I have a license plate thief. I think I need a camera.
July 29, 2012 5:31 PM Subscribe
Someone keeps stealing my license plate while my car is parked in my apartment complex overnight. I've already reported the thefts, and I'd like to set up a camera and catch the perp in the act if he or she strikes again. Suggestions, given the details inside?
I live in a second-floor apartment in a gated apartment complex. Twice in the past two weeks the rear license plate has been stolen off my vehicle. No other plates in the complex have been stolen so I believe my vehicle is being specifically targeted. I immediately reported both thefts to the apartment office and the local police. I would like to set up a motion-sensing security solution to catch the thief in the act, since I believe I'll be targeted again.
My roommate and I have one covered/assigned parking spot between the two of us, in a place that is not visible from any windows in our apartment but is only about 30 feet away from one bedroom in the apartment. There is no easy way to mount a camera to the covered parking structure, and no power available out there (even assuming the apartment office was OK with this plan, which they probably would not be).
There are uncovered/unassigned parking spots across from my apartment's balcony, but I don't have any IR spotlight bright enough to illuminate them from within my apartment or on my balcony. (I have an IR illuminator and a PS3 Eye camera modified for IR vision, from an unrelated DIY project).
I'd consider putting a network security camera inside my car and parking it in wifi range of my home network, but my car has limited rear visibility (spoiler + small rear window + window tint) and I'm not sure I could get a good image of someone standing behind the plate, from inside. I've also thought about putting a pinhole camera, transmitter, battery and IR illuminator UNDER the license plate, but I'm not convinced that it's a good idea to put the camera somewhere that the thief is bound to see, since that might inspire them to further damage my vehicle.
Any interesting/creative ideas for camera types or placement? I'm not interested in anything other than getting photographic evidence of the crime in progress if it happens again.
I live in a second-floor apartment in a gated apartment complex. Twice in the past two weeks the rear license plate has been stolen off my vehicle. No other plates in the complex have been stolen so I believe my vehicle is being specifically targeted. I immediately reported both thefts to the apartment office and the local police. I would like to set up a motion-sensing security solution to catch the thief in the act, since I believe I'll be targeted again.
My roommate and I have one covered/assigned parking spot between the two of us, in a place that is not visible from any windows in our apartment but is only about 30 feet away from one bedroom in the apartment. There is no easy way to mount a camera to the covered parking structure, and no power available out there (even assuming the apartment office was OK with this plan, which they probably would not be).
There are uncovered/unassigned parking spots across from my apartment's balcony, but I don't have any IR spotlight bright enough to illuminate them from within my apartment or on my balcony. (I have an IR illuminator and a PS3 Eye camera modified for IR vision, from an unrelated DIY project).
I'd consider putting a network security camera inside my car and parking it in wifi range of my home network, but my car has limited rear visibility (spoiler + small rear window + window tint) and I'm not sure I could get a good image of someone standing behind the plate, from inside. I've also thought about putting a pinhole camera, transmitter, battery and IR illuminator UNDER the license plate, but I'm not convinced that it's a good idea to put the camera somewhere that the thief is bound to see, since that might inspire them to further damage my vehicle.
Any interesting/creative ideas for camera types or placement? I'm not interested in anything other than getting photographic evidence of the crime in progress if it happens again.
This answer is also not related to security cameras, but using, say, four different security screws would make removing your plate a lot more challenging.
posted by box at 5:44 PM on July 29, 2012 [6 favorites]
posted by box at 5:44 PM on July 29, 2012 [6 favorites]
Now that they have two copies of your plates (one for the front, other for the rear) I doubt they will steal your plates again
posted by mulligan at 5:56 PM on July 29, 2012 [11 favorites]
posted by mulligan at 5:56 PM on July 29, 2012 [11 favorites]
You could try some locking nuts. any auto parts store will carry them, or maybe even walmart or target.
posted by annsunny at 6:17 PM on July 29, 2012
posted by annsunny at 6:17 PM on July 29, 2012
Did you get your plates changed? Getting a new number would allow the police to assume that any car wearing your old plates is doing so under suspicious circumstances, probably as a stolen car.
Also, I'd go with the networked camera in the back-seat; despite the spoiler an rear-window tinting, the darkness in the car compared to the illumination in the garage still gives the camera some visiblity. I would disguise the camera by hiding it behind a sticker or inside a kleenex box on the rear deck (if applicable).
posted by Sunburnt at 6:34 PM on July 29, 2012 [2 favorites]
Also, I'd go with the networked camera in the back-seat; despite the spoiler an rear-window tinting, the darkness in the car compared to the illumination in the garage still gives the camera some visiblity. I would disguise the camera by hiding it behind a sticker or inside a kleenex box on the rear deck (if applicable).
posted by Sunburnt at 6:34 PM on July 29, 2012 [2 favorites]
Is it possible that they're stealing your tags? - Do your tags have a long time to run?
posted by carter at 6:58 PM on July 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by carter at 6:58 PM on July 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
Someone who doesn't have the necessary ID/money/whatever now has plates for a car that otherwise would have gotten ticketed/pulled over for not having them. Unfortunately for you, they're yours. Mulligan has it; they're not coming back. Go to the DMV with copies of your police reports, get new license plates and do all the affiliated municipal government paperwork that goes along with it. It sucks. Sorry about that. At least the police have your plates listed as stolen; if you don't live in a big city, they might even bother to look around for them.
posted by tzikeh at 7:44 PM on July 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by tzikeh at 7:44 PM on July 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
^and by "new license plates" I mean a new letter/number plate entirely, not a replacement set.
posted by tzikeh at 7:45 PM on July 29, 2012
posted by tzikeh at 7:45 PM on July 29, 2012
Response by poster: To respond to a couple of questions: I
1) live in Arizona, where cars only have one back plate. I had my plate changed after the first theft, so having a matching set was not a potential motive.
