To catch a thief

cc wrote:
<Snip story of [censored] people>

Quoted message said:

It seems that his visits to our building are quite frequent . Does
anyone have creative thoughts as to catching (or punishing) him,
outside of posting up with my shiny headlamp unguarded?

Cheers,
Colin

How about a web cam and laptop (or desktop) indoors at a strategic location
looking out a window at some bait arranged so the perp would have to face
the camera? There's cheap shareware security camera software that I messed
with a little for a baby monitor that will make it motion activated. Maybe
just a locked bike with an old bag on it so you don't have that much to
loose. If you have access use a nicer camcorder (zoom) as a web cam or just
standalone to tape.

Depending on your relationship with security and/or local cops you could
maybe involve them too, or maybe not until you have good evidence. Of course
it would be best to have video and a captive, but then you risk them being a
freak and attacking you and/or being armed.

Good luck, and I could look to see what the software was if you want. I
don't remember offhand.

Matt

Quoted message said:

Depending on your relationship with security and/or local cops you could
maybe involve them too, or maybe not until you have good evidence. Of

course

Quoted message said:

it would be best to have video and a captive, but then you risk them being

a

Quoted message said:

freak and attacking you and/or being armed.

Good luck, and I could look to see what the software was if you want. I
don't remember offhand.

Good thoughts. I would love to catch him, but would also worry of course
that he's armed. My labmate used to fight professionally (I've seen some of
his taped fights, which frankly scare the [censored] out of me), but neither of us
are usually packing (note sarcasm: Colin hates guns).

I'd like to set up a booby-trap, but stories of liability and lawsuits for
thieves have set me against that idea. Hmmm . . . unless it was very
well-executed.

cc said:

The area around my lab at campus is generally quiet, and we've never had too
many problems with bikes before. Recently, however, there has been a rash of
thefts. My friend's new HR was stolen from outside the window of a class we
were taking (his fault for not locking it, but amazing that someone picked
it up from under our noses in the 1hr (?!) that we were in class). A friend
of mine lost his front wheel a week ago, my labmate his seat and light
yesterday. Keep in mind this is all just outside of my laboratory.

whehehe, you should visit holland some time. If you leave your bike and
you only *blink* once, it is gone 🙂

But to solve your problem: ask your friend/colleagues around for a
webcam (load of people bought one but never use them) and hook it up to
a computer. Install some 'spy' software which captures images when
movement is detected (there is even very nice software in which you can
setup that it only records if there is movement in a specific area of
the image).

Another option is to hook up a videocamera to a ordinary VCR which has
an 4 hours tape in it and supports longplay. You can record 8 hours with
it which should cover most time of the day. Use 5 tapes so you can find
out the thief if someone reports a stolen bike even after 3 days or so.

cc said:

Anyone ever caught a bike thief? I'd love to hear your story . . to
make me feel better, and perhaps quell my desire for murder. I'm a
very laidback guy, but thieves make my blood boil.

This won't help you catch your theif but we had a little luck about two
months ago.

My friend's Gary Fisher was stolen about a year ago from a shed in his back
garden when they levered the door off and broke through his lock. It was all
reported to the police but needless to say he didn't hear anything from
them. He did however get £800 from the insurance company for his bike.

The good bit came the other month, when my girlfriend and I were walking
home past our local pub, and i saw some guy messing around on a bike that
looked just like Dave's GF. The guy was parading it to his friends who were
drinking on the outside tables, attempting wheelies and stuff. We hurried
home and I called Dave so he could come and take a look. He confirmed that
it was his bike, so we rang the police and staked the place out to keep an
eye on him. The police came about half hour later, and apprehended the guy
and the bike, took them down the station. To cut a long story short, it
seems that the guy was able to prove that he'd bought the bike from someone
else, for £60, so he was freed, but the bike was returned to Dave (he had to
prove it was his with photos, frame numbers, receipt etc), 10 months after
he lost it! He hasn't got round to telling the insurance company yet
either...

