Creative ways to catch a burglar?

Question

A few months ago, my house (really just my garage) was burglarized. The thief cracked my top security system: He walked up to my car (which was parked on the street), opened the door (which was unlocked), and used my own garage door opener to open my garage door.

Now I've learned that these criminal masterminds have struck again. My neighbor told me they stole some CDs and stuff out of his car.

I have 3 cars and a 2 car garage so one must be parked on the street. I cover it with a car cover and I have noticed several nights over the past few weeks that the cover has been disturbed.

Okay, so I'm not going to purchase any video surveillance equipment or anything like that. But is there any way to catch this guy? Or just make him pay a little?

I thought I'd add that my neighbor is ridiculously safe. Hence, my car door was unlocked. Ialready have two dogs (useless) and my neighbors would laugh if I suggested neighborhood watch.

and the "top notch security system" description was sarcastic. If they really wanted to get some good stuff, they should have opened by back gate (which has no lock) and walked into my house from by back door (which is usuallly wide open).

Answer 1

I agree with the stakeout idea.
Buy a pellet gun (0.177 caliber is the easiest to find) and some hollow point pellets. Fill the hollow tips with the hottest hot sauce you can find. Let it dry in the pellets long enough to stay inside.
Then hide in a van across the street from your car, and when he shows up pop him in the @$$ as many times as you can before he runs crying into the night. Getting shot with a pellet will hurt, and the hot sauce will burn like HELL.
I doubt he'll be back.

Answer 2

The cheapest yet most effective way to catch him would be to become a night owl for a couple of nights. If anyway possible, just stay awake and keep a close eye on the vehicle. When you see the guy approach, call the cops and give them a detailed description of the person and which way he is heading when he leaves. If you have a 35mm camera or even a digital that you can disable the flash on, and have adequate lighting by your vehicle, then take a photo of him by your car. This will help in the prosecution if there is actually charges brought against him. If you have a camcorder, put it up in a window facing the vehicle one night and just let it start recording when you go to bed. You can catch the guy on camera and turn that over to the police and maybe someone can identify the suspect. We had an officer that kept having some vandalism done to his vehicle at his residence so he set up a camcorder aimed out his window to the car and, sure as hell, caught a couple little girls slashing several tires on his vehicle. They claimed they were doing it for arresting one of the two's baby's daddy. Proven system that works. As far as making him pay, you gotta catch him first and I am quite sure if the police catch him in the process, he will pay. There are so many car burglaries that occurr yet very few suspects actually caught. That being the case, the ones that do get caught often pay for the thieves that get away. I do not mean that in a judicial sense, just to be clear. They pay dearly before they actually go to jail. Anyways' good luck to you and I hope this helps.

Answer 3

Here's what I think you do. Buy a motion light and a trail camera. When the burglar walks up to the vehicle the motion light will turn on and the trail camera will take a hundred pictures and he'll probably show some indication that he was going towards your car like turning the opposite way or running. A good setup light is important test it out in the dark.

Answer 4

All the suggestions here are good, with the exception of shooting him with a pellet gun. In addition to being a crime that might get you arrested, what are you gonna do when the theif pulls a real gun and returns fire? Nothing you own is worth going to jail over, or more significantly, getting shot over.

Video or photograhic evidence is the most compelling. You can get a color video syem with sound that will record to a regular VCR for around $100 that anyone can set up.
A pitiful few of vehicle burglaries are ever solved, as GPD said. If you get photographic evidence of someone in the act, then you might at least be able to send them to jail. My sister solved a similar problem with a sticker in her car window and a sign in her yard that said "These premises, including curb side, under video surveillance". Never had anyone mess with it after that.

Answer 5

Start a Neighborhood Watch group in your neighborhood.Why do you have a top notch security system if you are going to leave an unlocked car on the street with the opener in it?Set the car's alarm to super sensitive,attach bells or other noise makers to the car cover, borrow/buy a dog that will alert you to someone there, set a walkie-talkie up on extra batteries with the transmit button left on & in the car with it's other unit in recieve mode & on you at all times,make sure you are trained and arm yourself with a firearm , ask your alarm company & Police Department for tips, read up on it & become pro-active! Also read an excellent book by Paxton Quigley "Armed & Female".Whether it's just property, or personal, my attitude is that if somebody messes with me- a law-abiding citizen in every respect-not only do I not neccesarily have the luxury of waiting for the police to arrive, but of the two of us, the criminal is the one who is going to be the happiest to see them arrive.

Answer 6

Do you have a dog, a big dog or little dog that will bark when someone comes around?
Do you have a motion security light that will come on when someone moves?
Are the bushes around your house cut short so that no one can hide in them?
Are your cars locked? and your garage door opener in your purse instead of your car?
Do you have a neighborhood watch program?

Answer 7

Ask someone ( a man ) or a friendly policeman to stay in the car with some weapons, after you cover it with the car cover. Bingo !!!
The thief can be caught without any struggle.
But make sure the man inside the car don't sleep !!!

Answer 8

Stakeout.

Answer 9

Put a tooth under an open crate, then when the tooth fairy goes to get it pull the string attached to the box so it closes on that sucker!

Answer 10

The video surveillance would help and so would a neighborhood watch group.