If you see someone breaking into your car, what do you do? Confront them or call police?

Question

I live in a neighborhood that has been the site of many car break-ins and thefts. If I see someone breaking into a car should I just call police? Should I try to take pictures of the person/person's car? Should I let them know that I see them? Can I release a dog on them or is that illegal (in California)? If they leave before the police arrive should I follow them? The theives have broke into almost every car within 2 blocks of my home, including my cars two separete times. I once witnessed people gutting a neighbors garage at 2 in the morning, when I called the cops they said they'd send someone out. The guys were gone within 5 minutes. I returned a call to the cops and followed the guys in the car. The police told me to stop following them and that they would send a crew out to search my neighborhood. By the time I hung up with the cops the theives were 11 miles away from my house. I soon lost the guys and they got away with about 2,000 dollars worth of stuff. What should I do?

Answer 1

home-based business

If you see someone breaking into your car,
I would not advice that you confront them 'cos you might not know if he/she is having a weapon on him. Rather call a police cop and as well make us of any available tool or device on you(e.g use a camera phone to cover the thief on mission-to steal). This way, you will be providing the investigation department of the Vicinity with concrete/reliable information about (a) how the theft was being carried out (b) the time of theft (c) the thief's picture and other deductive details. All these are vital and essential for effective and concise investigations to track down the offender.

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Answer 2

Call the police, take pictures if you can. You should not confront them, you have no idea if they are on drugs, or if they have any type of lethal weapons. I dont know whether releasing a dog on them is legal in your state, you need to check the penal code in CA, unfortunately, by the time the police show up, the criminals are going to be gone.
I live near Milwaukee, and in a neighborhood there, some elderly lady called the police, because she heard someone trying to break into her house, they said "we'll send someone out" she got anxious and called her neighbor on the other side, he came over, caught the guy trying to enter, but ended up getting shot and died because he was only trying to do the right thing and help his elderly neighbor. (And that was totally pathetic of that creep of a criminal!!!!!)
I would just suggest moving out of that city to a more peaceful one without a lot of crime. I am well aware crime happens everywhere, but its the amount of the crime that I would be thinking of.

Answer 3

It would be smart to take pictures. It might be dangerous to confront them incase they have a weapon. Get together with your neighborhood as well and see if they want to start a neighborhood watch. Sometimes the police don't always send someone out because it's not too "important". And if a dog "happens" to get out, I don't see how that can be illegal. Just hope that they don't have weapons. You should be reporting anything that is stolen as well to the police. And stop leaving things in your car so they don't come back.

Answer 4

Take pics by all means, and call the cops. Ask a lawyer if it is legal to release a dog on someone committing a crime.

Don't confront them, they could be armed, drug-addled, and will be desperate to get away. You are not a cop, I suppose you do not have a gun. I suppose it I saw someone breaking into MY car I would grab a bat or something and let the bastards have it.

Answer 5

Call the police. If you have to or want to, call them again and again, but never confront those people! Many law breakers these days have weapons and have no problem using them. By calling the police, you are doing what you can and probably more than many people. Your life is not worth stopping these people. That's what the police are for.

Answer 6

ha! stay out of it. you can actually get fined of you interfere. look, this is what you do. When you see this happening again, call the cops. instead of saying they are robbing something or breaking and entering, say they are beating a woman up and it looks as it they are using a gun. when no weapon is found or a beaten woman, say you saw someone on the ground while they were breaking into something it it appeared to be that way. you didn't have time to take a long look since you ran to go make the call. either way, the cops show up way quicker.

Answer 7

billy don't be a hero

best you can do is get a description, call the police, tell them the crime is in progress, and give the description - be as detailed as is possible. watch where the bad guy goes, direction, how - in a car on a bike? was he alone?

if you can be a deterrent from a distance by yelling for the punk to stop..and keep him from accomplishing his business..then good for you.

i wouldn't recommend unleashing your dog - he could get hurt, or the city might have him put down if he hurts someone.

Answer 8

if you can you should move. cops just can't make it in time and you'd be endangering yourself if you did anything. Sadly that's the reality of it. My brother in law heard his dogs going ape sh*t in the middle of the night but since he was up he went outside. These guys were trying to jack his neighbor's motorcycle. He just yelled "hey!" That's it. Then he got jumped and his face kicked in. So he had to get surgeries on his jaw, that was over 5 years ago and he still has to keep going to the dentist . He did the "right thing" but was it worth it for that?

Answer 9

I think the standard response is to pop a cap into them.

The other alternative is to call the police and say you think that those thieves have carjacked a vehicle with a child in it. That might get their attention.

Third alternative is to move out to a better neighborhood.

Answer 10

The police never show up in time. I would yell at them that I can see them, they might run away or they might not care. If they don't care then I would call the cops then walk outside with a baseball bat and beat their *** if they don't run away. I dunno about your neighbourhood and but I lived in a similar neighbourhood and the theives never had guns but if they do in your area then I wouldn't suggest face-to-face confrontation.