Security Advice from Quartzsite LEO

[amandasgramma]

On another post I told of our generators being stolen LINK.

We're boondocking in Quartzsite on the BLM land. They're having a rash of thefts this year. Been coming for YEARS and not had this!

We suspect a cruddy looking Class C that ironically was gone when we got up this morning. I mentioned to the LEO that I wish I'd taken a picture of it. He suggested that it would be a good idea while boondocking to carefully take pictures of rigs anywhere near, with their license plate if possible, and of any rigs acting strange.

Thought I'd just pass the word!

Good luck everyone --- Still the best place to boondock in our opinion!

[96Bounder30E]

Enough!

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Lantley wrote:
Don't shoot the messenger. Believe it or not everyone who responded empathizes with your situation.
While I don't doubt the cruddy rig campers may have been the culprits. Finding footprints does not make it an open and shut case.
Unless you catch the perp red Handed it's all hearsay in court.
Learn from your experience.
1.Light weight expensive Honda 2000 are easily targeted by thieves.
2.Chains are not foolproof and are easily defeated.
3.Prevention is the key, catching a known culprit can be difficult.
4.Thieves are out there. Consider investing in a more fool proof solution.
If you enjoy boon docking consider a gen Box. Out of sight out of mind is also important.
5. Crime can happen anytime anywhere. Thieves come in all shapes and sizes and so do their RV's!.
You don't need to be in a ghetto to be a victim. You just need to be caught with your guard down!
Learn from this experience, keep your guard up,become more proactive with your genset security(that does not mean photograph everyone),install security cameras to watch your RV, consider game camera, fake cameras,security box or motion lights.
Lastly don't quit boon docking or give into thieves. 99% of RV'ers are honest.

WOW!!! Great post!

[Naio]

Dee, I am so sorry people are being jerks to you here!

Blaming the victim is all too common. People fo it be cause they want to think crime won't happen to them if they do everything right. It's a fantasy, and it leads to cruelty.

Big hugs,

Naio

[colliehauler]

amandasgramma wrote:
Okay...I'm done with this. You all have effectively called me a liar and dumb. The theft occurred, the foot prints led up to where the cruddy class c was parked. If they weren't the chief's foot prints what was he doing standing by where our gens used to be? The police did come. One policeman and he did make that comment. I do not lie.....I am offended by this **** you have slung at me. Yes, we learned our lesson....the lesson is that hardened steel cabling will not keep them from stealing. I imagine the pick up won't keep them safe either...they can break a window and open the door. The other lesson I've learned is to not share with you people on here.

Like being the victim twice.

[colliehauler]

2oldman wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:
the thieves are good and active, so they can probably afford a nice rig....You never saw Tony Soprano driving a clunker.

Tony stole generators?

If Tony stole generators it was probably a semi load of them.

[Lantley]

Don't shoot the messenger. Believe it or not everyone who responded empathizes with your situation.
While I don't doubt the cruddy rig campers may have been the culprits. Finding footprints does not make it an open and shut case.
Unless you catch the perp red Handed it's all hearsay in court.
Learn from your experience.
1.Light weight expensive Honda 2000 are easily targeted by thieves.
2.Chains are not foolproof and are easily defeated.
3.Prevention is the key, catching a known culprit can be difficult.
4.Thieves are out there. Consider investing in a more fool proof solution.
If you enjoy boon docking consider a gen Box. Out of sight out of mind is also important.
5. Crime can happen anytime anywhere. Thieves come in all shapes and sizes and so do their RV's!.
You don't need to be in a ghetto to be a victim. You just need to be caught with your guard down!
Learn from this experience, keep your guard up,become more proactive with your genset security(that does not mean photograph everyone),install security cameras to watch your RV, consider game camera, fake cameras,security box or motion lights.
Lastly don't quit boon docking or give into thieves. 99% of RV'ers are honest.

[amandasgramma]

Okay...I'm done with this. You all have effectively called me a liar and dumb. The theft occurred, the foot prints led up to where the cruddy class c was parked. If they weren't the chief's foot prints what was he doing standing by where our gens used to be? The police did come. One policeman and he did make that comment. I do not lie.....I am offended by this **** you have slung at me. Yes, we learned our lesson....the lesson is that hardened steel cabling will not keep them from stealing. I imagine the pick up won't keep them safe either...they can break a window and open the door. The other lesson I've learned is to not share with you people on here.

[path1]

I'm glad and impressed the cops even came out.

I caught a lady ripping off stuff in our neighborhood, she drove away and I called 911 and was told to file report online. I was right behind her with lic number and 911 told me not to follow. Thief lady didn't know I was behind her, she was still riffling thru what she stole at a red light. 911 didn't even want the plate number.

Glad some places still do what is in my opinion, police work.

[2oldman]

Fine. You park next to the junkers. There's plenty of them at the Slabs. I'll park next to Britney.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

2oldman wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
You're allowed to feel way you want but it's pretty much false logic.

It's not false when you're out in the desert with dirt poor people who drive junkers.

To really get a handle on this, you'd have to look at the statistics for Quartzsite and theft of generators. Do you think that's going to be retired people in Class As?

Do you really think celebrites worth 100's of millions of dollars are going to steal things from stores time and time again? Oops, I guess they do! :B

The funny thing is, if Britney would have pulled into the site right next to the OP's with her 2.3 million dollar MH she would not take a picture of her MH. But if a family pulled in with an 80's rig, they would have all sorts of pictures taken of it. LOL :R

[2oldman]

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
You're allowed to feel way you want but it's pretty much false logic.

It's not false when you're out in the desert with dirt poor people who drive junkers.

To really get a handle on this, you'd have to look at the statistics for Quartzsite and theft of generators. Do you think that's going to be retired people in Class As?

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

amandasgramma wrote:

2oldman wrote:

amandasgramma wrote:
Quite frankly, if you're a clean looking nice camper, I probably won't take pictures. If you look like riff raff I don't give a rat's ass if I make you uncomfortable taking your picture. .

Don't feel bad.. I'm with you all the way on this.

I don't choose to camp near crappy rigs, and it's my right not to. If I want to think that someone in a crappy rig is more likely to rip me off than someone in a nice big Class A, that's my choice.

That's all I hear the OP doing, and I can't fault her or anyone for it.

Thank you.....:) We're camped next to two great trees....LOL I hate like heck to have to move away. And yes, we both are profiling. We used to live in a crappy 5er....and I agree that someone in a nice rig, newer one, aren't as likely to steal.

You're allowed to feel way you want but it's pretty much false logic.
Here is a video of some people trying to steal much more than a gen set. Nice newer Dodge truck.

Thieves are thieves. The rich, the poor it makes no difference. It crosses all lines and skin colors. It might be a good idea to look at this list and then question your logic. These people have WAY more money than you and I will likely ever have and look what they did. :E

If only the poor stole we would not have to worry about the Bernie Madoff's or the Martha Stewart's of the world.

I hope you get your stuff back and have no more problems. 🙂

[2oldman]

westernrvparkowner wrote:
the thieves are good and active, so they can probably afford a nice rig....You never saw Tony Soprano driving a clunker.

Tony stole generators?

[tpi]

I agree with the post above. Police work on a stolen generator in the desert is not going to be overwhelming.

Hide, disguise, secure-looking to the future. "Personalize" it in a way that makes it less desirable as stolen property resale(paint scheme, missing parts, carvings into plastic,etc). If you're still in area keep an eye out for generator resales and check for yours. I've recovered stolen property that way..