Suggestions to Deter Theft Attempts on Reversing Camera

LSensiekatie on 21/07/2016 - 10:31

I had a Garmin reversing camera fitted on my wheelchair accessible van - wired to the van electricals and a wireless signal emits to the Garmin Nuvi GPS. The camera sits on a bracket underneath the number plate.

I have had many attempts to steal the camera when I am parked in disabled bays at various places and once here at home a few days ago. I can tell because the bracket and camera are dislodged/dangling.

Does anyone have any suggestions for either capturing potential thieves on camera? Alternatively other ways of deterring these attempts. Obviously I can't put some sort of protection over it!

It messes with the camera angles etc not to mention being plain annoying.

I did consider a sign saying "dumbass it won't come off" but then thought that would just attract more attempts.

Automotive

Comments

  • Diji1 on 21/07/2016 - 10:36
    -1

    Put a sign saying PLEASE STEAL ME.

    Reverse psychology.

    • Sensiekatie on 22/07/2016 - 00:56
      +1

      They would probably take the whole van knowing my luck!

  • robertbruce on 21/07/2016 - 10:47
    +3

    So now they are after your reversing cam?
    Must be a darn desirable cam to attract so much repeated attention….
    Are you sure the tailgate isnt opening on it or that your not backing into something…short of that push the cam image's onto an additional device and you should have your proof - garden gnomes are trying to knock it off…lol..

    • Sensiekatie on 22/07/2016 - 00:54

      The bracket they are pulling is concealed under the number plate frame, so there is no way backing into something is going to pull that out. It is dangling from one side mostly or some times both sides. There's a knack to putting it back, so they are unable to. Over their tracks. It's a van. Do the back foot opens up to the sky, so nothing to hit there! It wouldn't hit if either.

      The camera doesn't work unless you have engine on and are in reverse, so it won't capture anything.

      • robertbruce on 22/07/2016 - 09:05

        Thanks for repling to my post SensieK…

        It's just weird sensie, not having a go, but trying to steal your reversing cam from the back of you car is unusual….

        Being that it clips into place

        . a pothole you reguarly hit might be flicking it out
        . Speedbump, I bet it is a speed bump doing it….
        . Driveway/gutter might be flicking/twisting it out
        . Cat or dog scratching themselves
        . bush turkeys pecking it off

        I mean, once they unclip it, wouldn't it be an easy job to just breaking the wires to uncouple it…

  • NancyCat on 21/07/2016 - 11:13

    Maybe a sign saying 'camera recording 24/7'.

    • Sensiekatie on 22/07/2016 - 00:55

      Yes I did wonder about "smile you are on candid camera" and a dummy object that looks like one!

  • supnigs super skids on 21/07/2016 - 11:37
    +1

    make it DIRTY!

  • dny on 21/07/2016 - 13:25

    Install a wire frame around it and connect it to the car battery

    • pegaxs on 21/07/2016 - 22:56

      You do realise that it is a 12v DC battery yeah? And all a wire frame would do is heat up if connected to a battery like that.

      Also, you do know it is illegal to boobytrap anything on your car, assuming you were aiming at it giving electric shocks. Or were you just wanting to keep ice from forming on the camera??

      • Zachary on 24/07/2016 - 18:56

        Well the guy was suggesting a proactive approach…..it's the thief's fault if they try to steal from a car that's booby trapped…..it wouldn't happen if they didn't start it, now would it?

        • pegaxs on 25/07/2016 - 08:22

          Apart from the fact that it would not work just being connected to the battery like that, irrespective of what a their was trying to do to your cart, I am pretty certain that it is illegal to boobytrap your car.

          Forget the thief and let's say the car is boobytraped the correct working type of way. You punt your car into the rear end of a truck. Your front doors are too damaged to open, youre unconcious and your kids are in the back. Fire fighters turn up and have to put foam down for spilt fuel and sparks flying. A Fire fighter goes to get your kids out of the car through the 5th door. Firey tries to open it with his wet bulky gloves and touches your stupid Home made thief zapper and he gets laid out cold… You think the next guy wants to touch it???

