my new anti car theft strategy.

[Bobarino]

so i just got my car back from being stolen for the second time in three months. before you tell me to move, it ain't the neighborhood. its the nice kind of neighborhoon that creeps come into from other places to prowl and steal nice things. onto my strategy.

i have installed a hidden ignition cut off switch in the car so it will not be able to start even if the ignition is punched, its hotwired, they do the rain dance. it WILL still turn over and crank and make lots of noise so i can hear it. which leads to me running outside and doing ummmm, something while the little lady call the police. my "something" is to purchase the $199 short shotgun at GI Joes, attach a flashlight and load it up with less than lethal rounds. i'm thinking of the 21 rubber ball loads. you see, in WA you can't use deadly force to defend property, only life. but there's no law that says i can't give 'em a good stinging @$$.

now i know, i know, its dumb to have a less than lethal weapon if they have lethal ones. its ok, i'm armed with a USP compact at all times in case the encounter turns more serious. the suspected theives each time have been teenagers. amatures that just wanted a joy ride. i don't think i'm at a huge risk of confronting someone who is armed.

my objectives are of course to keep my car in one piece and in my possesion, to scare off any punks that have designs on my car, and hopefully they will spread the word not to mess with THAT guy.

so critique away.....

Bobby

 

[Technosavant]

I wouldn't use a lethal weapon simply in defense of a vehicle. I might take a handgun out with me just in case, but I wouldn't necessarily have it in hand- it could be seen as an unnecessary escalation.

I would be more likely to try and get a vehicle which is less likely to be stolen. Locks that are harder to pick, transponder in the key for the ignition. Or (if possible) garage it. Or move.

If they try to steal your car now, home invasions or burglaries aren't far away.

 

[JamisJockey]

Cutoff switch: Good
Rubber shotgun balls: Bad

Those rubber balls are considered less than lethal.
People still die when hit with those things.
Please, write from prison, between shower beatings and chow.

 

[pcf]

To most prosecutors the ammunition used in a firearm is irrelevant, that works in all directions. If you shoot someone or shoot at someone, using "less lethal" ammuniton you had better meet the legal requirements to use a firearm, that's Deadly Force. Mst prosecutor don't care about handloads or hollowpoints, or rubber balls or bean bags, they only care if you met the legal requirement to use lethal force. Can't have your cake and eat it to.

Have you thought about organizing a neighborhood watch. You're still a crime victim when criminals operate in your neighborhood, even if your not the specific target.

 

[Nitrogen]

You might want to invest in a car alarm with a proximity sensor and alarm pager
The proximity sensor is usually an add-on to car alarms, for some reason.

Just turn the stupid shock sensor all the way down, and use the proximity sensor. That way, the alarm will go off as soon as someone is physically in your car. As soon as that happens, the alarm pager goes off and you can come out and get 'em.

After living in a neighborhood where someone tried to steal my car 4 times, this is how I finally caught the teenage kid trying to do it.

 

[fjolnirsson]

Please, write from prison, between shower beatings and chow.

HAH! Awesome, LMAO......


Really, I like the idea of the kill switch. I think any DA in the country would still charge assault with a deadly(or some such) on you. Those rubber loads aren't a joke. I've seen 'em go through half inch plywood. There was a woman killed in'04 by a rubber projectile, remember?
http://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/news/3841878/detail.html

 

[Tomekeuro85]

I dont think anyone knows how mad it makes me when some little punk tries to steal something, especially something as expensive as a car. Although I am close to their age, I still consider them little punks who are not worth the air they breathe. They can't motivate themselves to work so they go after someone else's hard earned property. I paid $18000 for my car when I was 17. I'm 20 right now, and if I ever saw someone try to break into my car, I can guarantee that they would never be seen again. Ever. There is no description for what would happen to the person that tried to steal my car and got caught. Lets just say if you've seen the movie SE7EN, their parents would be getting similar packages in the mail. hahah. I feel better after having said that. Realistically, I would beat them senseless and then call the police.

I feel so bad for people who get their cars stolen. They work hard and some little waste of life comes along cuz they want a thrill. I have a thrill for you... cut your wrists after drinking some bleach.

 

[crofrog]

Consider sponge round's or fin or tail stablized rounds. If you are going to deploy them you need training on the proper deployment of them frist.

oh and consider a taser perhaps...

 

[hso]

Building a garage to put the car in will be cheaper than the legal expenses of using your new "toy". You can't be serious thinking that the authorities and lawyers won't eat you alive using this to keep your car from being stolen when a car alarm and cutoff switch will do the job.

Get a fence company to come in and install chainlink with a good security gate. You'll sleep better and won't have to pay for some expensive attorny's Lexus payment.

 

[Sir Aardvark]

Less Lethal is just that.... LESS Lethal.

LESS lethal does not mean NON Lethal.

Probably not a good idea to use a shotgun for your intended purpose.

And anyways, when the jerk tries to sue your butt off in court, the anti-gun jury is only going to be seeing a deadly shotgun as "People's Evidence #1".

 

[BedPimp]

How big is your trunk? If you don't have a garage, and moving is not an option, then pick up a "Denver Boot". Keep it in the trunk, throw it on when you park at night. It's a great theft deterrent, you won't rack up ugly legal bills, and you might save some money on parking tickets. ;-)

Todd
Who only uses less lethal rounds in his nerf gun...

