Not a fun weekend

[Bmyers]

We went out to the farm to do some mowing and storm damage clean up on Saturday morning. Went to open the door to the barn and the handle wouldn't turn. As I was trying to get the key to turn it, the door just pushed open. Well that was strange. Walked in and toolbox laying on the ground just inside, I figured stupid groundhog got up on the work bench.

I was looking at the door handle and the handle on the inside was missing and more I looked at it, the handle, door was bent. I wonder how that happened? (Not enough caffeine yet.)

Dad told me to look at the work bench. Wow, you guys cleaned it when you all were out here Wednesday, nice job. He just looks at me. (Need more caffeine.)

Slowly the elevator made it to the top and I realized, we had been robbed.

We went over to the other barn and found the door slightly open. Opened it the rest of the way and went in. We looked around and didn't see anything missing, but the ground had been raked. We stood there, but couldn't figure out what was missing.

We headed over to the house and found the house door open. We went in and could see things had been disturbed, but I'm sure the thieves were disappointed because unless you are looking to decorate your house in 70s style and wear old people clothes, we had already removed most of the valuable stuff.

Walked outside and went to check the trailers. Walked over to the box trailer and they had cut the back lock and had opened it.

So we walked around front and I said it is good thing that the nephew had our flatbed trailer and dad said no, they had brought it back on Wednesday and it should of been parked right over there.

Called the sheriff's department and they came out and took a report. As we were walking around, realized that the truck that my nephew and BIL were working on restoring, that the thieves had gotten into it and taken the radiator and various engine parts from it.

We finally realized that from the barn that they had raked up after themselves, they had taken the generator that was in there.

So, it was frustrating day. I think the trailer is what bothers me the most because we use it almost weekly and right now it will be hard to replace without paying a fortune for a new one.

[David]

That sucks! I despise scumbag thieves. Sounds like there may have been several with a truck to haul everything and they had the tools to break in with. I wonder if anyone close by was robbed?

[aerynsun]

Stealing farm equipment is a big business.

Most of your stuff will be found at your flea market.

[bdcochran]

My sympathy is with you.

Thievery is a problem. My dad had a small avocado grove. Only when the local police got on it was it toned down. It was workers who would simply go to a neighboring farm and steal.

I have a commercial tree stand. Not much I can do to protect the same. There are people who steal trees.

The family has a large field and we share crop. The only security is the family across the road with whom we have had a sharecropping arrangement for over 50 years.

I live on a dead end street with 12 homes. I put up lights, gates, security locks, steel screen doors, etc. Still there are plenty of thieves and they concentrate on the other people on the block now.

[Bmyers]

We have talked to several of the neighbors and sadly they didn't see anything. Normally two of the neighbors have a good line of sight to the barns and the house each from a little over a quarter a mile away, but they both keep a good eye on the place. Yet we have corn planted in the fields around the barns and the house and the on a positive note, the corn is doing great! Yet because the corn is so tall it blocks the view of the two neighbors.

Most of the stuff was most likely taken across the state line and pawned/scrapped in St. Louis. When my work place got hit we caught two individuals over in St. Louis pawning some of the tools they had taken from my work. We are getting a lot of thieves from across the river over here stealing everything. The police have put up cameras on the bridge and have arrested several theft rings that have been working the area. We have enough thieves on this side of the river (most of them politicians), we don't need them driving over here adding to the mess.

We have added several trail cameras in hopes of if they comeback getting some good pictures. Yet as I told dad, the only way to stop it is if someone moves out there because no locks are going to keep any thieve out.

[aerynsun]

We have talked to several of the neighbors and sadly they didn't see anything. Normally two of the neighbors have a good line of sight to the barns and the house each from a little over a quarter a mile away, but they both keep a good eye on the place. Yet we have corn planted in the fields around the barns and the house and the on a positive note, the corn is doing great! Yet because the corn is so tall it blocks the view of the two neighbors.

Most of the stuff was most likely taken across the state line and pawned/scrapped in St. Louis. When my work place got hit we caught two individuals over in St. Louis pawning some of the tools they had taken from my work. We are getting a lot of thieves from across the river over here stealing everything. The police have put up cameras on the bridge and have arrested several theft rings that have been working the area. We have enough thieves on this side of the river (most of them politicians), we don't need them driving over here adding to the mess.

We have added several trail cameras in hopes of if they comeback getting some good pictures. Yet as I told dad, the only way to stop it is if someone moves out there because no locks are going to keep any thieve out.

You could get a shipping container for about $8K and put tools in there.

But, in your situation the thieves have a lot of time to defeat any locks you could put on it. You would have to put something like a large cement block in front of the door. The type you see at gravel pits.

NOTE: The thieves WILL BE BACK. They know you will be buying new tools to replace the ones stolen. Have a plan to secure them before buying them.

[David]

Good point.

[Mac66]

Fortunately we haven't been hit by thieves yet. There has been some break-ins in the small community near our new house. It's just a matter of time.

[tom mac]

Best thing is someone there... then Overt ; lights, cams, sirens, etc and then throw in some Covert cams.
best you can do if not a sealed container as mentioned.
Good luck

Had a person walking around in my yard once... met him with a 45 in hand held low. I think he shit his pants as it was a contractor at the wrong home ( but he didn't ring or knock with 2 cars in driveway )

[Bmyers]

We have talked to several of the neighbors and sadly they didn't see anything. Normally two of the neighbors have a good line of sight to the barns and the house each from a little over a quarter a mile away, but they both keep a good eye on the place. Yet we have corn planted in the fields around the barns and the house and the on a positive note, the corn is doing great! Yet because the corn is so tall it blocks the view of the two neighbors.

Most of the stuff was most likely taken across the state line and pawned/scrapped in St. Louis. When my work place got hit we caught two individuals over in St. Louis pawning some of the tools they had taken from my work. We are getting a lot of thieves from across the river over here stealing everything. The police have put up cameras on the bridge and have arrested several theft rings that have been working the area. We have enough thieves on this side of the river (most of them politicians), we don't need them driving over here adding to the mess.

We have added several trail cameras in hopes of if they comeback getting some good pictures. Yet as I told dad, the only way to stop it is if someone moves out there because no locks are going to keep any thieve out.

You could get a shipping container for about $8K and put tools in there.

But, in your situation the thieves have a lot of time to defeat any locks you could put on it. You would have to put something like a large cement block in front of the door. The type you see at gravel pits.

NOTE: The thieves WILL BE BACK. They know you will be buying new tools to replace the ones stolen. Have a plan to secure them before buying them.

Well, they will be disappointed. We loaded up the box trailer and removed the tools we had out there. I guess they can take the three shovels and couple of rakes we left, but everything was removed.

I'm hoping they decide to comeback and steal all the clothes and even the furniture in the house, one less thing I will have to haul to the dumpster.

The only thing really left of value is the tractors and the attachments for them. Not easy to move them offsite. We have tried to make it a little more difficult for them to take those items, so they would have to come better prepared.