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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2006 > July > 05 > Entry
Protect your yard tools!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is the time of the year where people like to shop for yard tools and other that are commonly left in a carport or garage.
These folks don’t necessarily like to pay for things, so we see are an increase in thefts from those locations.
You really can’t secure a carport too well. Store your lawn items in a storage area or at least secure them with a lock in a metal tool area or box.
Here are a couple typical cases from Sandy Springs this week.
A Hightower Trail resident said someone forced open the garage door and took several tools totaling $5,200. In another case Tuesday, a burglar entered the victim’s utility room and took an air compressor, miter saw, leaf blower, and nail gun. This is the second theft at the location.
Make it so that it would take a lot of work and maybe noise to remove the tools. The biggest reason things get taken is that the garage door is left open. Close and lock the door.
Call in suspicious persons and/or vehicles. The best way to catch a thief is react to what you see by calling 911 and reporting it. Most calls are unfounded, but don’t let that stop you.
When we do find and make and arrest, especially with burglars, we often clear dozens of past cases and recover previously stolen property.
Have you ever had stuff stolen from your garage or storage area? How do you keep thieves away or unaware of your stuff?
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By j
July 5, 2006 12:24 PM | Link to this
Get a shotgun. Problem solved.
By Mark
July 5, 2006 12:35 PM | Link to this
Many years ago, a friend was having trouble with the lawnmower gas being stolen from his carport gas can. He solved the problem by adding sugar to the half empty gas can. A neighboor’s car down the street suddenly had a problem with a siezed up engine. He never had another can of gas stolen.
By Hunter
July 5, 2006 1:21 PM | Link to this
A very similar thing happened to one of my neighbors…gas being stolen from the gas can on the back porch. Well my neighbor decided to put Keronsene in an identical gas can and leave it out one weekend…low and behold, the kid down the block had engine problems with his dirtbike not three hours after that gas can mysteriously became empty. Gas cans have been safe in our neighborhood ever since.
By cj
July 5, 2006 1:22 PM | Link to this
I just buy very cheap tools. That way, if someone steals them, my heart is not too broken, and they will end up having to buy a 100’ extension cord just to run them, and I would get a kick out of that!
By BW
July 5, 2006 1:26 PM | Link to this
Glad I have a lockable storgae room on the backside of my house, and it’s in a 6ft fence too. I have way too much invested in Stihl powertools, and other goodies for some butthead to come and help themselfs. I usually leave the key in my riding mower in the garage, but better start removing that too. Thanks for the reminder that too many thiefs are out there.
By frank123
July 5, 2006 1:32 PM | Link to this
We keep our garage door closed nearly all the time. Moreover, any thief looking in the windows would see that we have no compressors or nail guns. We just have the old fashion handtools and lots of used bikes from the swap meet.
By Harold
July 5, 2006 1:41 PM | Link to this
I went to Home Depot and bought a motion-sensor. Put it in my garage/shop, and instead of the lights, I pluged in an extension cord with a 300 W bulb on the other end. Also I plugged into the motion sensor a horn from an industrial supply co. One that is used in large shops to signal that the phone is ringging. Now anyone entering my shop is detcted by the motion sensor and instantly there is light and noise, two things that theives can’t stand. They’ll run every time.
By s
July 5, 2006 1:53 PM | Link to this
That shotgun only works when a) you’re home and b) you catch the perp in the act. Most of the time this isn’t the case.
Also, if your house has been cased or hit before, check any accessible motion-activated lights. You may be suprised to find them partly unscrewed.
By Benton
July 5, 2006 2:11 PM | Link to this
Orange spray paint works great. A coworker of mine spray painted his tools and they were never taken again.
By Observer
July 5, 2006 2:14 PM | Link to this
Thanks for that tip, Harold! I always wanted to do something drastic like that outdoors, but deer and the like would trip it. However, INSIDE a shop, only a perp would trigger it. I’m going to do that to my workshop once it’s completed. Thanks again.
