Help me catch a thief!

[Kirk]

I've got a problem. Some teen is breaking into my townhouse while I'm gone, raiding the refrigerator and renting porn on my ppv. It has to be someone that knows my teen daughter and knows when we're gone.

Is there some kind of inexpensive camera that is motion activated or something? Don't really want to spend a lot on a cheap thief.

 

[Serena]

Hi Kirk.
I don't have any suggestions for cameras or anything. Personally, I'd just call the police and tell them what's going on. Tell them someone is breaking into your house whenever you're gone.
Does this happen a lot?

 

[mickeyfan1]

Yes, you can spend a lot to get a camera and motion activated recorder, but why not let the cops know? Also, you should be able to password protect your adult PPV, call your TV provider.

Set up a sting, snnounce your next trip away, and then find a place to wait, you should be able to catch whoever is doing it. Change the locks, put some alarm signs up, don't tell your daughter.

 

[Kirk]

Serena,

The police will just tell me to get better locks which I have but I'd really like to know who it is. It's happened at least twice I know of but today I found the window unlatched again. I think it may be some kid ditching school and playing with my toys. Annoying more than anything else.

BTW I lived in INDY for 5 years. Still have a house I'm trying to rent out there on the East side of town. Small world!

 

[Kirk]

mickeyfan1,

I did password protect the system but not before $30 worth of porn showed up on my bill. I put better locks on today and am having my screens repaired tomorrow.

I thought about a sting but it's hard to do without letting my daughter in on what's happening. Being a single parent I have to make arrangements for her when I go out of town.

 

[Serena]

It is a small world. If you are sure your daughter knows about who it is or is telling people, I'd talk with her. Make sure she knows that when you catch who is breaking into your house they are going to jail.
She probably won't tell you if she is or isn't. But maybe she'll pass it along to her friends and the kid doing it may decide you aren't a free place to play anymore. I'd padlock the fridge too.

Goodluck.

Kirk, it is a small world. I live on the west side, but many of my family and dd's friends are over there.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Not to be wierd or anything but don't you think your dd "knows" who it is? Shes not skipping with him, is she? Just a thought...
Perhaps a "game" of the police know who it is and he is going to be arrested for robbing the house, yadda, yadda (insert frightening thought)...might get a confession outta her?

If this is not the case I suppose the best way would be to pretend you are going out of town, hang out and then call police when he enters the home? Have a camera handy?

I would probably install a camera in my home without dds knowledge as these days face to face confrontations end up in wierd disasters.

Good Luck!

 

[Kirk]

I know it's not the DD since she has a key - no need to break in.

 

[gemmie214]

Personally I would do a sting. You could have your daughter stay with a friend for the night because you "have" to do something and then when you see someone in the house call the police and let them deal with it. Personally,I find the situation scary. It is not normal for a person to break into someone's house and hang out there. Very disturbing.

 

[Pumbaa_]

I would want to know who it was too, and I am sure that whoever it parents would also love to know what their child is doing!

Not cheap, it looks like they run around $200 and up and some places have rentals available. Let us know how this turns out!

Nanny Cam

Other Nanny Cam site

 

[Shelby5514]

Try Smarthome.com for cameras. My husband bought a wireless black& white camera for under $100.00 to tape people whenever we had a showing on our house. The one he bought was small, approx 6x3x3. I placed it into a birdhouse on top of a hutch, put ivy garland around it and it became invisible. The camera sends an RF signal to any VCR. We would put in a 8 hour tape and leave the house. It worked great. The audio was good until the people were about 25 ft away from the camera but the video was great. We also used a VCR that wasn't plugged into the TV, just in case they would turn the TV on they wouldn't see themselves!
You could also try Ubid.com I know my husband has found other things like this there too.
Good Luck!!

Shelby5514

 

[annemariec]

Originally posted by gemmie214
Personally I would do a sting. You could have your daughter stay with a friend for the night because you "have" to do something and then when you see someone in the house call the police and let them deal with it. Personally,I find the situation scary. It is not normal for a person to break into someone's house and hang out there. Very disturbing.

I agree 100%, gemmie214! I love a sting!!! I'd hide somewhere outside and away a bit where you can see the lights go on once the perps are there. Then call the police. I'd probably borrow a friends car and hide mine. So there would be no chance of being spotted. Let the police pick the guy(s) up.

Good Luck with this, Kirk.

Keep us posted!!

Annemarie

 

[CRB#33]

Your house is being broken into and all the police are going to say is, "Get better locks????"

I'd move.

 

[BarryHom]

Is there a way to change the porn channels on a PPV to something like the Lifetime Movie Channel? I can see it now...the kids break in and turn on the TV to porn, but they get a movie about women cops!

I get spam all the time on alarm systems and motion detectors. I'm sure you can videotape the culprits and get them to juvie!

 

[Towncrier]

You can get a motion activated video camera from X10.com that would do the trick (if that's what you still want to try).

 

[BarryHom]

Put bean sprouts, lima beans, and Clamtamato in the fridge too. See if they'll come back!

 

[Kirk]

Ha! How 'bout a BIG cake frosted with X-Lax?

Seriously now, I think I'm gonna go get me a little camera like Towncrier said then set up a sting. That should take care of things!

Thank you guys for all the ideas! I'll let you all know what comes of it all.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Good luck, Kirk. Catch those guys, or gals.

 

[robinb]

Originally posted by Shelby5514
Try Smarthome.com for cameras. My husband bought a wireless black& white camera for under $100.00 to tape people whenever we had a showing on our house.

Shelby5514,

I have to say that I find it somewhat disturbing that you felt a need to tape people who came to look at your house when it was up for sale. That's really creepy .

 

[clutter]

robinb

You'd think it's weird, but there was the time that I listed my house and both my roommate and I had percocet (leftovers from surgery) stolen. I mean taken from the bottom of a really crammed, disorganized, bathroom cabinet. Don't know how they found it! My agent was curious and had the lockbox run to see what agents had been in and out. One woman agent had used the lockbox more than a half a dozen times. Never heard of her. No card, no calls, etc.

I'd consider it if I thought my house was going to be on the market for a while. But in my room/bathroom, not in the general living area. Especially since the state I'm in now doesn't record what agent uses the boxes.

Good luck Kirk. It's creepy that someone's there (and dumb enough to use ppv then think he can come back!) when you're gone.