Not often you get a nice ending like that is it?

--
Mark

Mark (UK) said:

cc wrote:
and the bike, took them down the station. To cut a long story short, it
seems that the guy was able to prove that he'd bought the bike from someone
else, for £60, so he was freed, but the bike was returned to Dave (he had to
prove it was his with photos, frame numbers, receipt etc), 10 months after
he lost it! He hasn't got round to telling the insurance company yet
either...

Not often you get a nice ending like that is it?
Mark

nice story 🙂

But technically your friend is a thief himself now. When the insurance
company paid out for his new bike, they also became the owner of the old
bike in case it is retrieved (well that's the way it goes in the
Netherlands, check your insurrance policy).

But chances are very slim I guess that someone of the insurance will
check it.

T-V said:

Mark (UK) said:

cc wrote:
and the bike, took them down the station. To cut a long story short,
it seems that the guy was able to prove that he'd bought the bike
from someone else, for £60, so he was freed, but the bike was
returned to Dave (he had to prove it was his with photos, frame
numbers, receipt etc), 10 months after he lost it! He hasn't got
round to telling the insurance company yet either...

Not often you get a nice ending like that is it?
Mark

nice story 🙂

But technically your friend is a thief himself now.

yes, be careful of karma....

MattB said:

cc wrote:
<Snip story of [censored] people>

Quoted message said:

It seems that his visits to our building are quite frequent . Does
anyone have creative thoughts as to catching (or punishing) him,
outside of posting up with my shiny headlamp unguarded?

Cheers,
Colin

How about a web cam and laptop (or desktop)
indoors at a strategic location...

http://tinyurl.com/3du6j

Friend of mine has been thinking about getting one of these to get
some information about 4-wheeler riders who poach our singletrack.

Kinda costy, and you'll probably have lots of pictures taken of
innocent people outside of a lab at Stanford. But this is probably
better solution than a web-cam/laptop combo, at least for getting
pictures of the *$&%%@%^& crook.
--
Tom Purvis - http://www.arkansasvalley.net/tpurvis/
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so
certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."-Bertrand Russell

cc said:

Although it's quite inconvenient due to my setup, I guess I will just have
to take everything indoors. [censored].

My boyfriend had his locked bike stolen out of his locked lab.

Not much more he could have done to avoid that.
His new plan is to not leave the bike anywhere until he has perfected
his mobile bike charger. He's going to electrify the bike like my
horse's fence. Not enough to hurt, just enough to thwart. Typical MIT
solution.

-Charlotte

pas said:

T-V said:

Mark (UK) said:

cc wrote:
and the bike, took them down the station. To cut a long story short,
it seems that the guy was able to prove that he'd bought the bike
from someone else, for £60, so he was freed, but the bike was
returned to Dave (he had to prove it was his with photos, frame
numbers, receipt etc), 10 months after he lost it! He hasn't got
round to telling the insurance company yet either...

Not often you get a nice ending like that is it?
Mark

nice story 🙂

But technically your friend is a thief himself now.

yes, be careful of karma....

And laws!

"T-V" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mark (UK) said:

cc wrote:
and the bike, took them down the station. To cut a long story short, it
seems that the guy was able to prove that he'd bought the bike from

someone

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

else, for £60, so he was freed, but the bike was returned to Dave (he

had to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

prove it was his with photos, frame numbers, receipt etc), 10 months

after

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

he lost it! He hasn't got round to telling the insurance company yet
either...

Not often you get a nice ending like that is it?
Mark

nice story 🙂

But technically your friend is a thief himself now.

technically so are insurance companies hehehe.

Charlotte said:

cc said:

Although it's quite inconvenient due to my setup, I guess I will just
have
to take everything indoors. [censored].

My boyfriend had his locked bike stolen out of his locked lab.

Not much more he could have done to avoid that.
His new plan is to not leave the bike anywhere until he has perfected
his mobile bike charger. He's going to electrify the bike like my
horse's fence. Not enough to hurt, just enough to thwart. Typical MIT
solution.

