[Dave R]

Id be tempted to leave a booby trapped lockbox out overnight. A dye pack should do it sandwiched between a couple dollar bills for his troubles.

[72projectbird]

Originally Posted by Dave R

Id be tempted to leave a booby trapped lockbox out overnight. A dye pack should do it sandwiched between a couple dollar bills for his troubles.

Shotgun shell filled with salt. When the lid is opened, bam!

It's gonna sting a little.

[DaleO]

Disappointing and sad. There are still roadsides in my neighborhood but I don't know how the fights go for them. I've gotten kind of paranoid frequenting them in that someone might drive by and think it's me. I hate that.

In an engineering building I used to be in, it is full of engineers, secretaries, techs, management etc a friend used to come back from Costco with boxes if candy bars and put them on some shelves in the aisle way. He only asked for cost and volunteered his time. I helped him track the money and take out the "big" bills and leave enough for change. Sometimes things didn't come out quite even but would chalk it up to mistakes. It got worse with candy and money disappearing. This in a key coded security engineering building. Disgusting.

I tell myself as others have said it takes a couple rotten apples and the majority is not that way but it still stinks.

[carcrazy]

Unfortunately , nothing surprises me these days!

[Cliff R]

So far no more issues although I've seen the guy go by the stand several times but doesn't stop. Every time he's cruised by I've been making change for customers or waiting on the kids to get off the bus so haven't been able to have a "discussion" with him.

The KSO has his pic, but not sure that'll do much good. At least I let them know I have a problem if things escalate for some reason......

[72projectbird]

Originally Posted by Cliff R

So far no more issues although I've seen the guy go by the stand several times but doesn't stop. Every time he's cruised by I've been making change for customers or waiting on the kids to get off the bus so haven't been able to have a "discussion" with him.

The KSO has his pic, but not sure that'll do much good. At least I let them know I have a problem if things escalate for some reason......

That's good. Gotta CYA incase anything kicks off. Having a paper trail in this case helps tremendously.

[sdbob]

I thought about hiding speakers,if I have to,near my home and garage. Just have gunshot sounds. No officer I didnt shoot at them.

[Shiny]

Interesting coincidence ?? (it's everywhere)...

The city sent me an email this morning announcing a new grant program - "TRAP" (theft reduction and prevention).

Our police are offering $2500 grants to business owners who want to increase safety and security. Priority is being given to those who have been previously victimized.

Funded by sales tax that we probably thought was going to pay for police officers, but I guess it is better than doing nothing.

Good news to me is the implied improvement in "suspect detection", which suggests they might actually do something if a business spends their $2500 on video surveillance.



"The Montrose Police Department recognizes that business owners want to protect their businesses from crime and the resulting bottom-line costs that are often passed on to consumers. Crime also takes an emotional toll on business owners, employees, and customers and creates frustration toward the criminal justice system.

The TRAP grant program is designed to award 2A Public Safety Sales Tax funds as an incentive for businesses in the City of Montrose to make safety and security improvements based on specific criteria and available funding. These safety and security improvements will support businesses in deterring crime from occurring on their property and will increase the likelihood of suspect detection should an incident occur."

[Cliff R]

UPDATE.......got em yesterday!

The theft didn't stop so I had to take more drastic measures. It would take many pages to go thru all the details but for once fate and Karma worked out for us.

Yesterday morning I was on my was back from my brothers farm with a load of corn and low and behold I see a black electric bike pushed off the side of the road on my other property where I store my trailers. There is a youngster about 50 yards up from it and when he sees my vehicle approaching he starts to hoof it but really has no where to go. I sped past him and cut him off and ordered him back to the bike.

I asked him what was wrong with the bike and he said his "friend" owned it. About that time his friend came out of my thicket, down the bank and back to the bike. I didn't give him time to say anything and told him he was trespassing. He tried to tell me he was taking a leak but I cut him off again and told him that no one would walk up a steep bank, thru the briars and that far off the road to take a piss. (Most likely he was checking out my enclosed trailer to see if it was open and any easy pickins in it, but it was locked). Anyhow, I went on to tell him I'd been looking for him and knew he had been stealing my corn, money, and breaking into my lock box. He started to say something once again and before he could I told him that he was on video survaillance and that stopped his denials in their tracks. I told him that I had already sent the photos to the Sheriff's office and that they knew who he was and looking for him.

At this point he's almost in tears and pleds with me not to have him arrested and that he'll work to pay off the stolen money and damages, etc. I had the other boy with him on video stealing and told him such, so both of them are just about chitting their pants at this point. Their lips quivered when they spoke, and they were literally shaking in their shoes!

Then, instead of dialing up a Deputy (I have them on speed dial since I did CSI work for the County for 16 years retiring about a year and a half ago) I asked them what I should do about it?

They both stood there for a moment and then offered to come over and work for me to pay off their debt, and pleaded that I didn't call the KSO and have them charged.

So I decided to play this another direction. I told them that I had shown their pictures to folks in their neighborhood so everyone knew about their antics, and sent them to the KSO so knew where they lived. They gave me their names and addresses. I told them that I wasn't going to have them arrested this time, but they had to vow to NEVER steal from me or anyone else again, and if I got them on video, or heard about other folks having issues I was going straight to the KSO and have them charged.