2) I am nervous about using security screws because if someone actually is out to get me (I have a suspicion that this may be the case, but I don't want to talk about that in public; the police know about it and are investigating as much as they're going to), and they can't take my plate, they may do something more destructive. It takes a couple hours and five bucks to get new plates; anything else is going to be vastly more expensive.
posted by Alterscape at 8:04 PM on July 29, 2012
1) live in Arizona, where cars only have one back plate. I had my plate changed after the first theft, so having a matching set was not a potential motive.
2) I am nervous about using security screws because if someone actually is out to get me (I have a suspicion that this may be the case, but I don't want to talk about that in public; the police know about it and are investigating as much as they're going to), and they can't take my plate, they may do something more destructive. It takes a couple hours and five bucks to get new plates; anything else is going to be vastly more expensive.
posted by Alterscape at 8:04 PM on July 29, 2012
Random idea: I'm not that knowledgeable about security cameras, but if you can find a battery powered -night vision- one, you could try using a Gorillapod style holder or the aforementioned adhesive to hide a camera in a nearby tree, in a bush, on the side of a building, on a lamp post, tucked up under porch eaves, etc.
Basically, if you can, position your car as close to a streetlight as possible and THEN worry about positioning your camera.
Alternatively! Pinhole style camera -behind- the license plate. When the license is gone, voila!
posted by DisreputableDog at 8:34 PM on July 29, 2012 [2 favorites]
Basically, if you can, position your car as close to a streetlight as possible and THEN worry about positioning your camera.
Alternatively! Pinhole style camera -behind- the license plate. When the license is gone, voila!
posted by DisreputableDog at 8:34 PM on July 29, 2012 [2 favorites]
Have your roommate park in a spot across from your car, and put the camera in their vehicle pointing at yours.
Watch out for the thief possibly noticing the IR, or on some game cameras the flash.
posted by yohko at 10:22 PM on July 29, 2012
Watch out for the thief possibly noticing the IR, or on some game cameras the flash.
posted by yohko at 10:22 PM on July 29, 2012
hmm...there's another kind of camera, but i'm not sure what it's called...it's for hunting UFOs, of all things, though they do use them for wildlife/nature/security/etc...basically, they're on and running all the time, but they only record if something in the frame moves (they have a 'buffer' so it records starting from the instant something moves)...does anyone know what these are called?
posted by sexyrobot at 11:12 PM on July 29, 2012
posted by sexyrobot at 11:12 PM on July 29, 2012
hmm...there's another kind of camera, but i'm not sure what it's called
trail camera as suggested by DisreputableDog above.
posted by davey_darling at 3:15 AM on July 30, 2012
trail camera as suggested by DisreputableDog above.
posted by davey_darling at 3:15 AM on July 30, 2012
It takes a couple hours and five bucks to get new plates; anything else is going to be vastly more expensive.
This is what insurance is for, yes? It's annoying, but shouldn't cost you a ton.
Honestly though? I'd consider camping out. Park your roommate's car a few spots down someplace with a view. Bring your cell phone, and call the cops as soon as you see the bastard(s).
posted by valkyryn at 5:29 AM on July 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
This is what insurance is for, yes? It's annoying, but shouldn't cost you a ton.
Honestly though? I'd consider camping out. Park your roommate's car a few spots down someplace with a view. Bring your cell phone, and call the cops as soon as you see the bastard(s).
posted by valkyryn at 5:29 AM on July 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
security screws, and also make sure you score your reg tags with a knife...Visibly scored, as in deep gashes that strip some of your paint off the plate.
posted by couchdive at 11:30 AM on July 30, 2012
posted by couchdive at 11:30 AM on July 30, 2012
ah yes, trail cameras...i thought they only did stills...my bad. you want a trail camera. and someplace to post the humiliation!
posted by sexyrobot at 10:13 AM on July 31, 2012
posted by sexyrobot at 10:13 AM on July 31, 2012
Response by poster: Just posting a follow-up: I ended up switching to security screws (hex + nub in the middle style) and have been parking my vehicle in the covered parking space associated with our apartment (brighter lighting and greater visibility). There have been no further incidents, so I did not end up buying camera gear. Thanks for all the feedback though!
posted by Alterscape at 12:32 PM on August 29, 2012
posted by Alterscape at 12:32 PM on August 29, 2012
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posted by blaneyphoto at 5:38 PM on July 29, 2012 [1 favorite]