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Man checking car doors in the middle of the night
08/20/2015 9:41 PM by John M
From Rick on the 3000 block of East Broad Street:
My security camera caught the individual in the attached pictures attempting to get into my vehicles 8-16-2015 @ 2:24AM. The video and pictures have been sent to and received by Lt. Minton and Detective Taylor of the Richmond Police Dept.
This has also been happening in the Fan, guy posts his security videos on YouTube. I’d suggest the person videoing these to post them as well…could help folks identify the person. I’m pretty sad this is happening. Any suggestions (other than locking the car door) to avoid this?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNHtdg8yosU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB5DU5cGHfo
Is trying door handles a crime? Could police do anything to this guy if they catch him or do they need to wait until he actually takes something?
How much longer will we tolerate this? Where are the police? If the police are incapable of addressing this, then we need to start the discussion to replace the police with a security force that will solve this. It has been done successfully in other US cities. The lack of concern as they walk the streets looking to commit a crime is appalling and should not be tolerated.
CCTV.
The Police will look into it if they are available. A few weeks ago I observed a man walking west on Cedar from the George Mason playground, in broad daylight, looking into every vehicle he passed without trying the doors. He would even cross the street to look into a vehicle he passed. I called the non-emergency number to report suspicious behavior and observed him for three blocks before he turned and I lost sight. I do not know if the police were dispatched or not this time, but they have been dispatched under similar circumstances by my reports. Don’t be afraid to report something suspicious as you observe it. The police do listen.
Gregory @6
I think you are being a little hard on our police. I called about two months ago about three young males looking in cars and the response was excellant. The officer said he had been following them on Broad St. but so far he had no, “probable cause” to interrogate them. It is a fine line sometimes between individual freedom and law enforcement. To say that the police are not concerned about potential crime is just unfair to them.
As for spending money on flags that look like Halloween banners, I agree with you BRAGDApilates. A much better use of this money could be directed at almost anything else.
Gregory – I don’t understand what you want the police to do? If anyone sees someone doing this, they should call iit in to the police immediately. We need to keep our cars locked and not leave valuables out in plain sight. Taking precautions with your property will greatly reduce the chance that you will become a victim. The police can’t do that for you.
I believe we should consider what “normal” is. Do you believe it is normal to keep our doors locked and not leave valuables in plain site? I believe normal is to not see this kind of potentially unlawful behavior on the street and to not have to fear for our property. Fear for my personal property may be equally deemed an infringement of my individual freedom. It doesn’t have to be like this. If we accept that it is up to us to protect our own property, then we are condoning this kind of behavior. When do we say, enough is enough?
The idea of having private police sounds very bad and very dangerous. The last thing Church Hill needs is our own mall cops out hassling people in the street.
@ Gregory – I feel like I know exactly what you mean and understand your outrage. But I’m not sure private police would help (seems like a lawsuit or six waiting to happen). I believe that “attendants” who clean up, give directions to visitors, and report suspicious behavior are more typical in Business Improvement Districts (think that’s what you’re thinking of?) but they are usually not deputized and wear a more generic uniform so that they don’t look like security guards. While something like that might be more appropriate for the area, not sure that we have the density of businesses to support it. Thoughts?
You mean like George Zimmerman?
When I first became involved with Church Hill Crime watch, we had meetings with the police and discussed logistics, operation tatics etc. Some houses were being burgurled three times in a six smonth period . The police pointed out that the homeowners filed an insurance claim every time his sterio, microwave, cameras etc. were taken. Being a neat kind of guy, he then put the boxes out for trash pick up thus alerting the criminal element to come on over ,” the stuff is back!” Recently, someone posted that a blue stroller had been taken and admitted that had left it outside for the past 6 months. You do have to take some responsibility for your own security and personal belongings. Alex pointed out that trying door handles and looking in cars is not a crime.
Keep in mind that at the time ( late 70,s early 80’s ) there were no cell phones. We decided that what was needed was edcuation (from the police) and a physical presence on the street. The police gave us some great advice and some walkie talkies that mostly didn’t work.
I organized patrols of two to walk around the area being very conspicious with our walkie nontalkies, (we pretended). There were two patrols of two and every 30 min. We met in Libby Park to discuss any activity observed (police advice) At that time the “area” consisted of 25th street to 32nd bordered by Broad , Libby Park and Franklin.
Home breakins plumeted!! We got cold and tired, stopped patrolling and they shot back up. There were also problems with the patrol. One chunk of advice from the police was, “do no confront anyone, call the police”. One macho man ignored that advice, confrontd a man in Libby Park with his baseball bat and when the guys two buddies popped out from behind the tree, macho man got a whupping. He wasn’t hurt that bad so we laughed about it. He called the police next time.
I am not posting this as a for or against private police . I am advocating educating yourself about living in an inner city and more awareness of your surroundings. Whoever took that stroller knew it was available for months before taking it.
If you see two guys in hoodies on a warm summer night, they ARE NOT protecting their hairdo.
There is a highly functioning Neighborhood Crime watch that is working directly with the police. It has devoted years of service to the neghborhood, all volunteer. It has made a difference! Has anyone posting here contacted them? If not why not?
Saw a young guy walkin down R Street with two nice ten speed bikes on Sunday One blk and one red. looked suspicious since he was walkin both of them
Rita, did you call police?
Rita, did you make a police report on the stroller? Could you post a photo of it here so all your neighbors can be on the look out?
If we see it and call the poice they will then have the theift report and can take it as stolen property.
I am thinking about getting a cell phone just so I can take pictures of someone walking down the street with two nice bikes. If they try to sell them, at least the neighborhood would know they were hot and when the police came, they could take them as stolen property.
In the early days of “gentrification” we had people selling nice tools out of their trunks . Anyone KNEW they were stolen, but bought them anyway. I had a trick I palyed on them. I would ask them to wait while I went inside to get some money, cause I needed a saw and drill etc. I called the police and if there were a stolen property report the tools were confiscated and the salesman was taken to the city lockup. Very gratifying!!
He’s just checking to make sure the doors are locked. If not locked, he will lock them for you.
I did not file a police report regarding the bikes. It looked suspicious, but they could have been his. If I had not been working in my yard and was closer to my phone, I probably would have called the police