and nobody is paying attention.

Stolen equipment is seldom recovered because unlike a vehicle there is no vin number on equipment and no national registry for the local police to check it with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Best way to assure getting your toys back are putting a LoJack tracker system on it.

 

[hodge]

I have a small 95 acre tree farm where i keep the tractor but i do not live there,yet.I store everything in a 40 foot shipping container.I welded pipe to the inside of the doors,cut a hole on both sides so i could run a bar threw both holes and the pipes.After that i drilled holes in both ends of the bar for locks.I Took 8 in square stock and welded it over both holes,did a little cutting and customized a key to get to the lock.You could drag it around with a dozer and not get in now and with the square stock over the locks there is no way to get a hammer or bolt cutters on the locks.This was all done because a neighbor had his tractor stolen over the summer.

Welcome to the forum Fishkiller, and that is great. Make them work for it, and still fail.

 

[kubotaman574]

Crime is up here, 2-4 Black Men have been Seen with a White SUV Everyday for 2 Weeks all over in a 30 Mi area. Also 2 Guys in a Red F-250 have been Seen 3-4 times at Houses that were Robbed During the Day.

As For Me 3- 150-200# Dogs 3 Alarms and a Couple Signs

 

[TripleR]

Not lately, but several years ago our home was burglarized and we lost a few things, it would have been worse, but my son was home on leave and interrupted them.

Overall though crime is pretty low, so we don't worry about it.

 

[olthumpa]

Where I live it is pretty open. When I built here about 25 years ago, I met the neighbors and was informed that there was an unofficial neighborhood watch usually conducted through the scope of a riffle. People to either side of our area have been broken into multiple times but none of us. I guess there might be some kind of a deterrent seeing someone standing in plain sight pointing a riffle at them helps to change their mind.

 

[WFM]

I live outside of town on a side road with 400' of driveway. I do run a business here and folks do stop , some of whom I don't trust at all. I have a security system with cameras , driveway alarm alerting me of cars or animals coming and going. I've never been robbed but don't leave home much either. Drugs and stealing go hand and hand and our town has both. When I took a firearms class the teacher said you'd never shoot or take a life if someone is simply stealing your tv set. I always remember that, but would have a hard time not stopping a robber or burglar and just letting them go. I try to air on the side of the boy scout...be prepared.

 

[Lil Foot]

I live in the Phoenix area, not sure of the statistics currently, but not long ago Phoenix had the nation's highest rates of identity theft, auto theft, un-insured drivers, and half a dozen other crimes. Pretty much a day doesn't go by without hearing about a shooting, usually gang related.
A few years ago, two POS made 7 attempts to steal my truck in a two hour period. (this was only possible because I was at work, where I could not be armed) The plant guards would not call the police, just kept asking them to leave, which they would do for a few mins, & then they'd return again. They finally gave up when I was able to hit one with a 30ft throw of a 4lb dead blow hammer. (I was given a termination warning for my actions.)
I've had Christmas lights stolen right off the house when I wasn't home, and had 2 1/2 years of break-in attempts, arson, vandalism, dog poisonings, and other crap from a single family in my old neighborhood. (another story, some day I might write a book)
Up north where my cabin is, we recently had two POS arrested for 136 burglaries in the area. (they actually hit over 220 places, thank God they hadn't hit me yet)
A few years ago, I was the foreman of a county grand jury for 3 months; we did 265 cases, and 214 were identity theft. After seeing so many honest, hard working families have their lives destroyed by these scumballs, I would not be opposed to seeing the death penalty imposed for identity theft. In fact, I"m convinced the single greatest reason for crime in this country is the lack of suitable, severe, consistently applied punishment.
If you think I live in a bad neighborhood, the median home price in my area is $435K, and the highest rated grade school in the state is 2 blocks from me.
I am active in block watch programs, and I'm active politically, and have personally stopped several crimes over the years. (with a hands on approach, if you get my meaning)
Why do I stay? Well, part of it is the way I was raised; this is my home & I refuse to run & let the punks win. If my actions can do anything to reverse the trend, even a little, I'll stick it out. But I have to admit, most of the time I feel like a guy trying to stop the incoming tide with a squeegee.
End of rant, sorry, this subject touches a sore spot with me.

 

[WFM]

Your a bigger man then I Lil Foot...I'd sell...pack my bags and move. Some have to live in the citys, others have the means to move and not live in fear.
Many folks I've come across here in Maine have moved from Boston Mass or Conn. They have sold out and moved north. I'm native here with family roots since 1600's , but if the crime was bad. I'd leave.

 

[Lil Foot]

WFM- thanks. It's not living in fear, more like anger. Like my wife says, God help the next guy who provokes a physical fight with me.

 

[hodge]

"In fact, I"m convinced the single greatest reason for crime in this country is the lack of suitable, severe, consistently applied punishment." Lil Foot

I agree 1000%, and would add to that a society that fosters the belief that it isn't wrong if you aren't caught, and that there isn't personal responsibility as long as you can blame it on someone else. Oh, you don't have to work- spend someone else's money.

 

[Bulldog]

It would be difficult for someone to steal from me.

I thought the same thing until last winter. I had all the building on the other side of my farm broken into (5x in 2 weeks) and in total lost about 70K in tools and personal property. They were coming in during the day while I was working and carrying the stuff off right in front of our nose. I put up cameras and even got pictures of one of the theives and never did get any help from the police. One of the detectives identified the man in the pic and still nothing was done. Makes me sick, I hate a theif.

 

[ETRon]

Sorry to hear that Bulldog......... makes one ashamed of those supposed to be on our side!

 

[skeets]

I hear your pain, I never thought we lived in a bad area, until after we were robbed, gun, money, all of the OL's jewelry all her pain meds. They were in and out in about half an hour, she went to the store and got back it was done. Cops told me if I hear anything call them first, I asked if I looked like the kind of person that would take the law into my own hands? Cop said Im just glad they didn't take the Harley, I asked why is that,,,,,,, He said we could find you and the bike, I said he said by following the trail of bodies!

 

[Lil Foot]

even got pictures of one of the theives and never did get any help from the police. One of the detectives identified the man in the pic and still nothing was done.

You must live in Phoenix….
I feel your pain- this is an exact quote from a city of Phoenix police lieutenant during my neighborhood ordeal years ago:

The next time they try to break in, or set your front lawn on fire, or threaten to kill your wife, don't call us- you're antagonizing them.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

And then this sick shit happens. 3 robbers held a man at gun point and tied him up.

http://wtvr.com/2013/12/22/home-invasion-man-tied-up-and-robbed-by-3-suspects/