Help: Garage Break-ins

southsider · September-14-10, 10:30 AM

I live in Indian Village and have a fierce problem with garage breakins. I've learned a while ago not to keep anything of value in the garage, but the problem is they smash my garage door requiring anywhere from $200-$500 repair or $1500 for a replacement of the aluminum door. This has happened at least 12 times since moving to the Village. Any suggestions?

**JJD** · September-14-10, 10:37 AM

You probably won't like it, but one option is to leave it open is you don't keep anything in there. Maybe get one of those doors that lift by hand and just don't lock it.

Another thought which more expensive is to get a solid wood door. much harder to break than the flimsy aluminum ones.

I alos had my alarm company install motion detectors in the garage and place stickers on the door informing potential thieves that he garage is alarmed.

**eastsidechris** · September-14-10, 10:54 AM

Follow-up questions that needs to be asked: how have the criminals been able to access your garage 12 times? Is your yard fenced? Do you have motion lights? Why do these people have reason to believe that you have things of value in your garage? And finally, have your neighbors had garage break-ins, too?

Someone broke into my garage through the side door two years ago [[the door was old and flimsy and has been replaced with a secure one), but I haven't heard of anyone actually trying to get in through the actual garage door.

**mwilbert** · September-14-10, 10:57 AM

That's an amazing number of garage incidents; sounds horrible.

If people are that fond of your garage, I'm not sure what you can do, but I'll just throw out some of the evergreen ideas:

Steel door?
Better fence?
Dog?
Deputize your neighbors?

And as already mentioned, you could leave it open or alarm it. In any case I hope you are able to come up with something effective.

**SWMAP** · September-14-10, 10:59 AM

I don't park my car in my garage, so I have the big garage door chained at the bottom. I access garage then thru the regular door - which I lock from the outside with a good padlock on substantial eye bolts - one in the door itself and one angled from the frame side. I live in SWDEtroit and have never been broken in to.

I also leave only plain basic stuff in the garage. power tools inconveniently in the basement.

**DetroitPlanner** · September-14-10, 11:10 AM

I went through a series of these. Now I only buy crappy used lawnmowers and only keep car cleaning supplies or things like rakes in there. My door is a power door, which seems to help keep them out, but the windows get smashed. I would have opted for a better bolting manual door, but I am stuck with what was on the garage when I bought it.

southsider · September-14-10, 11:16 AM

Thanks for the feedback! My garage entrance is alleyside [[fencing not an option). The perp usually runs a car into it pushing it in slowly to insulate the noise or smashes the door with some type of battering device. I have no concern about things being stolen [[again I keep nothing of value there), but its the garage door that either becomes and eyesore and/or a safety issue post the break-in.

**ggores** · September-14-10, 11:18 AM

Two words:

Tigh Croff.

Just be advised that you may end up in a jam yourself.

**Gannon** · September-14-10, 11:20 AM

Some form of booby trap that dumps a five gallon drum of black paint on their windshield might work then.

Or bright orange so the cops can see him better when he tries to drive away.

**Gannon** · September-14-10, 11:25 AM

this is a great blog on Tigh Croff...

http://detroitcpl.blogspot.com/2010/...-or-urban.html

**Johnlodge** · September-14-10, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by southsider

Thanks for the feedback! My garage entrance is alleyside [[fencing not an option). The perp usually runs a car into it pushing it in slowly to insulate the noise or smashes the door with some type of battering device. I have no concern about things being stolen [[again I keep nothing of value there), but its the garage door that either becomes and eyesore and/or a safety issue post the break-in.

**gnome** · September-14-10, 11:59 AM

http://www.howtomakepaintballmines.com/

the paint idea is interesting. beyond the "bucket of paint over door" concept is a tripwire attached to a claymore. The amped version would be to have the tripwire be an electric eye. Something you could shut off from inside your vehicle.

Not at all sure on how to pull it off, but it sure would be an interesting problem for an electronic hobbyist.

LodgeDodger · September-14-10, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

I love this idea. Or any other idea that includes explosives...

**xphillipjrx** · September-14-10, 12:20 PM

Since people are suggesting these types of things, how about selectively electrifying things inside of the garage? Done and done.

**xphillipjrx** · September-14-10, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

http://www.howtomakepaintballmines.com/

the paint idea is interesting. beyond the "bucket of paint over door" concept is a tripwire attached to a claymore. The amped version would be to have the tripwire be an electric eye. Something you could shut off from inside your vehicle.

Not at all sure on how to pull it off, but it sure would be an interesting problem for an electronic hobbyist.

The description says it covers 710 square feet in about a second. Sounds cool, but if mounted inside your garage you're gonna coat EVERYTHING [[including the car) just to cover a crackhead in paint. If mounted facing outside then the blast is going to get your neighbor's fence/garage across the alley. At least you'll have foot tracks to follow after he returns all pissed to torch your garage.

**EastsideAl** · September-14-10, 02:04 PM

I had this problem back when I lived in the Village, before I moved off of ground level. The problem in IV is that so many garages open onto a public alley or directly onto the street behind the house [[as mine did), and are a long ways away from the house with doors that face away from the house and are out of view. So that it's practically impossible to keep this from happening.