-Charlotte

Remember that guy in Florida several years back. He electrified a fence
type structure above his pawn shop (or something like that), because he
had been repeatedly broken into. The next guy to try died in the
process, I think the shop owner was taken to court, probably by the
family of the dead thief.

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado
(remove ".nospam" to reply)

On 2004-06-22, Charlotte penned:

Quoted message said:

Not much more he could have done to avoid that. His new plan is to
not leave the bike anywhere until he has perfected his mobile bike
charger. He's going to electrify the bike like my horse's fence. Not
enough to hurt, just enough to thwart. Typical MIT solution.

When he figures it out, let me know.

--
monique

"Mark (UK)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

cc said:

Anyone ever caught a bike thief? I'd love to hear your story . . to
make me feel better, and perhaps quell my desire for murder. I'm a
very laidback guy, but thieves make my blood boil.

This won't help you catch your theif but we had a little luck about two
months ago.

My friend's Gary Fisher was stolen about a year ago from a shed in his

back

Quoted message said:

garden when they levered the door off and broke through his lock. It was

all

Quoted message said:

reported to the police but needless to say he didn't hear anything from
them. He did however get £800 from the insurance company for his bike.

The good bit came the other month, when my girlfriend and I were walking
home past our local pub, and i saw some guy messing around on a bike that
looked just like Dave's GF. The guy was parading it to his friends who

were

Quoted message said:

drinking on the outside tables, attempting wheelies and stuff. We hurried
home and I called Dave so he could come and take a look. He confirmed that
it was his bike, so we rang the police and staked the place out to keep an
eye on him. The police came about half hour later, and apprehended the guy
and the bike, took them down the station. To cut a long story short, it
seems that the guy was able to prove that he'd bought the bike from

someone

Quoted message said:

else, for £60, so he was freed, but the bike was returned to Dave (he had

to

Quoted message said:

prove it was his with photos, frame numbers, receipt etc), 10 months after
he lost it! He hasn't got round to telling the insurance company yet
either...

Not often you get a nice ending like that is it?

--
Mark

My KHS Comp was stolen by a painters helper, along with some other stuff
from our house including my wife's engagement ring. We and the police
questioned the painters fairly thoroughly but it seems nobody knew anything.

When your bike is stolen I think its human nature to notice every bike you
see anywhere, just in case it's yours. About a month and a thousand noticed
bikes later I am driving along this road and spot a guy and girl walking
along with a bike, and dammit its mine! They go into a building and leave
the bike outside. I am practically shaking with excitement and anger at this
point but its not that simple, theres alot more at stake than just the bike.
No cell phone with me so I drove home quickly (a few blocks away). Thanks to
a calm collected wife, who said 'phone the police'. I told them they had to
move quickly if they were going to catch these folks, and amazingly they
did. I went back to stake the place out and within a few minutes there were
the cops. The guy and the girl claimed the bike belonged to their friend who
turned out to be one of the painters helpers. We got the bike and the ring
back (the ring was a longer story involving a pawn shop and I won't go into
it here), but some other stuff was never recovered. However the police also
charged this guy with two other break and enters, once they investigated him
more fully. He was convicted. Very satisfying. Very lucky to have been in
the right place at the right time.

Sorry to hear about your on-going problems with this thief, I like the
camcorder idea, there has to be some way of identifying this thief, if he
keeps coming back to the same place he's giving you an opportunity to catch
him. Use it!

Sniffinvinyl
----------------
Remain sane, cycle your brains out . . .

T-V said:

Mark (UK) said:

cc wrote:
and the bike, took them down the station. To cut a long story short,
it seems that the guy was able to prove that he'd bought the bike
from someone else, for £60, so he was freed, but the bike was
returned to Dave (he had to prove it was his with photos, frame
numbers, receipt etc), 10 months after he lost it! He hasn't got
round to telling the insurance company yet either...