          Pretty sure that's why it's illegal to boobytrap your car.

        • Zachary on 26/07/2016 - 01:27

          @pegaxs: Well if I were to booby trap the car to deter thieves, or rather catch them red-handed when I come back to my car, I would obviously have a on and off switch control. Obviously if I'm driving and or inside the car, I will have it off, but once I am away from the car for even a short period of time(unless it's at my place where I know the suburb is not like say Balga….), say a minute or something(yes there are even some people who do real quickies whilst you're not watching - happened to someone else at my workplace - just casually peeking out the window coz I was bored, saw the guy come out to get into the building and another guy hiding behind some bush pounced as soon as he was out of sight, luckily he locked the car as I saw the guy trying to open the door handle with no success a few times and then left to the next suspecting victim until he was spotted and then casually leave the premise acting all innocent hee hee), I would turn it on. Then come back and turn it off so I don't get zapped trying to open the door…hahaha

          In the case of me having passengers, well I would first warn them that my car is booby trapped so don't get into the car before I get there with the off switch. And in the case of your scenario that I crashed into the back of a truck, well they will now and hopefully warn the firefighter to NOT touch the door if it's on, but it wouldn't because why would I turn it on if I'm in the car - besides to proactively stop thieves coming to jack my car(locking car doors should enough)? I and others if I have passengers, should be enough to deter even car jackers, unless they're armed with weapons like guns….

        • pegaxs on 26/07/2016 - 08:31

          @Zachary: This is a joke post right??? Not sure if trolling or not.

          So, in an accident, you get smashed around the inside of the car, your hand, knee and or face hit the "secret switch". Hell, just the deforming of the car in the accident could switch it on. And your comment about the emergency worker is, well that will teach the others not to touch the car.

          Forget that example, let's say you go out to your child's birthday party. Zach Jr. Is having a smashing time at the park and was telling his best mate about the cool new bike his dad/mum bought to the park. "Wanna see it?" He asks as the two kids take off to look in the van… Zach Jr's friend climbs up on the back bumper and his knee contacts the "boobytrap", the shock enough to send him backwards into he road, smashing his head or possibly into cardiac arrest… That will teach the other kids to not touch the car, right?

          INB4: I would always watch my kids. I never let them out of my sight. I would have a sign on it. I would warn the other parents. I would turn it off at birthday parties in the park.

          A random kid is walking through the shopping centre car park with their parents. A butterfly lands on your "boobytrap" and the little girl just wants to catch it. (Gotta catch them all!!) Before her parents catch her, her hand touches the "boobytrap" and the shock stops her heart dead and kills her. Disregard the police arresting you, the eventual court case and probable jail (gaol) time you will inevitably serve, you would be happy with possibly killing how many kids or how many emergency workers injured is an acceptable amount?

          InB4: parents should control their kids. I can't control butterflies.

          There is a reason boobytraping anything is illegal. It's because you can't engineer against every possible consequence and you can't design around human forgetfulness and/or stupidity.

          For every stupid justification you try to put on this, I can give you multiple reasons why that just wouldn't work. But being human, you won't let logic stand in the way of possibly killing someone, just so long as your $30 camera is protected.

        • Zachary on 26/07/2016 - 16:05

          @pegaxs: Damn, you're good…..hahahaha ok maybe booby trapping a car to protect a camera is probably not a good idea overall.

          PS - If the butterfly lands on my trap, surely it would have been turned to dust or at least stuck to it and smoke come out in which the random kid would why there's smoke coming out of a butterfly that just landed on the car….and …never-mind I see where this would end up…either the kid or parent would still wanna touch the trap to find out why the butterfly is up in smoke or turned to dust, if they're the curious types…and yeah….