Over many years I learned not to keep anything of any conceivable value at all in my garage. I used to just leave my very cheap garage door unlocked so that any fool could just walk in, but there was still occasionally those who insisted on trying to drive into the garage. I did put in a simple, inexpensive, motion sensor alarm that lit the place up like a prison yard and made a couple of minutes of loud noise the second the door was breached. The dopeheads thought they had an easy score breaking into the garage of some "rich" person, with little chance of being caught, but the alarm, combined with the lack of anything to steal, meant that some sort of word seemed to get around and they pretty much gave up after awhile. I never had anyone break in there during the last 6 years I lived there.

**Jimaz** · September-14-10, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by southsider

Thanks for the feedback! My garage entrance is alleyside [[fencing not an option). The perp usually runs a car into it pushing it in slowly to insulate the noise or smashes the door with some type of battering device. I have no concern about things being stolen [[again I keep nothing of value there), but its the garage door that either becomes and eyesore and/or a safety issue post the break-in.

Why is he so motivated to continue this with nothing of value there? Could he be nursing a grudge against you? Maybe he's just crazy? Could it be multiple parties that haven't learned there's nothing of value?

**5speedz34** · September-14-10, 03:02 PM

Doesn't Indian Village have its own security? Where the hell are they?

**EASTSIDE CAT 67-83** · September-14-10, 03:17 PM

Pack up the memories of your beautiful home and move to normal ville. Those homes were built back when people respected each others property. Not the case when you are surrounded on all sides by urban blight and you clearly make enough $$ living in such a fine home that breaking into your garage is a right of those who are less inclined to work for their own property. Bummer 12 times seems like a hint to leave the island village.

Bearinabox · September-14-10, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by EASTSIDE CAT 67-83

Pack up the memories of your beautiful home and move to normal ville. Those homes were built back when people respected each others property. Not the case when you are surrounded on all sides by urban blight and you clearly make enough $$ living in such a fine home that breaking into your garage is a right of those who are less inclined to work for their own property. Bummer 12 times seems like a hint to leave the island village.

I love how some people think this is the solution to absolutely everything. Don't like the paint job in your livingroom? Move to the suburbs. Pigeons shitting on your porch? Move to the suburbs. Garden getting overgrown? Move to the suburbs. No wonder the city keeps losing population.

**EastsideAl** · September-14-10, 04:05 PM

See, I knew someone would go and post something like that. But Southsider [[the original poster) obviously wants to stay in Indian Village and the city, as do I. And I was just trying to help him with some advice from my experience of living here. If he wanted to leave he would have asked a different question, or no question at all. I would hope that the discussion will stay focused at the level of trying to help him with his problem, and not on where you think he should live.

Buy American · September-14-10, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Bearinabox

I love how some people think this is the solution to absolutely everything. Don't like the paint job in your livingroom? Move to the suburbs. Pigeons shitting on your porch? Move to the suburbs. Garden getting overgrown? Move to the suburbs. No wonder the city keeps losing population.

Get real... paint, pigeons and overgrown grass is not what this person has experienced. Having a garage broken into 12 times seems a bit extreme and more than any people should have to take. I guess you would wait for a fire or a bullet before you would take the hint that maybe he should relocate.

**EastsideAl** · September-14-10, 05:09 PM

I've lived in the Indian Village area for nearly all of my life that I've spent in Detroit. Over 30 years total now, dating back to my birth in the early '60s. Sad to say that I've had my garages broken into several times, which is, of course, several times too many. But those are property crimes, and I've never had to deal with fires [[at least not those I didn't set my own stupid self) or bullets as part of living here.

southsider · September-14-10, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by 5speedz34

Doesn't Indian Village have its own security? Where the hell are they?

I'm really glad someone asked about security. The answer is yes, we do have security, but it is literally the most useless waste of money ever spent. We are encouraged to financial contribute to the patrolling and I will admit that TJ has done some great things in the neighborhood, but it is virtually impossible to police this type of activity short of a moat, tower and sniper. The security company and neighbors love to speak of isolated examples of potential deterrents, but the volume of crime here is absolutely insane!! The security company does the best they can, but the money would be best served on lighting, fencing, lobbying for street closures and speed bumps.

**Zacha341** · September-14-10, 07:32 PM

Hah, put in a speed bumps and wall and the surrounding community will be angry claiming IV to be segregating itself ala snobbery and or what not.

The isolation and island factor of high crime all around IV is too much for me. The contrast of the specific community and its surrounding area is just too drastic. There is very little buffer in some parts, just outside of IV you drop off into hades in many respects.

A family member lived on the strip of side by side by condos [[can't recall the street) and during a family event the front door was left opened while bringing things into the house -- upon discovery of this we had to carefully search the house to insure no one had slipped in to hide to later rob or who knows what else. It had happened to a neighbor on the row as they were coming into their house.

And there were the routine car break ins and what all. They eventually moved to another area of Detroit with a larger foot print of safety and commonality of community.

It's tough to live where you are constantly surveyed to be an easy 'mark' for criminal opportunist[[s). Oh well, I suppose the 'rich' deserve to have their stuff taken... I guess.

Originally Posted by southsider

I'm really glad someone asked about security. The answer is yes, we do have security, but it is literally the most useless waste of money ever spent. We are encouraged to financial contribute to the patrolling and I will admit that TJ has done some great things in the neighborhood, but it is virtually impossible to police this type of activity short of a moat, tower and sniper. The security company and neighbors love to speak of isolated examples of potential deterrents, but the volume of crime here is absolutely insane!! The security company does the best they can, but the money would be best served on lighting, fencing, lobbying for street closures and speed bumps.