Not often you get a nice ending like that is it?
Mark

nice story 🙂

But technically your friend is a thief himself now. When the insurance
company paid out for his new bike, they also became the owner of the
old bike in case it is retrieved (well that's the way it goes in the
Netherlands, check your insurrance policy).

I discussed this with him at the time, but of course it's up to him, and i
guess he hasn't had time to take care of it yet.

--
Mark

SniffinVinyl said:

When your bike is stolen I think its human nature to notice every
bike you see anywhere, just in case it's yours. About a month and a
thousand noticed bikes later I am driving along this road and spot a
guy and girl walking along with a bike, and dammit its mine! They go
into a building and leave the bike outside. I am practically shaking
with excitement and anger at this point but its not that simple,
theres alot more at stake than just the bike. No cell phone with me
so I drove home quickly (a few blocks away). Thanks to a calm
collected wife, who said 'phone the police'. I told them they had to
move quickly if they were going to catch these folks, and amazingly
they did. I went back to stake the place out and within a few minutes
there were the cops. The guy and the girl claimed the bike belonged
to their friend who turned out to be one of the painters helpers. We
got the bike and the ring back (the ring was a longer story involving
a pawn shop and I won't go into it here), but some other stuff was
never recovered. However the police also charged this guy with two
other break and enters, once they investigated him more fully. He was
convicted. Very satisfying. Very lucky to have been in the right
place at the right time.

And now that guy's doing pull-ups in the pen, with "SNUFF VINYL" tattooed on
his knuckles!

Bill "cool story -- way to go" S.

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

pas said:

T-V said:

Mark (UK) wrote:
> cc wrote:
> and the bike, took them down the station. To cut a long story short,
> it seems that the guy was able to prove that he'd bought the bike
> from someone else, for £60, so he was freed, but the bike was
> returned to Dave (he had to prove it was his with photos, frame
> numbers, receipt etc), 10 months after he lost it! He hasn't got
> round to telling the insurance company yet either...
>
> Not often you get a nice ending like that is it?
> Mark

nice story 🙂

But technically your friend is a thief himself now.

yes, be careful of karma....

And laws!

And karma police! You don't want what you get when you mess with them....

( http://www.cool-lyrics-world.net/Karma_Police_Lyrics.html )

--
- Joel C.

Quoted message said:

Not much more he could have done to avoid that.
His new plan is to not leave the bike anywhere until he has perfected
his mobile bike charger. He's going to electrify the bike like my
horse's fence. Not enough to hurt, just enough to thwart. Typical MIT
solution.

Yes, I was thinking of this. I'd love to catch the reaction on a video
camera.

Quoted message said:

Good luck, and I could look to see what the software was if you want. I
don't remember offhand.

So the thing is : I don't know what I would do if I had footage except get
more irritated at someone who I *could* identify. I doubt that - with the #
of people on campus - I would ever see the person again. Outside of posting
"stop this [censored]" posters around campus, I don't know what use it would
be. That, and I would be down whatever he ripped off.

Colin

"S o r n i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

SniffinVinyl wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

We
got the bike and the ring back (the ring was a longer story involving
a pawn shop and I won't go into it here), but some other stuff was
never recovered. However the police also charged this guy with two
other break and enters, once they investigated him more fully. He was
convicted. Very satisfying. Very lucky to have been in the right
place at the right time.

And now that guy's doing pull-ups in the pen, with "SNUFF VINYL" tattooed

on

Quoted message said:

his knuckles!

Bill "cool story -- way to go" S.

He messed with my bike (oh yeah the ring too). So tough [censored] about what
happened because of it.
Besides, doesn't the penal system rehabilitate offenders? (LOL)
And send them back into society as reformed citizens, ready to be useful to
society? (LMAO)
Truly repentent for their crimes? (ROTFLMAO)

Sniffinvinyl
----------------
Remain sane, cycle your brains out . . .