GPS Stolen from car today. Caught on Video

[7 & Van Dyke]

Who are you to say what people call valuable? If I'm by your house, see a flower pot in your window I for whatever reason want, and shatter your windows causing thousands of dollars of damage...is that your fault?

I leave my doors unlocked so people don't have to break my windows in my car to see there is nothing valuable. It's a little trick you learn LIVING IN A CITY. You could steal anything in my house and I would not care. I don't have anything that can't be replaced. My tv is 20 years old and so is my stereo. You'd be doing me a favor by taking it. If it's so valuable, why flaunt it? If someone wants it, they will take it, no matter what.

If you want me to feel sorry for this guy and express sympathy, it's not going to happen. People steal anything, why leave it in plain sight and make it easy? Plus, I've had my car windows and house windows smashed. It comes with the territory. Accept it and deal with it when crappy things like that happen. If you don't like it, move to the woods. I'm not saying the guy was right for stealing it, but don't be stupid and make it easy for criminals, especially if it is so valuable to you.

[iheartthed]

I'm with the others above. Blaming and scolding the victim [especially as the details are unknown, nothing is established as to whether or not the GPS was in the open, window was open or broken into etc.] is insensitive at the least and downright cold. Even if the facts were as some accuse, haven't any of you ever forgotten to stash something or lock your car? Sheesh.

The worst part of these drive-by smash-and-grab thieves is the cost of the damage they can do to a vehicle vs. the amount of money for which they can fence anything they grab.

A while back I had a catalytic converter sawed off, in broad daylight, in a highly trafficked area - Eastern Market parking llot between by Hirts and Russell St. Deli. When I Googled the fence value, it came to around $80. Cost of replacement, $500+, four hours of time spent, no car for a day. I had insurance but even my $100 deductible was more than the fence value. A TV report last night says these saw-offs take less than a minute.

So I guess that makes me guilty for not paying someone to watch my car?

Instead of venting against Claude without knowing the facts, the real wrath needs to be directed toward those who receive and pay for the stolen properties first, as they create the market, and then the street thieves.

Claude I hope some unexpected luck comes your way today. Sorry for your losses and inconvenience.

How exactly are we supposed to respond to another one of these "feel sorry for me because I made myself a target" threads? I've had my car broken into the exact same way for almost the exact same reason as the o/p: I left something that looked valuable in plain view while parked in a place convenient for a smash and grab. What did I do? I learned to stop leaving valuable looking stuff in plain sight in my parked car.

Is it his fault that his car was looted? Of course not. But we ask people all the time to take reasonable precautions to protect themselves against the actions of others. It's the price of living in civilization. We tell people to look before you cross the street even when you have the right of way. Why? Because someone else might not be following the rules and could run you over.

[stinkytofu]

How exactly are we supposed to respond to another one of these "feel sorry for me because I made myself a target" threads? I've had my car broken into the exact same way for almost the exact same reason as the o/p: I left something that looked valuable in plain view while parked in a place convenient for a smash and grab. What did I do? I learned to stop leaving valuable looking stuff in plain sight in my parked car.

Is it his fault that his car was looted? Of course not. But we ask people all the time to take reasonable precautions to protect themselves against the actions of others. It's the price of living in civilization. We tell people to look before you cross the street even when you have the right of way. Why? Because someone else might not be following the rules and could run you over.

This does not appear to have intended to be a "feel sorry for me because I made myself a target" thread...this person posted a YouTube clip of the alledged perp and asked you notify the police if you recognize him. What better way to try to solve a crime then post a video of the crime happening on a public forum?

[Lowell]

How exactly are we supposed to respond to another one of these "feel sorry for me because I made myself a target" threads? I've had my car broken into the exact same way for almost the exact same reason as the o/p: I left something that looked valuable in plain view while parked in a place convenient for a smash and grab. What did I do? I learned to stop leaving valuable looking stuff in plain sight in my parked car.

Is it his fault that his car was looted? Of course not. But we ask people all the time to take reasonable precautions to protect themselves against the actions of others. It's the price of living in civilization. We tell people to look before you cross the street even when you have the right of way. Why? Because someone else might not be following the rules and could run you over.

Re-read the opening thread. Exactly where does he ask you to feel sorry for him? He asks for your help in tracking down the thief. Nothing more. instead he gets scorn and a lecture. He is not the thief or the fence.

You say you have had your car broken into, so at least show some heart. You admit to making the mistake of leaving something valuable in sight but don't even know if that is what he did. I have had my car broken into with nothing in view. So what does that mean?

I'm just saying, if you can't help him with what he asked for, why bum out his day further by lecturing on the obvious, especially when you don't even know the facts. There is an almost disturbing tone of glee in some these posts.

[Planner3357]

I leave my doors unlocked so people don't have to break my windows in my car to see there is nothing valuable. It's a little trick you learn LIVING IN A CITY. You could steal anything in my house and I would not care. I don't have anything that can't be replaced. My tv is 20 years old and so is my stereo. You'd be doing me a favor by taking it. If it's so valuable, why flaunt it? If someone wants it, they will take it, no matter what.

