This is the 2nd time. First time was 2 days before x-mas last year. I didn't learn from the first time, so this one is my fault. Oakland is a MF'er. They get you so fast. I literally started the fuel, locked the truck, turned to walk inside to get something to drink and my alarm was going off just as I got to the door of the gas station. I couldn't see my truck at that time as I was blocked by the Fuel Tanker filling up the tanks. I went back to the truck and no one was in site. Took my laptop bag just like the first time. This time they ONLY got 1 laptop and 1 iPad, whereas in December they got 2 laptops and 1 iPad. But they also got EVERY SINGLE video I have ever recorded over my motorcycle racing career (6 years). I almost never carry those hard drives with me and I only had them cause I was doing some video editing. No, I didn't have them on the cloud, and yes, its easier to say after the fact that I should have.

These people will never be found, and I'll never know anything about them, i'm sure of it. But I feel so damn violated. Its a disgusting feeling. What I want now is a video system that will record while the vehicle is either on or off, and has multiple cameras, both inside and out, or at least an option to add more cameras as I choose fit. I have looked into the dash cams route, but haven't seen anything that I can add more camera's to. Yes, I know that this wont keep the criminals away, but I feel it will help me if this happens again. If I had video I would have seen which direction they came, their plan, potentially identifying markers, etc.

Anyone have suggestions on a system I can look into?

 

Even if they were caught, no time served under prop 47/AB 109.

 

It sucks they broke in and got the electronic stuff. As far as the backup hard drive I have 2, 1 for back up and the 2nd to back up the 1st one. Most important thing don't store them togther.

 

Subscribing

 

Before the gas station's cameras get written over, I would at least ask the gas station to allow you to see the video. Perhaps a car license plate can be picked up in frame.

And, it is always instructive to see the crime in action, how it unfolded, how they approached, how they looked, how they entered and exited, how your truck caught their eye, etc.

The knowledge gained from observing the theft in progress may help you decide on a security solution.

It will also help calibrate unwitting assumptions associated with stereotypes.

When a strap broke on my wife's purse as she was carrying a bunch of stuff out of an elevator at a tradeshow and didn't realize her purse went MIA, we were able to get the video from the hotel conference center that confirmed when she was with her purse, and when she was without it.

Then we alerted our credit card company. Later that afternoon, someone attempted to use our credit card to buy gas, ironically, at a Shell Station. The credit card company declined the purchase, but also declined to tell us which exact gas station. So we quickly determined all of the Shell gas stations in that town (there were 6) and went to each station one by one with the time stamp of the attempted purchase and decline. On the 4th station we visited... BINGO... we caught her on tape.

It was a well to do looking middle aged lady driving a Mercedes Benz.... fraudulently attempting to use our stolen credit card to buy herself some gas.

We were able to capture the license plate from the video, and submitted it to the police with still shots from our phone taking photos of freeze frames from the gas station video.

Be prepared to learn how to operate the gas station video review software yourself, because in our experience, none of the gas station attendants knew how to operate it. Fortunately, I had a little bit of experience with that sort of thing, and seeing this, they let me take control of the review process. But it isn't that difficult to wing on the fly.

I'll never know if the police ever caught up with the lady, or even cared.

But I learned once again to not rely on stereotypes, which is an education that ultimately increases personal security.

 

Has been a concern of mine. So, would probably need to spend money on going for a camera solution that streams to cloud. I've been kicking around the idea of a forward and rear that streams to cloud at all times, but don't know if there is such a thing. One come in handy during traffic stops where the officer might be gung ho on violating your rights, so you could prove it. And since it was being streamed, they couldn't just take your camera and get away with it.

And, hide one of these in with your stuff. Maybe you can track them down and give them a good stern "talking to"
.https://www.tile.com/

 

About 38 years ago, I had a black leather satchel like brief case behind the seat of my van, typical of what one may see draped over the shoulders of weary lawyers laden with briefs as they lumber up the courthouse steps tagging along behind their newsworthy clients while paparazzi and news cameras whir away... enabling us all to see these types of overstuffed shoulder bags from time to time.

There was nothing in my black bag but papers and books. No pagers. No bag phones. No Palm Pilot. Laptops didn't exist back then, other than an innovating offering from Grid Systems, which was beyond the means of mere mortals.

But the bag was black, and thus had the appearance of something valuable. From then on, I started using diaper bags. Brightly colored with Winnie the Pooh or Bugs Bunny graphics.

No one is interested in stealing diapers. I avoid putting laptops in bags designed for laptops, unless that bag is placed inside of another container that literally looks like poo.