        • pegaxs on 26/07/2016 - 19:08

          @Zachary: Yay! Commonsense prevails. :) I can see why people like the idea of boobytraps on cars to punish wayward criminals. Nothing like teaching a scumbag a lesson, but you could end up being sued by the scumbag you were trying to teach a lesson. Law does not cancel out if they are doing the wrong thing and you injure them with a boobytrap. You get in trouble for the injuries, and the law doesn't care what they were doing at the time your boobytrap went off, they are more interested in your trap…

          And zappers need a power supply and a ground. The butterfly would need to contact both positive and ground parts of the circuit to send the current through its body. So chances are, it could land on there and not be torched… And even, like you suggest, it does get toasted, could it possibly become a fire hazard? Frightening thought…

    • woteva on 22/07/2016 - 07:37

      Wire it to the ignition coils.

      • Euphemistic on 25/07/2016 - 09:09

        and then sit in the car with the car running waiting?

  • [Deactivated] on 21/07/2016 - 14:11
    +1

    Cover it with Mayonnaise !

    • Sensiekatie on 22/07/2016 - 01:09
      +6

      Tell you what. You try that for 6 months then you will be able to answer that question for yourself. No trips anywhere unless you push yourself in the chair. Enjoy your new life.

      • Zachary on 24/07/2016 - 18:58

        Get one of those electric wheel chairs or whatever they're called. You can drive it like a car and it'll take you to places provided the there's enough juice - I'm guessing these are powered via electricity.

        • Sensiekatie on 25/07/2016 - 14:02

          I do have one - which is why I need the van. Even living in the city, it's range is limited? Not to mention no suitable footpaths in most of my area - or accesses up to footpaths when you need to cross the road. I live in a capital city and accessibilty is crap. Had to go the city recently, and that was a nightmare. The footpaths are uneven and bumpy and very hard to cross streets and get up onto the other side on many streets.

          The other issue is there is only so much that fits in the bag.

          These and many other things is why there is financial help to get vans in the first place - so we can access our communities instead of being stuck at home. It has changed my life.

  • [Deactivated] on 21/07/2016 - 16:14
    +1

    Rivets, or tamper proof bolts?

    • Sensiekatie on 22/07/2016 - 01:01

      The number plates have theft proof screws but this is a plastic bracket underneath the frame that the camera is on. I will have to ask my husband if it could be secured in another way.

  • Rifraf on 21/07/2016 - 18:56

    I lived in the UK for a couple of years.
    In the town I lived in cars got broken into all the time to steal the alarms.
    It was common to have a sticker on their back window with the name of the alarm.
    I think it attracted thieves rather than put them off.

    • Sensiekatie on 22/07/2016 - 01:05

      Yes exactly. On the new cars with cameras, they are fairly inconspicuous. This is an older van and it was so hard to see how far away a low object was due the height of the Windows so we added the camera and it is not camouflaged well - but hard to do that without obscuring your vision with the camera.

      • goodcopbadcop on 22/07/2016 - 13:31

        I wonder if the camera manufacturer has any ideas to stop would be thieves? Sometimes it could be a design element that needs addressing that they haven't even considered. Being innovative and customer focused is what good manufacturers should be aiming for.

  • simmos on 22/07/2016 - 10:30
    +1

    I was concerned about this same issue and unable to install the camera successfully at the rear window.

    I worked out a better solution by drilling into the skirt underneath the bumper and installing a small 50mm diameter window with the camera installed behind it. It is very unobtrusive and in the case of my vehicle, the camera is not accessible from outside.

    One other possibility depending on the camera design is to install it in a number plate holder, again quite unobtrusive but such ready to install number plate holders are available on eBay. Many already have cams within them but these can be removed and substituted if required. Hope this helps.

    • simmos on 22/07/2016 - 11:52

      Here is a link to a possible suitable license plate camera holder to fit Australian number plates.

      https://www.ebay.com/itm/141998828656 Car License Plate Frame Holder Rear View Backup Camera 8 IR Night Vision Light

  • grb1234 on 22/07/2016 - 13:30
    +1

    mount it at the bottom of the rear windshield (inside the car) instead?

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