What would you do? Bike thief.

[summitlt]

Alright, I bought a motorcycle this summer. I leave it outside (no other option) behind my house, steering locked, chained to the nearby tree. One night I left it out in the driveway and came up with an empty gastank. Someone actually had the drive to steal a whopping 3 gallons of gas. Luckily I had locked the steering stem so they couldnt roll it. The XJ was in the way so it couldnt be loaded at least.

I want to catch this guy, neighbors have reported similar things coming up missing. Since its all small things, police dont seem to care.

Any ideas? No way I can stay up for a stakeout. I want to bait it, leave it out, hell even through a gascan out to make it easier. But I need to have some way for an alarm to go off when the bike is touched. That only I can hear.

Any ideas?

 

[BrandonC]

Surveillance Camera?

 

[Lowrange2]

www.x10.com

Check it out. All kinds of nifty stuff.

Consider the stake-out. Those are fun.

Paintball gun and an I-pod are all you need.

 

[Lowrange2]

OR hook a couple electric fence shockers up to the handlebars... You'd hear the alarm.

 

[YEAGS]

Leave him some Exlax filled brownies. That'll teach him :nono: stakeouts are fun though.

 

[crimsondragon]

http://www.paintballsentry.com/
And a video camera to catch him running.

 

[oo7ravisXJ]

They make bike alarms that will set off a remote that you can have on your keychain.

 

[ECKSJAY]

Move.

 

[hubs97xj]

http://www.paintballsentry.com/
And a video camera to catch him running.

THIS!

Even if you never catch him, you'll catch someone, and it will be amusing.

And if that's not an option, Plan B would be to not leave things outside unattended in a neighborhood where theft is common. I'm not sure how far I'd go over $7 in gas, but I'd probably just take it as a lesson.

 

[AIbandit]

Please check your local laws before taking any of these "ideas" seriously.
It sure seems fun until you're in jail.

 

[AIbandit]

http://www.paintballsentry.com/
And a video camera to catch him running.

Rofl love the Portals turret sounds.

 

[sfxjdent]

My dad uses these for scouting elk and deer, motion sensored digital camera.

http://www.cabelas.com/trail-cameras-1.shtml

It'd scare the crap out of him when the flash goes off.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

i would sit in the dark with a video camera that is good enough to get his face on camera in low light, start tape when he comes walking up to the bike, then flip the lights on and chase him down. if he makes it off your property you can't touch him, but if you can restrain him without beating his ass too much you're good to go.

 

[Fidget360]

cover him and his car with paintballs, then find him in the morning.

 

[RichP]

cover him and his car with paintballs, then find him in the morning.

I'd use frozen paintballs....and ignore his car.

 

[AIbandit]

Looks like your laws would be fine with paint balls as long as it was recognized as less than lethal.

105. Use of force in property offenses

A person is justified in using a reasonable degree of nondeadly force upon another person when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes it necessary to prevent what is or reasonably appears to be an unlawful taking of the person’s property, or criminal mischief, or to retake the person’s property immediately following its taking; but the person may use deadly force only under such circumstances as are prescribed in sections 104, 107 and 108. [2007, c. 173, §21 (AMD).]

§104. Use of force in defense of premises
1. A person in possession or control of premises or a person who is licensed or privileged to be thereon is justified in using nondeadly force upon another person when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes it necessary to prevent or terminate the commission of a criminal trespass by such other person in or upon such premises.
[ 2007, c. 173, §20 (AMD) .]

Side note: These are excerpts not covering all of each code. So don't think deadly force is authorized that was in reference to arson and an inside the
home castle law. Also an intended "Sting" may change the outcome of charges greatly.

People have been charged with assault with a deadly weapon from use of paintball guns. This would render the above laws useless in your defense.

This is not intended to be legal advice or guidance merely help on getting you on the right track for your research of local laws.



If you want to do a "sting" use a video camera and get his plate number

 

[hubs97xj]

I'd guess a "sting" involving any kind of force would have unpleasant consequences in the eyes of the law, assuming he didn't immediately give up and split. All the more reason to put up a sentry turret and don't bother the police. It's normally stupid kids doing petty theft, as the meth/crackheads need more money. Just light their asses up with paintballs. (I wonder if individuals can buy those stink balls developed for one of the law enforcement "less lethal" programs. Those would really rock.)

I was going to mention this last night, but you titled the thread "Bike thief", when (unless you're leaving out some major details) he made no attempt at stealing the bike. Any particular reason you didn't title it "Gas thief"?

 

[GrimmJeeper]

for information purposes only... http://www.scribd.com/doc/23818037/Mace-Ball

 

[kastein]

Leave a gas can out with bleach/sugar/engine poison of your choice added to the gas.

Just remember not to use it yourself, and tell anyone you don't want to get hit by it!

 

[DaYeep]

Leave him some Exlax filled brownies. That'll teach him :nono: stakeouts are fun though.

While I like Sean's idea, leave 3 gallons of fuel in a gas can and add some sugar to it.....stay in bed and get some rest, and let the crook do the rest....no law against that! :repair: I bet you have some friends who deer hunt...one of them will have a motion camera you can borrow to catch this punk...I like this idea too.