Caught a Car Thief in Action. What Would You Do?

Got an alert on my newly installed security camera. Casually checked it thinking it was a cat setting it off. Saw a man trying to open my car door. Ran outside and saw him walking away with two other people. Thought better of approaching him and went back inside.

WWYD?

Poll Options

  • 7
    Go back inside
  • 489
    Call the cops
  • 24
    Follow them
  • 27
    Bikies
  • 8
    Other

closed Comments

  • Snipe them with rifle from a distance.

  • At least upload it to YouTube and Facebook, share it on a Tesla owner group and it might spread around.

    • +1

      there's better footage of him on the local facebook group. eufy isn't super clear

  • El Kabong!

  • +1

    I actually had my car stolen. The thieves wanted my racing kart on its trailer, so they stole the car to tow it away.

    Then a couple of days found it myself when I saw it on the side of road from a bus.

    I asked the cops if they wanted to fingerprint it or anything before I got in it and drove it home. They said, no, they "only investigate stolen cars when there's a crime involved". We worked out afterwards that what they meant was that they only bother trying to find who did it if the stolen car was involved in the commission of another crime.

    • But your stolen car was used in the commission of another crime, they used your car and trailer to steal your racing kart.

    • Apparently the theft of the car itself isn't considered a crime…

    • Was this is 1953? Doesn't sound very plausible re Police not being interested, unless you told them you didn't want to make a complaint?

    • As long as the thieves don't speed, no serious crime has been committed 🙄

  • +3

    Follow them and steal their car.

  • I once spent a night in Adelaide. Came back from the shops in the morning to see a fella in my 4wd. Ran off with my back pack and stuff. Chased him about 50m till he waited round a corner with a knife and told me to stop chasing him.
    I went back to my 4wd and started looking for him and was seriously considering giving him a bump if I found him.
    Later realised it was my own pocket knife from my centre console.
    Never saw him again or heard back from the cops so hopefully someone else has given him a bump or worse.

  • -1

    'Saw a man trying to open my car door'

    if there is no damage and no loss, it looks like no crime

    if you have good resolution video that could help identify the offenders, put it online and send the police a link they can forward to other stations

    I did that for a bicycle thief, and last I heard he got two years in the big house

    • I think attempted break in is a crime but I'm no lawyer

  • As someone who knows FIRST HAND, I can only assure folks to ensure you're aware of the self defence laws in your state/territory. I thin a lot of folks see stuff from the US - where to be honest it's pretty out of control the other way e.g people shooting thieves in the back as they run away down the street.

    Common sense and what you THINK would apply is NOT generally how the law operates in this sphere. And this pertains to people trying to or actually breaking into your property or if you're attacked by someone else etc.

    I am all for appropriate punishment for crims - but there are many, many folks who's one moment of bravado ended badly for them one way or another. And again I say this from personal experience and the crappy laws in NSW were to blame - well that and 4 people lying in court but go figure. :-/

    • The laws in Australia are just as broken as other places.
      Take it how you want but if somebody breaks into my house or home invades me I'm literally going to do everything I can to try and kill that person and if I go to jail then so be it. If somebody breaks into your house and tries to physically harm you I believe you have every right to take their life

  • -2

    you didn't catch anyone - you didn't say or do anything LMAOOOOO that's your car dude

    • This is Ozbargain, internet equivalent to /r/estrogen

    • I kindly told him to f off but i don't think that helped much as he continued attempting break-ins that night . Also called the cops and gave them the footage. Wwyd?

  • +1

    I live in a block of 2 units and rent one out.
    I found a guy hiding in the kitchen of my vacant rental unit.
    He must of snuck in through the garage.
    I yelled at him. He asked that I speak to him nicely!
    He was pretty skinny and non-threatening.
    He left the property and I wasn't sure what do to so I followed him a short distance and took some photos of him, much to his displeasure.
    I circulated the photos to the neighbours - apparently other neighbours had a similar problem with a person entering via their garages.
    Spoke to the police and sent the photos. They said if nothing is taken and no signs of forced entry then not much they can do.
    Saw him once more in the street and went up to chat with him and asked him if he'd broken into anymore houses.
    Haven't seen him since.

  • Can't really comment without MS Paint diagram :(

  • +1

    Someone tries to steal your car and you run inside like a complete (profanity)?
    Why not just give them your keys?

  • My dad got stabbed trying to stop a bum breathing into his car. My uncle got murdered for stopping a pool fight from happening. It's nice to try and step in but you don't know how crazy these 'people' are and from experience it's probably not worth the risk.

    Call the cops

    • Of course i called. Didn't want to abuse the 000 number as he'd already started walking away so i just called crime stoppers . I could have tried to take some photos but i thought that was risky

      • Well you're an idiot because that's what triple 0 is for.
        You see people stealing a car so you call crimestoppers oh my god

    • Ah that's horrible.

  • I would call the cops but I would also stop the person

    • 3 of them?

      • I'm not gonna let a vehicle get stolen when I can physically see it.
        Cops will not get there in time to do anything and chances are the moment you go outside they will run.

        Man up

        • 'be a man. Do the right thing'

        • ah, toxic masculinity. love it

          • +1

            @belongsinforums: I find it more toxic that you made this post and didn't have the guts to walk outside and actually do something.
            Go make the same post on blokes advice and see what happens buddy

                      • @belongsinforums: Well we both know why you didn't go outside and do anything now don't we

                      • @belongsinforums: Just to make you look like even more of a scumbag in front of everybody I'll let you know that on Friday my father was rushed to emergency via ambulance and has been in hospital since then… But here you are acting like a freak because I've called you out for being a coward that wouldn't go outside and approach these so-called thieves

  • If I have the make and plates of the car I'd call the cops, but otherwise I'm going back to bed comfortably knowing someone's probably getting an insurance payout.

    • they were on foot

      • I'm sure I would be on my feet too at the time, but only until I'm comfy in my bed again 💤

        Honestly not worth risking your life getting into a scuffle with three guys, just let them do whatever and claim the insurance with the footage.

        • not everyone has cameras and insurance claims of only a few hundred are probably not worth it because of excess

  • This is where those gps, motion sensor dash cams are so useful.

  • Thread closed as multiple users have resorted to personal attacks and other innapropriate comments.

Login or Join to leave a comment