Some days i just want to dig a moat

[flatheadmurre]

I´ve been pretty lucky not having trespassers coming into the yard.
Sweden is invaded by scrapmetal thieves from who knows where that gets caught and police let´t them out the next day....
So this weekend disaster struck me badly.
Breaking into a coldstorage they found 50+ radiators going from 32-53.
It really pisses me off that they will end up being hacked to pieces for scrap instead of bringing a car back to life...
Radiators can be replaced...but an original one is hard to copy nicely..so frustrating !!
We lost a piece of the hobby to scrap...

[Seth Swoboda]

I had this happen to me a few years ago when scrap prices in the US were record high. I had pallets of chassis and engine parts including 32 Ford parts stolen for scrap. We even had the front weights stolen off of a John Deere tractor.

I went to the local scrap yard to see if anything of mine had been brought in. No luck.

After that I installed motion cameras at a few different locations. A few months later I caught the license plate of a pickup truck that had showed up early one morning. The two guys did a little breaking and entering. Stole a few items and left. Gave the camera images to the local police. They arrested two young men. One a juvenile and the other 20 years old.

[Ggmac]

Sorry for the loss . I've got 13 cameras around the shop and 4 around the house . The systems are cheap , 1 TB hard drive on 4 different set ups .
Cheap insurance , it'll beep if someone sets off the motion sensors . You can block out trees or other movements and schedule a time .

[Vics Stuff]

That is real sad. I am sorry for your loss. Here in my state of Alaska . the thieves are just let go if caught . I know that in Nevada , a property owner has the right to use what ever force necessary to protect their property , even if that means shooting . That was told to me by a county police sargent .
Wish that was the case all over. Then that , my stop or at least slow these guys down.
Vic

[RalphG]

Sorry to hear of your loss. I'd rather give the stuff away to someone that would use than have some drug head thieves steal it for scrap to buy more drugs. Thats what most of the small time crooks seem to be out for these days.

[flatheadmurre]

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Sad thing is that i now don´t even have radiators for the trucks i´m putting togetter.
Went from a good selection down to 3 radiators in a blink.
Protecting property is a joke around here...i had a sign saying here ends swedish law...property protected by a doubble barrel 3 days a week...guess which.
That was a threat according to law around here and has to be taken down.
I have cameras closer to the house and shop but most storage is in trailers out in the field.
My yard is full of metal and stuff...my friends come and get some when they need and drop off leftovers...that probably attracts the wrong elements.

[Mart]

I had the hardtop for my 57 Thunderbird stolen. That's just devalued the car by £1000 at least.

[flatheadmurre]

Sorry to hear Mart...Sold one last summer that was descent...your´s should have the opera windows doesn´t it ??
Have a dashpadding/cover or what you call it descent but someone creative tried to colour it from blue to black...anyone with a driver can have it for a sixpack...can´t just make myself throw usable stuff away.

[mhsprecher]

Sad. In my area, the scrap yards took your DL and copied it and noted it on everything that was cashed in. I have no idea if that helped or not? In my home town about a dozen years ago, thieves took the copper gutters of our historic church. That is pretty low. Churches don't have a lot of money to replace that sort of thing.

[RalphM]

Catch them and castrate them, they will think twice next time!
Oh, and get some of these;

[AZ Chris]

Just don't take the law into your own hands

https://5newsonline.com/2017/11/01/m...-salvage-yard/

[tubman]

Originally Posted by AZ Chris

Just don't take the law into your own hands

https://5newsonline.com/2017/11/01/m...-salvage-yard/

Just the kind of advice we need in this day and age.

[A bones]

Hey flatheadmurre, when I lived in the city (Phila) I was always on the alert for trouble. Through the years I've lost more than I care to talk about. The flashes of disappointment and disgust in my mind, just make my skin creep. I even took to keeping the hours the crooks kept to let them know I wouldn't share with them.

When I took to long haul trucking I had to pare down the collection and pay for monitored storage units (In a remote part of Hershey) for the dearest projects. Now I live in the sticks. I feel safer but watchful, waiting. My neighbor has a big loud dog, fire arms, and a well trained eye. I'm Grateful for that.

Thirty five years ago ( when I was between changes in life ) I was forced to experience the bit by bit disappearance of a favorite treasure (winning) one that had given me much pleasure and satisfaction. Nothing I could do at that period of time but, seethe with anger. As sickness moved into my heart, I turned to prayer. At that juncture I realized that I had got into the hobby for pleasure, fun, and a life long infatuation with the auto car. If my life decisions resulted in such feelings, then screw it. Let it go, Move on to the next project. I've since found five more treasures to keep my juices flowing.

The thought though, of 'exotic' metal turning not just into contraband but smelter fodder is disgusting.

My sympathies. So where can we buy a moat?

[Talkwrench]

Makes the blood boil.. I'd say Sweden , the UK much like Australia you really cant do much, you're not allowed to protect yourself or property unless with "equal force" .. work that out if you're 80 and the perp is 20...??

[Darrell S]

Around here that wouldn't even rate a visit from law enforcement. Powers that be are more interested in taking care of the drug infested perpetrators.

[Bob NH]

80 against 20 ? You'd ought to be able to get at least a lunch while he's getting a meal !

[Tinker]

I'd say, someone knew they were there and had a plan. Not a hey, look whats in here. lots of stuff to transport. bummer.


You could put some of these up too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL6hTx7rRTM
Not legal here to actually use shot, highly illegal to do so with shot.
but as a alarm with blanks, they are fine and cheap.

If you're fenced off, a couple of dogs never hurt. rhodesian ridgebacks or a belgian shepherd are a neat dog for the size.


Better maybe. Ring systems work of wifi and go right to your phone.

https://ring.com/


Once someone is successful they might be back. Best of luck!

[VeryTangled]

Hi Everyone. This is messed up!

The detective in me says that fifty radiators are not moved in a small transport, or on the spur of the moment, or without a quick flip destination.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by Darrell S

Around here that wouldn't even rate a visit from law enforcement. Powers that be are more interested in taking care of the drug infested perpetrators.

"Trust us, we're the government."

[Tinker]

Being that this year here, we had 16,000 od deaths from fentanyl. Them boys have their hands full.


Don't lose site of the fact that most everyone is good people. just a few small bad actors. Well I hope anyway