Epidemic of Model 3 small window break-ins

[TEG]

Weekend car burglary spree outside Century 16

...
Posted by Michael99
a resident of Willowgate
on Nov 13, 2018 at 10:59 am
My car was smash-n-grabbed in Cupertino in August. There was nothing left out on the seats, the perpetrators smashed the rear windows and got into the trunk by lowering the rear seat back. They stole an old mexican blanket and an earthquake emergency kit. Cost me $500 to fix the two windows. Cupertino police told me it was most likely a gang coming down from the Oakland area. They make the trip down and hit several parking lots while they're here. The police said they had gotten into a shootout earlier this summer with a smash-n-grab crew...

...CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION - CONS

ARTICLE I DECLARATION OF RIGHTS [SECTION 1 - SEC. 32] ( Article 1 adopted 1879. )

SECTION 1. All people are by nature free and independent and have inalienable rights. Among these are enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety, happiness, and privacy.
(Sec. 1 added Nov. 5, 1974, by Proposition 7. Resolution Chapter 90, 1974.)

...snip...

SEC. 28. (a) The People of the State of California find and declare all of the following:
(1) Criminal activity has a serious impact on the citizens of California. The rights of victims of crime and their families in criminal prosecutions are a subject of grave statewide concern.

...snip...


(13) To restitution.
(A) It is the unequivocal intention of the People of the State of California that all persons who suffer losses as a result of criminal activity shall have the right to seek and secure restitution from the persons convicted of the crimes causing the losses they suffer.
(B) Restitution shall be ordered from the convicted wrongdoer in every case, regardless of the sentence or disposition imposed, in which a crime victim suffers a loss.

...more...


Web Link

 

[TEG]

SFDA Deploys Digital Auto Burglary Tip Line and Announces Plans for an Auto Burglary Taskforce | District Attorney

...“We know that a small percentage of individuals are responsible for the vast majority of auto burglaries in San Francisco,” said District Attorney George Gascón....

...According to the civil grand jury, criminal street gangs are behind 70 to 80 percent of all auto burglary incidents in San Francisco. These individuals often work in teams with the crimes taking just seconds, which makes catching an auto burglar in the act very difficult for police. For these reasons, post-incident investigation is essential in order to apprehend auto burglars and hold them accountable for the crimes they’ve committed...

...In order to expand the amount of data that CSU has at their disposal for analysis and subsequent investigation – and which can ultimately be used in a prosecution – SFDA has created a digital tip line. The public can access the tip line at sfdistrictattorney.org/auto-burglary-tipline. There, members of the public can get information about how to submit tips related to suspects, suspect vehicles, photos, videos and more. If possible, it is preferential that people use our website since this data can be more quickly accessed by our analysts. However, for individuals that do not have access to a computer they can also call SFDA’s auto burglary hotline at 415-553-7337. When evidence is unable to be transmitted via the web, District Attorney Investigators will come out to the community to gather evidence for analysis. ...

 

[TEG]

Press Release - International investigation into multi-million dollar international fencing and ... from Fremont Police Department (CA) : Nixle

...A careful investigation revealed a highly sophisticated multi-million dollar fencing scheme operating in the Bay Area. Street-level criminal suspects, many of them members of validated street gangs, were found to be breaking and entering parked vehicles in cities throughout the Bay Area to steal laptops, smart phones and tablets. It was determined that the conspiracy was centralized in Santa Clara County. Detectives consulted with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Crime Strategies Unit, who assisted in authoring warrants and high bail affidavits for the large scale pre-planned operation, throughout the investigation...

I suppose the Oakland street gangs wouldn't find this so lucrative without the help of international fencing rings eager to buy up our stolen equipment.

 

[TEG]

Deputies: 2 known auto burglary suspects arrested in Cupertino

CUPERTINO (KRON) - Two auto burglary suspects connected to several incidents in Cupertino were arrested on Wednesday.
A string of burglaries occurred in the city around 10:00 p.m. and deputies assigned to the West Valley Patrol Division spotted the suspect vehicle attempting to flee the scene...

...
When authorities searched the vehicle, they found stolen property inside. Among the stolen items were several laptops.

