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Permalink Reply by Anika on September 23, 2013 at 2:07pm

Sadly, I don't think it is just one.

Last week I noticed 3 males riding up and down the alleys on a collection of different bikes in our neighborhood.  They passed by my garage 3 times in 5 minutes - on cell phones the entire time.  Two blocks away, a friend noticed the same group on a different day from her back porch. I gave a description to the police last week when it looked like they might be up to no good.  There is less gang activity in our neighborhood than there used to be but it's not gone completely.

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Permalink Reply by Reboot Oxnard on September 23, 2013 at 10:16pm

When this happens, try to remember to take your phone out and snap a photo of them. It's a remarkably effective deterrent. If they're knuckleheads they'll see that you've just made a record of them and depart for less observant alleys. If they're innocents, they'll wave back and might even say "Hi."

We had a problem years ago with Morlocks in the alley (breaking into garages, spray painting gang crap, pissing in the street, etc.) and installed a cheap video camera on the garage with a motion sensor to activate it. Three separate times we had a tape of the 'usual suspects' dancing and cavorting as they tore it down, three separate times the cops hauled them in. Eventually they figured it out and found another alley to hang out in. If this is beyond your budget, this might be just as effective on the professionals.

Anika said:

Sadly, I don't think it is just one.

Last week I noticed 3 males riding up and down the alleys on a collection of different bikes in our neighborhood.  They passed by my garage 3 times in 5 minutes - on cell phones the entire time.  Two blocks away, a friend noticed the same group on a different day from her back porch. I gave a description to the police last week when it looked like they might be up to no good.  There is less gang activity in our neighborhood than there used to be but it's not gone completely.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on September 24, 2013 at 6:04am

As evidenced by my theft last week it's not just one, it's even "our own".  Hipsters know the value of what they steal as well as scrappers and professional thieves.

 

I'm always suspicious of someone on a crappy Mt. Bike riding a nicer bike down the street, I see that every so often too.

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Permalink Reply by dan brown on September 24, 2013 at 8:05am

I almost hate to jump into this thread...but too late :

Peggy's next door neighbor was complaining about the crack dealers that are across the street 24/7.

He installed a video camera and took photos of them grabbing from their "stash" (basically a brown's

chicken bag stuffed into a chain-link fence. (note : they think they are being sneaky; but this guy is a

security consultant). He took the video footage and photos (including license plate numbers of the 'bosses') to CPD and met with the gang crimes folks. They dragged their feet. Then he said he would

go meet with the media (WGN 9,CBS 2, NBC 5, Fox32, etc.) and they said hold on. there were tactical units patrolling the corner and alleys all weekend long after that. So the lesson here is : when you have done all your homework; and get the usul treatment from the CPD (be sure to get names, rank and star numbers); then you approach the media and say that the CPD does not want to help ("serve and protect" ???) and provide names, etc. the CPD all of a sudden decides to act. I only hope that bike theft will get the same response as cocaine. one never knows. sorry about the theft. that is just SO WRONG to enter a yard and take someone's livelihool and sell it for $10; It angers me so much. let's all be on the lookout for that unique Allez and the others.

 

 

DHB

Reboot Oxnard said:

When this happens, try to remember to take your phone out and snap a photo of them. It's a remarkably effective deterrent. If they're knuckleheads they'll see that you've just made a record of them and depart for less observant alleys. If they're innocents, they'll wave back and might even say "Hi."

We had a problem years ago with Morlocks in the alley (breaking into garages, spray painting gang crap, pissing in the street, etc.) and installed a cheap video camera on the garage with a motion sensor to activate it. Three separate times we had a tape of the 'usual suspects' dancing and cavorting as they tore it down, three separate times the cops hauled them in. Eventually they figured it out and found another alley to hang out in. If this is beyond your budget, this might be just as effective on the professionals.

Anika said:

Sadly, I don't think it is just one.

Last week I noticed 3 males riding up and down the alleys on a collection of different bikes in our neighborhood.  They passed by my garage 3 times in 5 minutes - on cell phones the entire time.  Two blocks away, a friend noticed the same group on a different day from her back porch. I gave a description to the police last week when it looked like they might be up to no good.  There is less gang activity in our neighborhood than there used to be but it's not gone completely.

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Permalink Reply by Julia 3.5/7.5 mi on September 24, 2013 at 2:53pm

Absurdly enough, our elderly neighbor almost caught the guy. From what we've put together, he tossed the bike over our adjoining fence and was leaving her yard with it, when she stopped him near her front gate. She yelled at him for a minute before determining that he hadn't taken anything from her - too bad her wits didn't recognize the bike from next door.  We've actually got a great description of the guy (5'8" hispanic male, avg. build, long curly black hair, yellow gap tshirt, jeans, black puma shoes), which matches another neighbors' description of a shady character in the alley yesterday mornings. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to help at this point...

I like those camera options. We'd looked at something a while ago but trying to tie it into our wireless or pull the feed via phone got complicated. I suppose a motion-activated dummy camera wouldn't hurt - or a few of them at that price.

Reboot Oxnard said:

When this happens, try to remember to take your phone out and snap a photo of them. It's a remarkably effective deterrent. If they're knuckleheads they'll see that you've just made a record of them and depart for less observant alleys. If they're innocents, they'll wave back and might even say "Hi."

We had a problem years ago with Morlocks in the alley (breaking into garages, spray painting gang crap, pissing in the street, etc.) and installed a cheap video camera on the garage with a motion sensor to activate it. Three separate times we had a tape of the 'usual suspects' dancing and cavorting as they tore it down, three separate times the cops hauled them in. Eventually they figured it out and found another alley to hang out in. If this is beyond your budget, this might be just as effective on the professionals.

Anika said:

Sadly, I don't think it is just one.

Last week I noticed 3 males riding up and down the alleys on a collection of different bikes in our neighborhood.  They passed by my garage 3 times in 5 minutes - on cell phones the entire time.  Two blocks away, a friend noticed the same group on a different day from her back porch. I gave a description to the police last week when it looked like they might be up to no good.  There is less gang activity in our neighborhood than there used to be but it's not gone completely.

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