Theft deterrents: What has worked for you?!

[bigdave]

We gated our long driveway. It seems to keep most of the driveup..."does cathy live here?" casing of the place. However, we still get a few that walk in every year. I greet them while visibly carrying and letting my dog bark and circle them like a shark. If they come up the driveway they are an uninvited guest and are told to leave. If they come overland through the woods, they are a trespassing crook and they get the very cold, angry shoulder from me and the cops get called. Not that the cops come......but I will walk them out to the road and tell them to take a hike the cops are on their way. They often show up in the middle of the day when they think I won't be home. I always love the look on their face when I pop up and ask the WTH they're doing walking around my house? "I'm lost" seems to be the best they can come up with.

[krout81]

I put up big Camera's that are obvious and up high where they can't me missed with the infrared lights at night.  Haven't had any break in's since I put them up, but that doesn't mean its the camera's.

[Special T]

We gated our long driveway. It seems to keep most of the driveup..."does cathy live here?" casing of the place. However, we still get a few that walk in every year. I greet them while visibly carrying and letting my dog bark and circle them like a shark. If they come up the driveway they are an uninvited guest and are told to leave. If they come overland through the woods, they are a trespassing crook and they get the very cold, angry shoulder from me and the cops get called. Not that the cops come......but I will walk them out to the road and tell them to take a hike the cops are on their way. They often show up in the middle of the day when they think I won't be home. I always love the look on their face when I pop up and ask the WTH they're doing walking around my house? "I'm lost" seems to be the best they can come up with.

I have heard that sticking a gun in thier face tends to send the correct message. Ive never done such a thing, but i hear the word gets around in the dead beat circles pretty damn quick! 

[BLR 243]

electric gate at end of drive motion light, all kinds of no tresspassing or you'll be fertilitizer signs, and when I go to the mail box I'm visibily armed, long gun etc, the people driving by gotta think that guys crazy 

[Gringo31]

My experience is that most of these events happen during daylight.  They come, knock on the door to verify no one is home.  They knock a LONG time and even on a double wide size home will knock on both the front and back door to be sure.  If you answer, they are looking for directions, a gallon of gas, or for their buddy "James".  (who never lived there)

The one time I just waited quietly inside hoping they would kick the door in, they didn't. 

I'll also say that just like the old tv show "It takes a thief", it happens FAST.  I was robbed once and was literally walking in my front door a min and 30 seconds after the door was kicked in (Alarm, timer which would call my cell phone) and I didn't see the car leave.  They CAN rob and be gone in under a minute.  Hard to imagine but if you are in the get away car and two guys go in.....30 seconds is enough time to grab a handful.  Yes, the left a lot of things, but grabbed what they could.

I still say shoot em all 

[Fl0und3rz]

My experience is that most of these events happen during daylight.  They come, knock on the door to verify no one is home.  They knock a LONG time and even on a double wide size home will knock on both the front and back door to be sure.  If you answer, they are looking for directions, a gallon of gas, or for their buddy "James".  (who never lived there)

The one time I just waited quietly inside hoping they would kick the door in, they didn't. 

I'll also say that just like the old tv show "It takes a thief", it happens FAST.  I was robbed once and was literally walking in my front door a min and 30 seconds after the door was kicked in (Alarm, timer which would call my cell phone) and I didn't see the car leave.  They CAN rob and be gone in under a minute.  Hard to imagine but if you are in the get away car and two guys go in.....30 seconds is enough time to grab a handful.  Yes, the left a lot of things, but grabbed what they could.

I still say shoot em all 

That's why I say to have at least one conspicuous camera at the door.   It helps for the package theft idiots, too.

There was a lot of that day time stuff going on in my neighborhood.  I never got hit, but a couple on my street did.

I called the cops on the magazine seller dude that I have never before seen in the neighborhood, as well as another suspicious car.  The problems went away shortly after.  Stay vigilant.   I would suspect that most burglaries involve at least some casing beforehand.

[Gringo31]

LOTS of good advice on here.

Want to point out that your relationship with your local authorities makes a HUGE difference.  In Sunnyside, that didn't exist.  They were there to come an hour later and do the paperwork and grill you if they felt YOU did something wrong.

Happy to say I appreciate the current local LEO that I get to work with.  He's a good man and an example of how it's supposed to work.

[TheHunt]

I have a long commute but I came up with this idea for porch pirates (Package thieves).

Make a kit so I cannot be sued.
1. Create a circuit board with proximity sensor, wireless connection and GPS chip on it. 
2. Get a CO2 bottle that screws into a release trigger
3. The release trigger would attach into a perforated line.
4. The perforated line would go into a packet of fishing egg dye (The consumer's choice of dye). 
5. Write a little software for a laptop or mobile phone.

The consumer will get a notice of package being moved.  Consumer can switch from 100 feet to a mile or so before package explodes dye all over.  Or the consumer can monitor the package and race to the location and ignite the package when they get close so they can watch the carnage.

The cost would be around a 100 dollars which no one would pay.  BUT if it was around 20 people would buy it.
 

[Psychokiller888]

I am 100% positive that people would buy this for 100 dollars.

[TheHunt]

It would be throw away as you would never want to say hey that is my dye bomb can I have it back?  It is one shot and leave.  Oh, you would put a decoy address on it as well because you do not want the package once it leaves your porch to be tied back to you. 

When the cops show up and ask if you are missing a package you say well no...  Or yes, if you have some and call out what the content is so they cannot tie it back to you. 

Because you just messed up their rig.  And they will be calling the cops because they are stupid enough to steal they are stupid to call the cops they were wronged.

[bassquatch]

I've pondered fencing the yard and adding a bull? At least if I have to clean up after and feed him for a while I can eat him at some point and get another one...

I would love to see a tweaker hop the fence and get run out, or launched out, by a big ol' bull! 

[Rick]

Burglars want to sneak around unnoticed, a barking dog of any size is a great deterrent.  Our little 16lber isn't much for guarding anything,but we sure as hell know if someone is on the property.


 

[MADMAX]

Want to share this idea I picked off another board for kicker motor owners.
The tweakers tend to like the nice 4 stroke motors for an easy CL sale
Take your cowling off.
easy to do
Little more distinct to find and makes it more suspicious advertising it for sale