We all calmed down at that point and I started asking them some questions. One of them had already been removed from High School and was in a "special" program for troubled teens and going to the Joint Vocational School instead. I reminded him what would happen if they found out what he'd been up to and he was NOT wanting that to happen.

I then switched gears and told them to ask for corn next time before stealing it. I have plenty and glad to share it for the asking, but do NOT tolerate stealing. So I loaded them up with some corn and sent them on their way.

Right, wrong or otherwise I thought that maybe I could handle this one at the lowest level possible with just a stern warning and a little "pep" talk about not doing the right thing and going down the wrong path early in life, etc. I hope it helped them some, if not I'm really not out much, a few dollars, a few ears of corn and a few days tracking these kids down and catching them..........

[gtokid1968]

Hopefully they will realize how lucky they are to not have shot!!
And that you are a nice guy!

[mgarblik]

I hope for every ones sake, you have ended the thefts and these kids can find a legitimate way to make some money. You certainly went way, way above and beyond to try and teach them some valuable lessons. Not having them arrested was a huge bonus for them they probably have no understanding of. It's up to these kids now. The situation can go many different ways now. 1. The kids will take your teaching moment to heart and life will go back to normal. 2. The kids will be telling their friends how they BS'd an old guy out of getting arrested and they will step up their game to more destructive behavior. 3. They will move on to victimize other neighbors and leave you alone. 4. They are on drugs and need drug money and nothing will stop them other than a jail cell. One thing for sure, you gave them a gift and a chance to make the right decision and get their act together. If they end up in jail, you have a clean conscience. Really hope it works out and ends here.

[Cliff R]

Well said, and pretty much how I predicted it will play out.

I'd say it's UNLIKELY they'll be back here, now that they know I have them on film, watching my property closely, and have contacted the KSO.

I certainly hope that they choose the right path at this point, because make no mistake about, I scared the living chit out of them!.......

[OCMDGTO]

Good luck with that Father Flanagan, you are a forgiving person. I think they'll pick up where they left off, unfortunately.

[sdbob]

Thanks Cliff that was a very nice act of understanding. One side of me is the strict physical discipline the other side is helping others like you did. I guess when I grew up physical discipline was the norm,the fear of 'god'- the people who raised you. Today maybe these kids have no one but their friends and cell phones to rear them.What is it- forgiveness 70 X 7 times.

[Sirrotica]

Having worked for a outfit that dealt entirely with ajudicated youth in a group home setting, I ran a service station for them to get job training as part of the program. We had successes, and failures, while I was there.

I believe Mike, and Cliff have all the possibilities nailed down. The possibilities are varied, and it depends upon if there is any morality in their souls, and if they're using, meaning substance abuse. Every human is different, and they all have reasons why they do what they do.

I've seen some people scared straight, and others that weren't deterred by threatening them with turning them in to the law. I hope that the show of faith in them works out, probably a 50/50 shot they'll turn their life around.

Growing up I had guys I hung out with that got in trouble, usually theft, most of them went on to be upstanding adults, A few ended up in the military given the choice of military, or jail. One guy I knew became a sheriff's deputy, at least he had insight into a criminal mind.... Back in the 70s the option of military service, or jail was a choice given a lot, seems that option has gone away from the judicial system.

Next time you need corn picked, take them over, and let them help, hard work sometimes straightens out peoples minds.

Prayers sent to the young men, that they heed the generosity of Cliff's show of good will towards his fellow man.....

[nas t eh]

Sometimes all a person needs is a wake up call and a second chance.

Hope this works out

[Greg Reid]

I think you did the right thing. What they do is on them. You have no control over that but you can control what you do.
You're the best judge of whether they needed to be locked up or given another chance because you were the one looking them in the eye. No one here was there in that moment. I'd have a different opinion if they were 40-50 years old..

[Ben M.]

I absolutely agree that you did the right thing. Young boys\men who have never had a good home or support and have trouble making their way in society sometimes just need a helping hand from someone else to show they aren't trash who can be valuable members of society. Sending boys at 16 or 17 into the prison system with a record assures they'll never get a fair shake in life if they try and reform (so why bother?). Who knows, maybe you'll make some friends who will be good workers and remember the good turn you did them and pay it forward to someone else.

As Greg points out, if they'd been 40 or 50 you'd just be sending that problem down the road to someone else but sub-20 I think a chance or two is worth the headaches of the stolen goods and cash. Of course, if they $#!) it up and continue being stupid then you've at least got a clean conscience that you did what you could to give them a fair shake.

[Cliff R]

Of course there was a lot more to the story than what I put up here and no one knows if it's going to help them in any way, or they just go right back to stealing as soon as they get out of sight.

I really don't think they'll be coming back here and let's just hope it changes their course and they stop the nonsense and amount to something one day......

[Held for Ransom]

My thought is they'll be back doing it to someone else soon. Too many people out there thinking it's alright to raise kids without a strong male figure around.