 

[Taurus 66]

Whatever did become of that invention where you stick a club-like device behind the brake pedal to prevent gear shifting?

 

[Mad Chemist]

I have an ornery old truck that stays parked on the curb 90% time. It doesn't lock and the ignition only has 4 wires.
I just disable the spark, the motor still cranks but it won't turn over. No one's driven off with it get.

JH

 

[Arkie]

Just do what I did with my 70 Camaro SS.

I bought an alarm system and then I installed another siren under the dash. Yeah, try to stick your head under my dash with a 120 db siren going off in your ear. LOL...

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

Leave a sign on the dash that reads you are under infrared surveillance and get an infrared camera with a motion detector and hard wire it out of reach. You already disabled the car with a grounding switch.

 

[Soybomb]

Good call on the cutoff switch. I'd just set this by the front door and run out with this http://www.defensedevices.com/foxlabonepou.html (mmmm 30ft reach) and hose them down liberally (car may need airing out after...) if you wanted to do something like that. Of course if they a gun you'll wish you didn't.

 

[Fred Fuller]

my objectives are of course to keep my car in one piece and in my possesion, to scare off any punks that have designs on my car, and hopefully they will spread the word not to mess with THAT guy.

so critique away.....
=================================

Cutoff switch is a good idea. A double pole switch rerouting power to a loud siren installed INSIDE the car sounds good- try cranking the car without throwing the switch, and get blasted with noise. Note that making it personal with creeps can get your car crispy crittered though...

BAD idea re. the 'less lethal' approach, as repeatedly pointed out above. Do some permanent damage or heaven forfend even kill one of the little vermin with your "less lethal" toy and when the court battles and lawsuits are over you won't have anything AT ALL. Of course that will solve the problem, someone else will be worrying about how not to get your former car that is now theirs stolen...

Any chance videoing/IDing the creeps is an option, and just let the po-po do what they are supposed to do?

lpl/nc

 

[bogie]

You need a trunk monkey.

 

[pax]

Bobby ~

In Washington, it is illegal to carry or display a firearm or any other weapon "apparently capable of" causing death or serious injury in a manner that manifests intent to intimidate another, or that warrants alarm for the safety of others.

The law specifically allows such displays in self-defense, but I don't need to tell you (because you already know it) that defending your property is not the same thing, legally speaking, as defending your self.

Tactically, you already know that the rubber shotgun rounds you're considering aren't the best idea.

You referred to the rubber-ball ammunition as "less than lethal," and you've got that part wrong. It is "less lethal," that is, less likely to cause death or serious injury. It isn't unable to do so, and if you do use it, you will need to have exactly as much legal justification to fire as you would to use more deadly ammunition.

The legal difference between standard ammunition and less-lethal ammunition is kind of like the difference between shooting someone in the chest or shooting them in the knee. Physically, shooting them in the knee is less likely to kill them or even to stop them, but a shot that hits anywhere on their body is capable of causing death or serious injury so even a knee shot is deadly force and needs to be legally justified as deadly force. Similarly, shooting someone with less-lethal ammunition is less likely to kill or seriously injure them, but it is still quite possible to cause death or serious injury with those rounds -- and so the shot will need to be just as legally justified as if you meant to kill them when you fired it.

If you are determined to confront the BGs (probably not the best plan but perfectly understandable), I'd recommend bringing out a camera which has a big, seriously blinding flash on it when you respond to the noise of your car getting broken into. Take lots of pictures. If the BGs attack you for taking a picture of them, you can legally defend yourself; if they don't attack you, you will at least have some evidence against them for the prosecutor.

pax

 

[rick_reno]

Why not just remove one of the wheels? It'd be hard to steal with 3 wheels.

 

[Deathrider1579]

move to Texas here you can use lethal force in defence of property. It makes life simpler.

-DR

 

[TallPine]

Why not just remove one of the wheels? It'd be hard to steal with 3 wheels.

Ha - ha - ha, Rocketman

My own strategy is just to drive old vehicles that nobody wants to steal

My daughter's pickup is really theft proof - the key switch is broken and you have to push on the connecting rod to engage the starter (Ford )

 

[MrTwigg]

Get a Lojack

...good insurance, and don't leave anything valuable in the car or move.

Technosavant said "If they try to steal your car now, home invasions or burglaries aren't far away." , and he's right.

When I first came to the state where I now live I bought a house in a neighborhood that looked like it was right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. I had a job which involved carrying large amounts of currency and it didn't take long for the BG's to begin breaking into and / or stealing my vehicle on a regular basis. Then they started breaking into my home. After one attempt and a break - in I sold the house and moved out. I was married by then and my family's safety was more important to me.

It's not about vengance, it's about peace of mind. You're of no use to anyone if you're in jail.

Now if they break into your house and threaten you, then by all means defend yourself.

 

[V4Vendetta]

Here is my advice.

1. Get a garage.
2. Use it.
3. Buy 2 or 3 pieces of plywood.
4. Hammer lots of nails into the plywood.
5. Place the plywood in your garage so that any crooks who try to sneak into your garage will have some old fashioned acupuncture. *



*This might not be legal.

 

[V4Vendetta]

I forgot to say in other post that when you get out of the vehicle, remove the spark plug. I don't think that your average crook walks around with spare plugs. When you get ready to go to work or etc, screw the plug back in.