If you want me to feel sorry for this guy and express sympathy, it's not going to happen. People steal anything, why leave it in plain sight and make it easy? Plus, I've had my car windows and house windows smashed. It comes with the territory. Accept it and deal with it when crappy things like that happen. If you don't like it, move to the woods. I'm not saying the guy was right for stealing it, but don't be stupid and make it easy for criminals, especially if it is so valuable to you.

Really? So according to you none of us should have nice things of value in our houses? That's a nice way to live. Sorry you don't have nice shit, but some of us dont have tvs and appliances from last century.

So I would be flaunting my flat screen by putting it in my house?

[English]

Look, I see both sides. I was raised in postmodern Detroit behind bars, barbed wires, alarms, and always looking over my shoulder. I have been blessed enough never to have a window smashed because there isn't anything visible. I was approached once in my early teens, but I have yet to be mugged or assaulted. That's because my wonderful family & my Vietnam veteran dad raised me with a combat zone mentality [[which is why I go off sometimes in here, very sorry) and it has made me NUTS.

Sure, I have heard all my life from Detroiters that crime victims were stupid. "Why did you leave those CDs/that cell phone/the GPS on the seat or visible?" "Why was she walking home from the bus stop at 2 am?" "Why did he or she go to the ATM after dark?"

The reality of the matter is that it's not the victims of crime who suck, it is the criminals. I have yet to be a victim of a major crime in the city of Detroit, but like most of us who were raised in such an environment, I am slightly nuts -- and I know that. I realized that I was nuts only when I went to live in other places [[down South in a smaller town, then Ann Arbor) with my combat zone mentality and was fortunate enough to have friends who tell me "it's OK, just relax... the world won't end because you left that shopping bag on the seat." To deal with it, I've learned that I have to take time to do yoga, take my long walks along the Detroit River, and once in a while, talk to someone about my fears.

The low-grade PTSD that you get from being on constant vigilance in Detroit and other high-stress urban environments is insane. Biologically -- physically -- we were not meant to deal with that level of hypervigilance. Sure, leaving the GPS in sight is not a great idea, but some Detroiters make people think they can't even be human. We are not soldiers in combat, darn it. We are human beings. We should be able to take a moonlight stroll on these late summer nights, or dash into a store, without getting hit. YES, I know that we can't do that in the city, but let's at least acknowledge that it's a sin and a shame that we can't... and that yes, being the victim of a crime makes you feel awful, unsafe, and unprotected. When you lose that sense, when you do not trust your neighborhood and community, it does something to you psychologically and emotionally.

[iheartthed]

Re-read the opening thread. Exactly where does he ask you to feel sorry for him? He asks for your help in tracking down the thief. Nothing more. instead he gets scorn and a lecture. He is not the thief or the fence.

You say you have had your car broken into, so at least show some heart. You admit to making the mistake of leaving something valuable in sight but don't even know if that is what he did. I have had my car broken into with nothing in view. So what does that mean?

I'm just saying, if you can't help him with what he asked for, why bum out his day further by lecturing on the obvious, especially when you don't even know the facts. There is an almost disturbing tone of glee in some these posts.

You know what? You're right, so I take back my criticism of him in particular. But for the generic debate of "blaming the victim", I still stand by what I said.

[davewindsor]

Move to the burbs if you don't like it.

You can move to the burbs and you'll still have that problem. I had some teenagers roll by and try to break into my new car in Windsor for the GPS and scratched up all the window mouldings. A friend of mine was parking in downtown Windsor and his girlfriend left her purse on the front seat and it was a smash and grab like that video. Windsor is a city that hasn't had a single homicide in the past 22 months, yet leave anything in plain view in a car and it's gone, Live and learn. This will happen in any city with pockets of drug addicts who need to feed their habit.

[Baron_Haussmann]

No one asked anyone to feel sorry for the victim. He merely asked for help in notifying the police if you recognize the victim.

Of course you shouldn't leave any valuable visible when you park ANYWHERE, but is it really necessary to be such a jerk when this guy was just a victim of a crime and is obviously upset?

[Eric_c]

Living in Detroit, I make a habit of not leaving anything in my car in plain view. I also lock the doors, glovebox and center console.

This past January I was in Royal Oak parked on the street. Came back to the car and found my passenger window broken out, the glovebox and console pried open and the contents [[nothing valuable) strewn over the seats and floor.

Royal Oak. Nothing in plain sight. Everything locked.

I think it was just Claude's time, sad to say.

[Gannon]

Exactly, Eric!

Like when I had that experience in West Bloomfield with the serial thief and home invader...or went downstairs after working all night at a friend's condo at the corner of 11 and Main to find someone's uber-SUV on blocks with all of its 25-inchers gone.

Double-yuck. It happens all the time, anywhere.

[Maof]

i have a portable gps and when i'm done using it, which is seldom, i delete my home address. i don't want anyone tracking me down at home. i've also heard you should clean off the suction mark on the window but that might be going a little too far.

[Jimaz]

It might be amusing to plant easily stolen, boobytrapped decoys that set off annoying stink bombs or dye bombs five minutes after they're taken.

Heh. Devious.

