Watch your car on Heidelberg St.

**DetroitVideoDaily** · May-25-12, 07:06 PM

Today in the late afternoon my stepdaughter in from college with a friend from Boston [[first visit to Detroit for the friend) stopped by to visit the Heidelberg Project. They parked near a house with people sitting on their porch, walked about half way up the block only to hear the window of their vehicle being smashed. The thieves quickly sped away with her backpack. There are tinted windows on the vehicle, so it wasn't too obvious that something was on the backseat.

Just want to warn anyone that visits the project or sends visitors there that given the way the crime happened the culprits probably have done this before.

It could've been much worse, so I'm thankful it was just "stuff" that was stolen. She learned a hard lesson though about leaving a laptop in a backpack with no password lock on it

-DVD

**DetroitVideoDaily** · May-25-12, 08:25 PM

Not a wise decision, and now she learned the hard way. I'm vigilant about leaving anything in open view, only wish I would've been there with them. The windows were tinted but if you looked in you could still see something.

The people sitting on the porch were two houses away from the vehicle, absolutely no deterrent there.
-DVD

**Johnnny5** · May-25-12, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitVideoDaily

.
The people sitting on the porch were two houses away from the vehicle, absolutely no deterrent there.
-DVD

Heck, I would bet money that they were in on it.

**DetroitVideoDaily** · May-25-12, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by Johnnny5

Heck, I would bet money that they were in on it.

This crossed my mind, as well as the wife's as we drove away.
-DVD

**CLAUDE G** · May-26-12, 01:23 AM

This breaking into car crap has got to stop.

I had my car broken into twice. Its not so much the loss of the item, but the inconvience of having to have the glass repaired.

The worse the part is that the thieves just can't smash the glass, they have to use a screw driver to pry the glass away from the window frame. They end up bending the frame, which takes another 3 day to get the replacement parts ordered from the dealer.

Occurrence · May-26-12, 01:48 AM

I just leave my windows down and doors unlocked. If they want in, they are going in. Might as well have them do so without breaking the windows.

**Patrick** · May-26-12, 09:07 AM

I was at Heidelberg over Easter on a rare trip home and parked my car near Ellery and had a few kids riding their bikes along stop and peek into a few of my windows. It was pretty clear what they were doing, but I scared em off in time. If I were a kid growing up around there with nothing and had nothing to lose...I would have done the same thing.

**Meddle** · May-26-12, 09:21 AM

Today in the late afternoon my stepdaughter in from college with a friend from Boston [[first visit to Detroit for the friend) stopped by to visit the Heidelberg Project.

I'm still trying to figure out why you would take someone from out of town to see a junkyard.

**Zacha341** · May-26-12, 09:38 AM

I've stopped leaving things visible in my car years ago [[city or suburb)... since things 'visible' are by default justified as FREE to take in the minds of thieves. The attitude there being that if it can be seen it's fair game. I just love the many examples of justified crime!

Originally Posted by Occurrence

What do mean blame the victim?

That's just common sense.

**Zacha341** · May-26-12, 09:47 AM

Opinions will vary regarding the merits of Guytons work. However, I would'nt say Detroit is a 'poverty peep show' absent of any viable culture. I disagree as angry and hurt as I am about the heightened crime and squalor of many areas.

People [[especially those who live in a neighborhood) easily discern the 'tourists', and somewhat withstanding the "Heidleberg" area, does anyone really want to feel like they are material for someones 'look what I saw in Detroit!' Iphoto, Flikr collection? Well some don't mind and will perform accordingly - but that's another subject!

BUT for the hardened, crime-of-opportunity types they probably 'justify' stealing from the oggling 'spectators' with added gusto!

Originally Posted by SteveJ

I feel sorry for anyone that thinks Detroit is some kind of cultural mecca. Detroit is basically a poverty peep show. You wander through Detroit just to see how the other side lives and drive away. If you want culture, you go to Rome, Athens, Paris, Egypt etc... Driving in the hood to see someone put up a bunch of garbage and stuffed animals on a house is not culture. Its blight.

**jtf1972** · May-26-12, 10:21 AM

Thanks for the heads up.

I'd say watching your car & putting anything you wish to keep out of site is a good idea no matter where your vehicle is. An alarm with motion detector is also an excellent investment. Cars get broken into everywhere.

**aj3647** · May-26-12, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

What do mean blame the victim?

That's just common sense.

In most parts of Michigan, you can leave your locked car unattended for 30 seconds without someone trying to break into it. That shouldn't be an unreasonable thing to expect. How many places can you think of where you need to worry about leaving your car unattended for less than a minute?

**Meddle** · May-26-12, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by jtf1972

An alarm with motion detector is also an excellent investment.

Why? So the Acquisition Specialists can acquire the alarm and trade it for crack?

**Cincinnati_Kid** · May-26-12, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Why? So the Acquisition Specialists can acquire the alarm and trade it for crack?

I hope you're trying to be sarcastic. Who in their right mind would steal a alarm? It would take some time for them to disable it and remove it from the vehicle.

**Zacha341** · May-26-12, 10:53 AM

Yeah, the 30 second rule dictates in my mind that you always have an alarm or two or three. Which I used no matter where I go.

My car has a factory alarm I reviewed as faulty per the manufacturer, so I added another self-arming alarm with a motion sensor and kill-switch to deactivate the ignition with a special power source setup, and I have steering wheel club [[the least effective theft deterrent for a car).

I figured I'll at least 'slow' them down [[or deter the least ambitious) with the macintations of stuff to disarm everything ala the custom set up. It's worth the cost unless you want to be back on the bus. I've had a few attempts but never a car stolen.