By Ray
July 5, 2006 2:19 PM | Link to this
If a thief wants to get into the back yard with the lovable and neighborhood respected 6ft 2in standing on his hind legs military police german shepherd, and he is able to get passed him with out either losing any limbs or just plain bleeding out then he can have the gardening tools that probably cost $45.00 when they were bought in the 90’s. This is up to him/her. But I pity the fool that will try to get into it with “Brandy”.
By fed-up
July 5, 2006 2:19 PM | Link to this
Just a month ago my Husband had just put ower lawn mover out to charge. Mind you it was sitting by our front door. A few hours later, my husband went to check to see how much it had chared and it was gone! Someone had stolen it in broad daylight and we live down in the woods. People are just so gutsy.
By Capt
July 5, 2006 2:23 PM | Link to this
I spray painted my wife orange and I still have have her….I am thinking about changing colors….
By Joe
July 5, 2006 2:27 PM | Link to this
Years ago we had our chain saw and all our auto tools stolen out of our garage(We had left the door open). We replaced them right away, told the police about it but also took some time and cruised some local pawn shops within a week or two. Well we found our chain saw, with our name still engraved on the bottom in 1 of these pawn shops. After contacting police & letting them investigate , we found out it was our neighbor who lived across the street! What was even more creepy was the guys wife had shown up at our house the day before the tools were stolen and she had come through the garage. Needless to say we got out of that neighborhood pretty soon after all this occurred.
By Lt. Steve
July 5, 2006 3:53 PM | Link to this
I forgot to mention that a good engraver and a number other than a social security number is good proof of ownership if something does get stolen. We get a ton of tools and property that we can’t determine who the owner is. Engrave it on a part of the tool that can’t be easily replaced or removed. Use a name and / or number that you can ID later.
By lynn
July 5, 2006 4:01 PM | Link to this
After being robbed twice and losing over 5k in shop tools, we bought a rotweiller and it’s seemed to work so far. Some jerk did manage to still our boat battery by water though. Guess I’ll have to get a giant fish to stand guard at my dock :)
By sean
July 5, 2006 4:03 PM | Link to this
My experience has been that a bum will not steal something that has anything to do with work, like the tools shown in the graphic. Power tools are a different story as those are easier for thiefs to fence. Try this experment, leave a leaf rake in your front lawn. I guarantee you that rake will be there for the rest of the summer.
By Jaz
July 5, 2006 4:35 PM | Link to this
A 90 lb doberman helps ;-)
By Cletus Snow
July 5, 2006 5:05 PM | Link to this
I engrave my soc sec on every major part of my rideing mower and on every tool,some tools more than one place.I also give most of them a shot of dayglo orange.Mark them as soon as you get home from buying them. Ive loaned tools many times,I have never lost one yet
By Rocke
July 5, 2006 5:46 PM | Link to this
I agree with the paint your tools a wild colour. When I lived in Texas, a tool rental company got tired of having their equipment stolen (hand tools to front loader / back hoes.) They painted every item PURPLE. Since then, almost every piece of equipment has made it back to them.
Cheaper than a Shep or Rottie and no attorney lurking to sue you when the actor is bitten trying to steal your tools.
By frank
July 5, 2006 8:37 PM | Link to this
Had some power tools lifted out of a shed right next to the house. They were in labeled tool boxes. So since I live in the woods, I managed to catch a couple of large snakes and put them in boxes and labled them as air tools. A neighbor heard a loud yell while I was gone one day, Never had the tools come up missing again, Still have the snakes just in case.
By Missandie
July 5, 2006 10:37 PM | Link to this
So now instead of the thief having just your tools, now they have your SSN as well! Why not try your drivers license number instead?
By Bill Hester
July 6, 2006 3:51 AM | Link to this
Lt Steve, Kudos to Sandy Springs finest for having the courage to patrol the top end Perimeter. I came home on the night of the Fourth and there were 2 Sandy Springs cars with miscreants stopped on 285. If we had some enforcement the Perimeter wouldn’t be so much like the Wild West. Is anyone from the GSP listening?
And this column actually had some great crime stopper tips!
By jay
July 6, 2006 1:00 PM | Link to this
Don’t put social security numbers on them. Your identitycould be stolen which would be worse than having the tools stolen.