The suspects, Angel Vital, 19, and Pedro Torres,27, were arrested and taken into custody.

Deputies say both Vital and Torres are known auto burglars out of Oakland with possible ties to a criminal street gang.

 

[FlatSix911]

Oh, haven't you noticed that the police never have trouble piling on extra charges when they want to nail someone, say adding jaywalking, endangering babies and reckless driving to a petty theft case? Apparently it's not just "laws", there are other factors.

And as I recall when someone suggested something more effective than this all-talk law-and-order proselytizing, it was slapped down as vigilantism.

Enough of this, @TEG . We're looking for solutions.
Your KKK soap box isn't relevant or helpful.

More nonsense and name calling when logic fails...

 

[FlatSix911]

Not buying it, TEG. There are plenty of criminals on both sides of the Bay. Your local police are just trying to place blame in 'that other town' to CYA.

TEG provided data to back up his claims... do you have any or just baseless claims?

 

[Fernand]

While we wait for you experts to come and "fix" Oakland as @TEG was suggesting,
(please do), the current most effective defenses appear to be:

• Use Sentry mode when possible. It costs 1 mile of capacity/hr.
  
• Check that your USB has space and is storing usable video.
  
• Window stickers to remind them that this car records
• Some sort of glass-mounted alarm to deter
• Keeping the rear seats down to show empty trunk.
• Have nothing visible to steal in car, period.
• If you must leave anything in car, hide stuff
  in Frunk (9 volt hack is a possible risk)
  in Glove Box (crowbar is a possible risk)

The SFDA web page is helpful, if you have evidence,
but it's only for SF jurisdiction.

Hopefully Tesla is working on more effective alarms.
.

 

[Msjulie]

This whole thing is very depressing. Our neighbors cars, in their driveway, were broken into with our outside camera recording the entire thing. Police came, sorry nothing we can do since total damage/loss < $1000. Also, the police speculated they had caught the folks, a gang from Oakland, hitting dozens of houses/cars a night. Not sure why they think so but..

I don't know, can only repeat what they say; the laws don't carry any teeth for the offenders, especially when teens are used so the police have their hands tied.

 

[T3SLAROD]

This whole thing is very depressing. Our neighbors cars, in their driveway, were broken into with our outside camera recording the entire thing. Police came, sorry nothing we can do since total damage/loss < $1000. Also, the police speculated they had caught the folks, a gang from Oakland, hitting dozens of houses/cars a night. Not sure why they think so but..

I don't know, can only repeat what they say; the laws don't carry any teeth for the offenders, especially when teens are used so the police have their hands tied.

We voted for this shiet. When I we I mean the State. The solution is to start writing your local State Rep. and get as many people as you can to write to them.

 

[Msjulie]

@T3SLAROD agreed

 

[TEG]

While we wait for you experts to come and "fix" Oakland as @TEG was suggesting,
(please do), the current most effective defenses appear to be:

• Use Sentry mode when possible. It costs 1 mile of capacity/hr.
  
• Check that your USB has space and is storing usable video.
  
• Window stickers to remind them that this car records
• Some sort of glass-mounted alarm to deter
• Keeping the rear seats down to show empty trunk.
• Have nothing visible to steal in car, period.
• If you must leave anything in car, hide stuff
  in Frunk (9 volt hack is a possible risk)
  in Glove Box (crowbar is a possible risk)

The SFDA web page is helpful, if you have evidence,
but it's only for SF jurisdiction.

Hopefully Tesla is working on more effective alarms.
.

I use Sentry mode all the time.
I have USB flash with plenty of space for recording.
I have window stickers showing there is an alarm. (they are ugly, I really wish I didn't need them.)
I have window mounted glass break alarms.
I still feel very unsafe parking my car around this area, particularly in upscale malls where I want to be able to shop and dine.
It is a 'drag' that my dream car feels like some target now. It hurts my enjoyment of what was supposed to be car nirvana for me.

 

[devilmountain]

I use Sentry mode all the time.
I have USB flash with plenty of space for recording.
I have window stickers showing there is an alarm. (they are ugly, I really wish I didn't need them.)
I have window mounted glass break alarms.
I still feel very unsafe parking my car around this area, particularly in upscale malls where I want to be able to shop and dine.
It is a 'drag' that my dream car feels like some target now. It hurts my enjoyment of what was supposed to be car nirvana for me.

