How to catch a thief?

Lgentlecrack on 05/05/2014 - 21:16

I bought a new car seat for my daughter when I hired a car for the Easter weekend. When we came back midnight, since we had some luggage, I could not carry the car seat upstairs to my apartment in second floor. I decided to leave it at the common area beneath the staircase, where many tenants keep baby strollers etc. The next day was a mad rush in the morning, and I totally forgot about it.

However when I came back in the evening from office, the car seat was gone! The apartment is secured and it doesn't have doorbells or intercom system, so tenants have to come down and open the door for any visitors. I am pretty sure it has been taken by someone in the apartment or by someone for whom the door was opened by a tenant.

I tried talking to all tenants present in the complex, but noone seemed to have an idea. I tried pasting a notice near the front door as well about the missing item to no avail. Later today, I rang up the property management folks, and they said they couldn't help as they were not responsible for common area even though it was a secured apartment.

Can anyone let me know how to proceed about this as I am sure it has been taken by/with the knowledge of someone in the complex.

General Discussion

Comments

  • juventino on 05/05/2014 - 21:26
    +6

    Is there any camera in the surrounding areas?

    Stick another notice on to the front door, so it can be read by anyone, including the one stealing it. This time, though, mentioned that you have reported this to the police. Also mention that you expect to have the car seat back to the original place, i.e. the area beneath the staircase. Otherwise investigation will be carried out next week and criminal will be prosecuted. Sometimes the mention of 'police' makes people do the right thing.

    Good luck

    • bich.light on 06/05/2014 - 04:46
      -2

      Hope the thief isn't on OzB

    • gentlecrack on 06/05/2014 - 06:31

      Unfortunately, there are no cameras around. Another funny thing happened. My poster was torn off by someone within two hours of posting that following which I put another poster, even that was removed by next day morning! This adds to my suspicions that its an inside job.

      • Mighty Poo on 06/05/2014 - 06:48
        +2

        Put up another one and see if you can spot who is taking it down :)

  • airzone on 05/05/2014 - 23:00

    Yeah bad news. It could be a visitor, the pizza delivery guy, etc.

    • gentlecrack on 06/05/2014 - 06:32

      Even visitors or pizza guys cannot enter without the physical presence of a tenant at the maindoor as there is no intercom.

  • Tech5 on 05/05/2014 - 23:38

    Well if you go knocking and manage to talk to the person who took it, it's not likely they would own up to it.

    When you posted up the notice, did you say that they can leave it anonymously outside your door or something? That might work.

    • gentlecrack on 06/05/2014 - 06:27

      Yeah, I thought so. So I did mention in the notice that it can be returned to where it was kept earlier.

  • StewBalls on 06/05/2014 - 08:10
    +4

    Well, think of it this way…you've just learned a valuable lesson in the importance of securing your stuff in a society that is growing ever more self-focused by the day.

  • 2ndeffort on 06/05/2014 - 11:33

    How come you couldn't carry it up the stairs? Did you have any unique or identifying marks on the seat? Are there other people with kids of an age to use the thing that live in the same block? Perhaps somebody has taken it by mistake or perhaps they are stupid enough to think they can use it close to home. Have you had a quick scout around the car park to see if it is installed in any of the cars in the residents carpark?

    Although there might not be video of 'below the stairs' there might be video of somebody walking out the front/back door of the block carrying your stuff. Are you able to get the footage of the night it went missing?

    Finally have a look on Gumtree and see if anybody in your suburb is currently trying to sell it. If you are keen also try a trip to the local Cash Converters. I have friends whose house was burgled. They had some pretty unique CDs in their music collection (was a few years ago). All the CDs were at the local cash converters along with some other stuff. Initially Cash Converters guy wouldn't believe them or give it all back, a quick call to the police and a meeting with the police and the cash Converters guy later and the mention of the words 'selling stolen property' later and all the stuff was returned. Cash Converter guy even told the cops who had sold him the stuff.

    A day later my mates got a call to come down to the police station and the cops had some junkie there who was still wearing my mate's watch on his wrist! Mate pointed it out and cops had him take off the watch and hand it back. We were all asking my mate if he was tempted to take a quick swing at the loser whilst he was handing the watch back.

  • msmhw on 07/05/2014 - 10:44
    +2

    If you can access all the cars spots, check their cars, you may find it in the back seat in someone car

    • CI on 07/05/2014 - 11:42
      +1

      Best method so far

    • gentlecrack on 08/05/2014 - 07:18

      It was one of the things I did, but no luck. I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to do that as well.

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