Should I call this in?

[Scruit]

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgFfKiQz2Co
Youtube says they're going down for maintenance soon, so the video probably won't be available until morning.

The CCTV system at my house generates a thumbnail gallery of 'motion events'. When I got home every day it takes about 30 seconds to check out of anyone came to the house while I was at work. Usually a car comes down the 120' driveway about once or twice a month. Up to now they have been benign - the electric meter guy, etc.

Today someone came down my driveway and spent a couple of minutes looking into the windows of an old car (95 Grand Prix) that is parked out there. He then got in his car and left. He had no front plate, and his rear plate was obscured by a smoked plate cover, so no license plate could be read.

Making things worse... The vehicle he was driving matches the wheelbase/trackwidth of the vehicle involved in the burglary that prompted me to install these cameras 4 years ago, although I'm not saying this car was involved.


Anyways, this guy was checking out the Grand Prix in my driveway and called someone his nextel. I could hear the beeps and him talking but couldn't make out what he said because he was about 50' from the microphone.

He then got in his car again and left.

I checked with my wife, neither she not I recognise the vehicle or the driver (although there is a similar vewhicle that lives about 1/2 mile up the road, so I'll have to recheck the video for idintifying bumper stickers etc)


So, anyways... The long and the short of it is someone came driving down my driveway, spent some time checking out a car I have parked out there (no for sale sign etc, and not parked out by the road as if it is for sale) and then left. Hardly the crime of the century, but is it worth calling in? I know the police can't do anything, but maybe they've had car crimes in the area and this video might give them a vehicle description? I dunno.






EDIT: FWIW, Upon review of the video I could see that a piece of paper fell from his car when opened the door. I was kinda hoping it would be a pay stub or something ;) , but when I went outside to find it it turned out to be a perfect 6" circle of TyVek. ?? What industry would use a 6" TyVek circle?

[Super Six 5]

You have pretty clear video of this person/vehicle based on the picture you posted, right?

Absolutely call.

This isn't a 911 call(if he were still there, then call 911), but call the non-emergency number. The department may be working on a case where something similar happens and they may be a person of interest.

Edited to add:

This may also be something completely innocent. I've been embarrassed before when going to a friend's house in an area I'm not familiar with for the first time only to find I got the house number right, but the wrong street. Perhaps him calling someone and then leaving may have been him realizing, I'm not where I should be!

It doesn't hurt to err on the side of caution though, so DO contact the police.

[Scruit]

I'll probably call the department non-emergency # in the morning and see if they want to take a report or something. I can take them a DVD with the video, what there is of it.

I'm mostly worried that the guy is casing the car. Myabe he was hoping there would be something worth stealing in there,but the car is bone stock. Either way, that car will be parked in the garage tomorrow while I'm at work.

Gotta rethink the license plate capturing thing - his plate was completely dead, the IR camera saw jsut blank space, almost like the plate was covered up.

[BJJVad]

I would call it in. You may have a simple trespassing based on gates, yadda yadda yadda. The real question is why the camera system for 1 burglary? You selling pot out of that house? :D (Just kidding, Based on the ruralness of the area I am guessing that the Burglary you were refurring to was your house not a neighbors?)

[Scruit]

I would call it in. You may have a simple trespassing based on gates, yadda yadda yadda. The real question is why the camera system for 1 burglary? You selling pot out of that house? :D (Just kidding, Based on the ruralness of the area I am guessing that the Burglary you were refurring to was your house not a neighbors?)

One burglary is all it takes. Yes, my house. My workshop actually, behind the house. Lost $5k in 10 minutes - the amount of time between my wife leaving the house and me arriving home. We figured the place was being watched, at least long enough to know were were both out. :mad:


The camera system cost less than our losses (after insurance!) in the first burglary.

[TXCharlie]

I wonder if it'd have more impact if you took a printout of the photos and CD of that section of video by the PD and let them look at it instead of calling them.

That may ring some bells - They may already know about this guy if he's been up to no good, and may want it to show a pattern of behavior in case they need justification to stop & detain him.

[Paul Hartwig]

definitely call it in. Never know what may turn up

[Hockey9019]

Scruit. If I ever have a need for cameras, I'll be giving you a ring :p


I will be the first one to admit your crazy (Not in a bad way) but its great :D

God help the person that ever tried to break into your home lol





To the question: Why not? Better safe then sorry

[highwayman]

One burglary is all it takes. Yes, my house. My workshop actually, behind the house. Lost $5k in 10 minutes - the amount of time between my wife leaving the house and me arriving home. We figured the place was being watched, at least long enough to know were were both out.

Check with your neighbor, your best friend, housekeeper, city worker, electric meter reader, milkman, phone man, nanny, GF, wife, they might know where your lost property is :rolleyes:

[sgtbear111]

He was there for just over a minute. If your house number is in plain view, too long. Appears his interest was focused on the white car. Agree with everyone else, call it in.

Day time burglars are pretty gutsy, they often go to a house and knock on the door to check for occupants, and evaluate their risks. If someone is home, they ask for "directions", or "looking for a lost dog", or other BS story. If there is someone doing that in your area now, you may have the info needed to ID a suspect and possibly to make an arrest.

Use of phone could be simply answering a call, or telling someone else about the car, or .........

Just in case this develops into something, the Tyvek that blew out the door may have fingerprints on it.

[Mike Romeo]

Agreed. Call - easier to be proactive now than let a potential problem get bigger.

[BJJVad]

One burglary is all it takes. Yes, my house. My workshop actually, behind the house. Lost $5k in 10 minutes - the amount of time between my wife leaving the house and me arriving home. We figured the place was being watched, at least long enough to know were were both out. :mad:


The camera system cost less than our losses (after insurance!) in the first burglary.

High quality camera systems, which yours appears to be, are out of the norm. The only ones I have seen are in meth labs or pot farms. What kind of security did you have before the burglary?

Also that appears to be an, "Eddie Bauer" Special Edition Ford, which are more rare then the standard Expidition. Possibly a 2002 by the looks of it, but I cannot confirm with those photos. Got any of the grill?

[Scruit]

Ok, I'll give you the first meth-house reference, but I'm gonna object to the second one. :confused:

Before the burglary I had nothing except locked doors. Someone broke in at xmas and stol a bunch of gifts and stuff from my workshop. I added security. End of story.

[mcsap]

Put a NOT for sale sign on the car.

Or if you want to find ou who he is...put a small, unobtrusive FOR sale sign on it but dont advertise it. If he is truly interested in the car, he'll call and probably from your driveway in view of your system. Then, match up any calls with the date/times on the video.

[Scruit]

I called the sheriff's dept this morning. The lady who answered had no time for me, stopping me in mid sentence to put me on hold. After being on hold 3x and then having me explain what I meant by "CCTV", and "Closed Circuit TV", then "Security cameras" (which she understood) she finally told me that they wouldn't do anything with the information. If I filed a report then they would take no action on it unless I could give them a license plate.

Oh well. Worth a try. I'll keep the video and images. I took a ride up the street this afternoon, the 3 green expeditions that live further up the street all are different shades of green - so it wasn't a neighbor.