But personal stuff visible can be taken by the spry thief as your alarm sounds off. They will be long gone.

Originally Posted by aj3647

In most parts of Michigan, you can leave your locked car unattended for 30 seconds without someone trying to break into it. That's shouldn't be an unreasonable thing to expect. How many places can you think of where you need to worry about leaving your car unattended for less than a minute?

**Zacha341** · May-26-12, 11:01 AM

Umm, what part of Boston? They've got their car theft issues as does Montreal. I always make sure my is secure when I go to Canada.

But I get your bigger point. They gyrations and adaptations one must do to just keep their personal property intact at so many levels in Detroit is annoying. Good times for lock smiths and car alarm companies.

Originally Posted by 313WX

Perhaps, but what people consider a norrmal routine in Detroit isn't neccessary the normal routine in Boston.

She knows better now of course.

**Zacha341** · May-26-12, 11:06 AM

All of that stuff should be purchased and installed within 24 - 48 hours of purchasing a new or used car whereever you are. I agree. Especially a Chrysler product... which in some cases the car is pushed away and stripped, if they can't get the engine to start. Crazy!

Originally Posted by jtf1972

An alarm with motion detector is also an excellent investment. Cars get broken into everywhere.

**Zacha341** · May-26-12, 11:07 AM

He's just 'meddling' --

-- !

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

I hope you're trying to be sarcastic. Who in their right mind would steal a alarm? It would take some time for them to disable it and remove it from the vehicle.

**DetroitVideoDaily** · May-26-12, 11:12 AM

After the incident I went up there and spoke with my stepdaughter, but didn't get all the information right then. I spoke with her today and she says that after she parked, she and her friend started walking up the block. She turned and looked back b/c she noticed a car that had been at the corner, moved and parked next to hers. When the thieves saw her look back, they backed up behind her vehicle as if to park their car. A second later the window is smashed. There were tinted windows and the backpack was on the floor. Highly unlikely they even looked in to see what was there. Smash and grab.

I believe they watched her park and preyed on them. She did get a license plate number [[and the neighbors on the porch got their number too, maybe they weren't in on it). License plate number and description given to the police.

@jtf1972 You're welcome. The main reason I posted this is to give others a heads up.

Regardless of how you feel about the art there, it still gets a decent amount of visitors, and I'm sure it will this weekend with the technofest going on.

The whole thing could've been much worse. I'm thankful she and her friend didn't get hurt.
-DVD

**Kevgoblue** · May-26-12, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by aj3647

In most parts of Michigan, you can leave your locked car unattended for 30 seconds without someone trying to break into it. That's shouldn't be an unreasonable thing to expect. How many places can you think of where you need to worry about leaving your car unattended for less than a minute?

In most parts of Michigan you can enjoy your neighborhood without having to look at 10 tons of trash strewn about. I'm guessing if someone set up a "Heidelberg 2" next door to you, you'd be on the phone with the local code enforcement official before you stepped foot in the house.
Its a big pile of friggin' garbage, not art. Maybe next time the suburban kids won't try to be voyers in the sleezy world of ruin porn.

Occurrence · May-26-12, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by aj3647

In most parts of Michigan, you can leave your locked car unattended for 30 seconds without someone trying to break into it. That's shouldn't be an unreasonable thing to expect. How many places can you think of where you need to worry about leaving your car unattended for less than a minute?

If you haven't noticed, Detroit isn't like "most parts of Michigan". So it's common sense not to leave anything in your car in not only Detroit, but espically in a neighborhood like that.

**aj3647** · May-26-12, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

If you haven't noticed, Detroit isn't like "most parts of Michigan". So it's common sense not to leave anything in your car in not only Detroit, but espically in a neighborhood like that.

The victim wasn't from this area, now was she? Locals know the do's and don'ts of specific areas, but visitors do not.

And it said in the original post that her windows were tinted, so how would they even know if something was in her car? There's a good chance that they just busted the window hoping that something was inside and got lucky. If they didn't find anything, well, then they move on to another car and this young woman gets to pay to replace a window and any other damage that may have been done to the frame.

Occurrence · May-26-12, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by aj3647

The victim wasn't from this area, now was she? Locals know the do's and don'ts of specific areas, but visitors do not.

And it said in the original post that her windows were tinted, so how would they even know if something was in her car? There's a good chance that they just busted the window hoping that something was inside and got lucky. If they didn't find anything, well, then they move on to another car and this young woman gets to pay to replace a window and any other damage that may have been done to the frame.

Ehh, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that's not in the best of areas. If I was visiting an area of another city that looked similar I sure wouldn't leave anything in the car, but I guess that's just me.

**corktownyuppie** · May-26-12, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

Ehh, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that's not in the best of areas. If I was visiting an area of another city that looked similar I sure wouldn't leave anything in the car, but I guess that's just me.

I have one rule for suburban friends or out-of-state guests visiting me downtown. Nothing visible inside car. Nothing.

Half-empty bag of doritos? Trash it.
Hoodie and gym shorts? Put it in the trunk.
Phone charger coming from cig lighter? In the glove compartment.

Haven't had any problems in 3 years.

**Zacha341** · May-27-12, 04:23 AM

Yep, and don't leave your pets in the car either! Two little dogs where stolen out of a car at the Big Boy on Jefferson by Belle Isle... the thieves leasurly sawed off the catalytic converter too!!!

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news...ar-20120526-km

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

I have one rule for suburban friends or out-of-state guests visiting me downtown. Nothing visible inside car. Nothing.

Half-empty bag of doritos? Trash it.
Hoodie and gym shorts? Put it in the trunk.
Phone charger coming from cig lighter? In the glove compartment.

Haven't had any problems in 3 years.