We feel the same way about our cars. We love them but dread parking them at malls for fear of a broken window. I have some battery powered lights that I am going to mount (with suction cups to the roof glass) to the car while parking at night temporarily. The idea is it will illuminate the interior of the car, show I have nothing in the car, and hopefully move on.

 

[TEG]

Also, regarding the "fix Oakland" comment, basic ideas would be like:
#1: Remove drugs
#2: Remove guns
#3: Provide entry level jobs
#4: Provide social resources

Way easier said than done.

If someone thinks that taxpayer funded social programs are some sort of socialist/liberal/political mistake do keep in mind that prisons are a form of taxpayer funded free "housing and food".

What we have now is "don't help with taxes", instead "let people help themselves to other people's possessions without consequences."

It is hard to suggest anything these days without people getting up in arms about the political views behind it.

I am already in uncomfortable territory trying to suggest anything that could help here. I should probably just stop talking about it now, as I am not planning to spend any effort on this myself, apart of my "armchair quarterbacking" I have already done on the forum here. Hopefully the government professionals can figure out how to do something about this problem.

 

[Scrutmonkey]

Just an Update to the DROPLOCK usage...

When I first installed them, i was able to take them out easily with the removal instructions from the makers.

It's been a few months now and I had to to remove them before sending my car in for service on the trunk area. It was a PITA to get them out, even using the instructed method. Not sure if they settled in or even "molded" into the latch a little, but I spent a stupid amount of time just removing them while in the backseat. Needless too say, i was getting a bit overly "aggressive" trying to yank these bastards out.

I'm not sure how anyone will be able to pop them out easily from the outside after smashing the 1/4 window,

Service is done...I popped them back into the locks.

 

[Fernand]

It seems the small size and rigid mount of the quarter
window makes it especially easy to knock out.

If only there was some sort of treatment that
made the glass stronger, so that first blow would
set off the alarm without losing the window? Maybe
an overlay? Fitted piece of plexiglass? And do we
absolutely need it to be fully transparent? I guess
so they can see, and try, and that blow could trigger
the full sentry alarm mode?

 

[TEG]

In one night, downtown Palo Alto sees about a dozen vehicle break-ins

In one night, downtown Palo Alto sees about a dozen vehicle break-ins
Police advise removing valuables from car, parking in visible areas
Nearly a dozen cars parked in the Bryant Street parking garage at 445 Bryant St. were found with smashed windows as a result of vehicle break-ins on the night of May 23, 2019.

.

 

[TEG]

Dramatic jump in car break-ins - Palo Alto Daily Post

 

[TEG]

Palo Alto area a hot spot for auto burglars

Auto burglars from around the Bay Area are coming to Palo Alto and surrounding areas to take advantage of the affluance, including a plethora of tourists and business travelers who tend to leave valuables in their rental cars while dining. Few of them are being caught...
Auto burglars are having a field day in the Palo Alto area.
They come from as far away as Oakland, Richmond, Emeryville and San Francisco, several law enforcement officials say.
Their preferred M.O is smashing a car window and grabbing whatever valuables they find inside.
“It’s a huge problem with no end in sight,” said Wayne Benitez, a patrol sergeant with the Palo Alto Police Department.

Benitez, who has been on the front lines of law enforcement for nearly 30 years, said that under new laws, particularly Propositions 47 and 57, criminals are not going to jail for property crimes, and they know it.

“There is no answer, because even if we were to send our detectives out there, and do a stakeout, and we actually see the person, they’re going to run,” he said. “As soon as they jump into the car and speed off, we can’t do anything. They just speed right by us, and they can wave to us and pretty much we’ll wave back because we’re not allowed to chase a car for a property crime.

“Even if you catch somebody, which is very rare, there is no punishment behind it. So that’s another layer of frustration. … It’s almost making a mockery of the entire judicial system.”

 

[Fernand]

and?

 

[TEG]

...and... I throw my hands in the air like everyone else, and wish I could see an end to this...