[Bigb23]

i have a protable gps and when i'm done using it, which is seldom, i delete my home address. i don't want anyone tracking me down at home. i've also heard you should clean off the suction mark on the window but that might be going a little too far.

No, they have us by the Nads. When I have to hide everything I own, and then somehow clean up the suction cup marks, four times a day they have won . Woe, to the little league team sponsored by "Fred's Catalytic converter and Radio re-shop emporium" [[Ford eight tracks included).

Let's throw some more light on the re-sellers, like video confirmation, and ID. Mandatory.

[noise]

Oooooh. Go ahead. I'd like to see them try. Maybe I should leave my computer, cell phones, stereo in plain view so they can easily grab it through the window. You are an idiot if you leave electronics in plain sight, especially in Detroit and your stuff deserves to get stolen. Move to the burbs if you don't like it.

You'd like to see them try? Tough guy?

If you say dumb things here, like you have, you deserve to be killed and eaten. Don't say dumb things if you don't like it.

[noise]

You can move to the burbs and you'll still have that problem. I had some teenagers roll by and try to break into my new car in Windsor for the GPS and scratched up all the window mouldings. A friend of mine was parking in downtown Windsor and his girlfriend left her purse on the front seat and it was a smash and grab like that video. Windsor is a city that hasn't had a single homicide in the past 22 months, yet leave anything in plain view in a car and it's gone, Live and learn. This will happen in any city with pockets of drug addicts who need to feed their habit.

It happened to me in Romeo. On the unpaved 33 Mile Road. Down a 1/4 mile driveway.

Addressing the REAL problem has become a real problem in Detroit, and it shows by the comments in this forum.

[313WX]

No sympathy for the OP from me.

One should know better than to leave valuable items like that out in the open, especially in an area like 6 Mile and Van Dyke.

[GOAT]

That really sucks. As someone who had their car door pried open with a crowbar, I know how this can suck.
I don't know the scumbag who did this because I don't hang around people like that.

I will say in a city like Detroit CCTV would be a HUGE deterrent to crap like this as long as signs were all over the place stated you are being watched by CCTV. Then again so many of Detroiters are illiterate it may not do anything at all...Still, why hasn't Detroit been more like London? The cops don't come so they might as well watch the video screens.


As for the shit-sticks blaming the victims once again [[some of you people astound even an asshole like me)...get a life maggots.

[Bigb23]

Okay, have anybody heard of "ninga glass" just some thing I heard on a CIA thread. That's all I'll say.

[313WX]

As for the shit-sticks blaming the victims once again [[some of you people astound even an asshole like me)...get a life maggots.

I could see if the OP took the necessary precautions to hide the GPS out of plain sight where as only someone would have to break in and rummage through their items in order to find it [[like a house break-in), but in this case they likely had the GPS in which it says clear as day "Come and steal ME!!! to any average joe probably walking/driving by.

The point is I don't think he/she is completely faultless in this situation either. They brought the trouble upon themselves.

[Scottathew]

i have a protable gps and when i'm done using it, which is seldom, i delete my home address. i don't want anyone tracking me down at home. i've also heard you should clean off the suction mark on the window but that might be going a little too far.

My Garmin has the Garmin Lock feature. It makes it so that the GPS is locked until enter a code or go to an "unlock location". If your GPS has a similar feature you won't have to delete your address.

[SaintMe]

You deserve to have it taken if you leave it out in plain view.

I suppose if the OP had been around to try stop the crook and got shot in the process, he totally deserved to die.

[Thruster315]

No blame to the victim from me here. If anything, please take the words of advice from the street savvy people here and do not leave anything that even looks of value out in the open. Again- no blame; just straight forward advice to prevent this from ever happening to you again.

Now for the cheap ass thieves who do this- the blame falls solely on their weak ass shoulders. You take something that doesn't belong to you and that's just straight up burglary. For that you should have your ass kicked by the mobs before being handed over to the cops for proper and formal incarceration. Don't respect other people's stuff? Then why the hell should we respect you?

Maybe that's a bit of vigilantism on my part but it just comes down to respect. We don't have to like each other at all, but when it comes to respect- we all have it until we do something stupid like this to lose it.

[DC48080]

Did any of you who are lambasting the victim stop to consider that there is a very good chance that his GPS was not a portable unit?

The vehicle in the video looks like a Chevy Tahoe. Many of those come with built-in GPS units which are part of the radio system. Those cannot be removed and hidden. Those are also the kind that are most popular with thieves because they are worth far more than some cheap $99 Tom Tom or Garmin.

But I suppose some of the "more enlightened than thou" types on here will opine that he deserved to be a victim nonetheless for having such a nice vehicle and parking it in Detroit.

How damned rediculous!

[Scottathew]

Did any of you who are lambasting the victim stop to consider that there is a very good chance that his GPS was not a portable unit?

I don't think this was the case because of how quick it was. But I do agree, a lot of people here are making a lot of assumptions.

For all we know the bad guy saw him park his car there and hide his GPS in his glove box. Then he came back later and stole it.

Regardless, the victim is not to be blamed. If he left it out in the open it wouldn't have been smart, but regardless, it would not have been his fault.