Okay, so my mom moved to a small town and knows most of her neighbors fairly well. She’s been there for the past two years, and has had her license plate stolen twice (until she got it changed to the state she currently resides).
The problem thats occurring still, however is that someone (pretty sure it’s the same person) keeps putting a nail/tack in her tire and giving her a flat. She ends up having to buy a new tire each time and it is getting frustrating. She is pretty sure she knows who it is, an eccentric old man who has a history of doing strange things like this, but she has no idea how to catch him and the police don’t really care unless there is proof.
So, in addition to the question - what is she to do about the frequent ruined tires… How do we catch this crazo?!!
I’ve mentioned motion security cameras, but those are more complicated/expensive then she’d rather deal with. She has an alarm but it only works for break-ins. I jokingly mention fingerprinting but… you know…
Any ideas would be really helpful! Thanks
No good idea on catching him, but would some bright outdoor lights discourage him?
I mentioned that too, but her car can’t park close enough to the house that lights would make much of a difference… unless she were to install motion lights like, right on the side of the road where she parks
Maybe if you got some AIRSERTS Cellular Tire Inserts, then he’d get bored with putting nails in the tires. Of course, he could still damage the tires if he tried hard enough.
I’m sure there might be some substance she could place around the car wheels that might show tracks the next day. Try a search on these lines.
Notify the local police to do a security check at night and monitor traffic in the area. Just their presence would discourage him. They sometimes can be very helpful. Get your complaint on record with the police at the least.
Also, animal motion sensor cameras that may work w/o a flash is a try.
High enough up a nearby tree and it wouldn’t matter. Some non digital are quite inexpensive. The WILL work.
For $80
Stake out with a pellet/BB gun.
It is not that the police don't care, they do, but they can't even do as much as you can without evidence. They don't have the time to have someone watching your car all the time.
But, your Mom may be able to do something. A security camera or two placed to cover the car and maybe the house, might well capture enough evidence to put an end to the problem. The cost of modern equipment is not all that expensive and it might be a good investment in this case.What else do the Police have to do? It’s a small town. Are they disrupting gang activity? Is there a rampant drug trade? Do prostitutes rule the streets? I doubt that they have so much work of that nature that they can’t spend some time helping Mom. If the Police won’t help, Mom should contact other local authorities who might make it the Cop’s job to stop this criminal activity. She should contact the Mayor’s office, make an appointment, and get the Mayor to contact the Police. Elected officials have a clear track record of adjusting priorities for government workers.
Thanks! She lives in a small Mayberry-esque town, so there aren’t very many officers and they do drive around a bit anyway… She has filed reports everytime but they are kind of like, "eh not much we can do about it!"
I’ll look for some non digital animal motion sensor cameras
I wish! haha
You’re right, the town really doesn’t have any more problems other than old eccentrics like this one. She’s a passive lady, however, and I doubt she’ll make that much of a fuss.
I’ll look into that! Thanks
What about one of those flat repair inject in the tire things? Pro support requested! I am surprised you had to replace the tire unless it was put in the sidewall.
If she won’t stand up for herself, then why should anyone else? It’s not like she’s going to shoot the perpetrator. And taking matters into her own hands could lead to escalation by someone who has already shown himself to be capable of destructive action. What’s next? Her house? Her? She really needs to get the police involved.
One more thing: Has she contacted her insurance company to pay for the damage? Maybe they will bust the perp, if she and the cops won’t.
It’s always in the sidewall!