 

I live in the Trivalley area and we never go to Oakland area in our nicer cars, our daily runabout is a 98 Camry that’s a bit rough on the exterior. My wife goes as far as scattering clean tissues around the car to make it look messy and gross. Knock on wood, no break in yet with that car parked at many places over the years. Do we look out of place among a sea of Teslas and EVs? Sure. But it’s not like cops are pulling over cars that look out of place anymore.

The entire Bay Area has to be written off at this point since a certain political party has enabled criminals with the likes of Prop 47 and installing soft on crime DAs in the 9 Bay Area counties, and scattered low income housing as far away as Anthioch, Brentwood, and Livermore.

Election has consequences and the few Americans remaining in the Bay Area are vastly outnumbered and outvoted.

we have a medium term plan to move to a dark dark red state in the next few years. This area is beyond salvage for people who just want to live a normal life. And all the newly minted “citizens” will always vote for more handouts and accept worsening conditions because it’s “not as bad as where they came from”.

 

Some of the reasons for dark window tint and tonneau covers is "out of sight, out of mind" -- it's hard. not impossible, but hard, to see what i have in my backseat.

 

I'm not familiar with where in California they refuse to prosecute people, but if you live there, why bother with a camera? I hate to sound like a horse's ***, but that's the reality. Never, ever leave anything visible in your truck, no matter where you are. Our current culture has created millions of thieves who believe they have a right to take your stuff because (enter whatever reason they were harmed here...). Sorry man. I wish you well.

 

If you live in Alameda County, they're getting ready to lose a boat load of money.

 

Interestingly enough, the back windows were tinted and you couldn't see in. The laptop bag was on the floorboard of the back seat area in the middle of the truck. Whoever did this was just guessing there was something in there. This is one of the reasons I want a camera system.

 

I think the camera would be for my own piece of mind. There are so many unknowns with a situation like this, that I think that if I at least had some video of it, it would help me mentally. I've had things stolen from me before, but these 2 break-ins over the last 9 months is a completely different feeling.

 

does your truck have out of state plates by any chance?

the smash and grab crews in any major metro area are well known to use either stolen cars, or stolen plates from similar model and color, and these days since masks are so virtuous in the Bay Area no one can say anything about suspicious individuals with face covering approaching cars.

i don’t see how a High-Def footage of someone with a face mask smashing your window and take your possessions and then drive away in a car that is a dead end lead would in any way help your mental health. I mean, heck, if you get over an upsetting event by watching the footage, that’s your process I guess.

 

Aside from the question of why you are going inside gas stations, anything in the truck is only a thin sheet of glass away from not being yours, ESPECIALLY that which is in plain view.

You're just handing your property to criminals when you turn your back on it.

You might as well leave the windows down and save yourself the trouble of having to repair the truck, and I am being serious. Forget cameras and cute little security alarms. They're just going to take what they want. So you have a camera, and it shows a video of a bravo mike wearing a covid mask and a hoodie? Great. WTH am I going to do with that? It's a waste of my time to even fill out a report.

Leave nothing in view. Nothing. Ever.

If you own a pistol, carry it. NEVER leave a pistol in a car, EVER. ALWAYS carry it. I am adamantly against stupid "truck holsters" and bs lockboxes. Besides, you will NEVER have the time to get to that weapon on the day you need it unless it's on you. In a past life I have drawn my sidearm multiple times while seated in a vehicle and not once would I have been able to, or able to in a time expedient fashion, produce it if it were anywhere but on my person. And if you're going somewhere that doesnt allow you to carry, DONT GO THERE.

And if you're going somewhere that you think you need a rifle, you either dont need to go there, or you need to be CARRYING the rifle, and if you're going to do that, don a plate carrier too because you're going somewhere I dont want to be.

When I travel to craphole cities for my regular job today, I will even flip up the back seats so the scum can see it's not worth it. Truck looks totally empty. Bear in mind, these people will break a window to steal a pair of flip flops. Their give a crud is broken.

Computer bags, organizers, backpacks, etc, etc, are just birthday wrapping paper for the scum. I know a couple that just got their SUV broken into at a restaurant in the middle of the day in my states most woke crime ridden city, and the scum broke every single side window on the SUV rather than open the doors just to be expedient and not have doors in their way or fiddle with locks and leave prints i guess. Robbed them blind and got two guns, ON VIDEO, and local LEO couldn't do anything but scribble out a pending report number and roll to the next call.

The VAST VAST VAST amount of portable electronics for sale on the secondary market (pawn, craigslist, marketplace, etc), as well as guns, are stolen from vehicles.

Anywhere and everywhere, when you abandon and walk away from your property, just assume that the property is there for the picking.