Security film to prevent window breakage = anti theft?

[Nhtran328]

Hi everyone - is there anyone that has experience with http://www.getexoshield.com/ or something similar?

I’ve been trying to think of ways to prevent breakins and was thinking that installation of security film to the back windows could prevent breaking in...

I don’t keep any valuables in the car, and my rear seats has 2 car seats that would prevent theives from even being able to lower the back seats, but my windows are tinted limo tinted 5% all around and front windshield is 30% (for context I’ve included an image to show how dark it looks from the outside).

So it’s not as if a thief could look inside beforehand to decide if it’s worth breaking into...


I’m just looking for a solution to prevent that breakin to avoid having to deal with broken glass and replacement.



Thanks

 

[Altes]

I have similar tinting and my thought is that to really see in the car you need to put your face right up to the glass (vs a casual glance with no tint). So only the determined folks will do that. Now, presuming they are determined due fact they are willing to break glass just to SEE if there is something there it is still very difficult to see with heavy tint.

I have thought about making a carbon fiber plate for my small window that would make it EXTREMELY difficult to break in....but not sure of the aesthetics

 

[brkaus]

Most of the security films will still allow the glass to break. Just not allow someone to get through it.

My fear is that would make someone mad and they would just smash out another window for revenge.

"Unlike laminated glass which is commonly used for modern vehicle windshields, a windshield protection film is applied aftermarket to increase the total impact that a manufactured windshield can withstand before breaking, but does not aim to prevent shattering."

 

[suraj1194]

My current Bay Area window breakin deterrent is our baby seat in the back, and some diapers and kids items in the back seat, and a pack of wet wipes in the front console. Essentially a desperate effort to masquerade as a minivan sitting lower to the ground. There's nothing inside to steal unless they want the baby seat or the wipes.

 

[jelloslug]

I have been saying this since the first rash of breaking.

 

[Snowstorm]

I have 3 baby seats in the rear, the seats are not going to lower that easily to expose the trunk. Then again, I have the 2 kids rear facing seats at the back in use so there are no cargo cover to prevent them from seeing what’s in the trunk. This is basically a lower minivan now and super kids hauler.

 

[MC408]

My current Bay Area window breakin deterrent is our baby seat in the back, and some diapers and kids items in the back seat, and a pack of wet wipes in the front console. Essentially a desperate effort to masquerade as a minivan sitting lower to the ground. There's nothing inside to steal unless they want the baby seat or the wipes.

I have 3 baby seats in the rear, the seats are not going to lower that easily to expose the trunk. Then again, I have the 2 kids rear facing seats at the back in use so there are no cargo cover to prevent them from seeing what’s in the trunk. This is basically a lower minivan now and super kids hauler.

I have 2 carseats in as well and was thinking the same thing! Sometimes I take 1 out if I need the space but I’m thinking just leave it as a break in deterrent now.

I have a friend @energy7 who had multiple break ins who just got a 6 mil film on the small back windows, I may do it as well as it didn’t cost much.

 

[whitex]

Anyone considered some survivalist style steel bars on the outside of windows for the Bay Area cars? If the thief has to break glass with a stick and could not put their hand in anyways, they'd walk to the next car. An invisible film is not a deterrent, bars are, and the goal here I assume is a deterrent, not preventing the thief from taking things after they already smashed the window. Gotta adjust to the your environment - if you live or park in places where your car is likely to have a window smashed, take precautions.

 

[tranzndance]

I have 2 carseats in as well and was thinking the same thing! Sometimes I take 1 out if I need the space but I’m thinking just leave it as a break in deterrent now.
/QUOTE]
I also have two car seats and wonder if they could be deterrents. The thing is I have 30% tint on the back windows so I'm not sure the thieves would look closely enough to see the seats.

I also have kids artwork scattered on the parcel shelf.

 

[suraj1194]

We used the parcel shelf to change the kids diapers before they were potty trained, while on the road.

Note to self : leave those diapers behind on parcel shelf.

 

[brkaus]

We used the parcel shelf to change the kids diapers before they were potty trained, while on the road.

Note to self : leave those diapers behind on parcel shelf.

Note to self. Sniff test a car and do not purchase over internet.

 

[AgentMir]

I had a different idea. Why not buy a small GPS tracker, place it inside a really old laptop, or backpack and let it sit in your trunk? The window will be broken regardless if you have anything in the back or not.. so why not instead have a device that can track down where this maggots live?

 

[Oldschool496]

I had a different idea. Why not buy a small GPS tracker, place it inside a really old laptop, or backpack and let it sit in your trunk? The window will be broken regardless if you have anything in the back or not.. so why not instead have a device that can track down where this maggots live?

Just have it clipped flat to the back of the rear seat on the drivers side(which seems to be the side they use for better view) like thats where you store your laptop in case someone breaks in from the rear. They'll snatch it up. I love this idea.

One thing though, I'm told thieves have stopped taking computers etc because they are traceable and most likely out of date besides older tech and don't fetch much of any $$$ on the market anywhere and they get caught. Our house was broken into, they did $5600 in damage to hurricane glass windows before they managed to get in.

Laptops, credit cards, grandmothers silver service set, Jewelry etc laying pretty much in plain sight. Nope not interested in any of it. Loose Change in bedside drawer and some old wallets I assume they thought had money in them. They took the drawer with them as well to carry whatever. Could not have been more then $10 in change. Of course the alarm is wailing away inside the house and outside and they are now in a hurry. That helps also.

Cash and purses seem to be the motivation inside homes and certainly cars. Cash to buy drugs right now, quick gratification. Get the alarm Tesla is now hawking to us and maybe the broken window will be all you lose in this battle.

 

[Oldschool496]

Anyone considered some survivalist style steel bars on the outside of windows for the Bay Area cars?

I like this as well, only thing is who is in jail now?

You are.

Its still funny, but may be reality someday and not so funny either.

 

[whitex]

I like this as well, only thing is who is in jail now?

You are.

Is the jail in your metaphor the car or the area in which you live or park where your car is at high risk of smash and grabs?

 

[ibdb]

My current Bay Area window breakin deterrent is our baby seat in the back, and some diapers and kids items in the back seat, and a pack of wet wipes in the front console. Essentially a desperate effort to masquerade as a minivan sitting lower to the ground. There's nothing inside to steal unless they want the baby seat or the wipes.

Several years ago, my parents took our sons to a Mariners baseball game and parked my dad's Tahoe on the street in Seattle. They left what was obviously a diaper bag in the back of the Tahoe, but other than car seats, there was nothing else.

They returned to find a thief had broken out the windows of the Tahoe and several other cars around it. The contents of the diaper bag were found dumped on the ground not far away. It appears that the diaper bag was stolen to be used to carry whatever else had been left behind in the other targeted cars.

 

[HankLloydRight]

I once had a rental car broken into in a parking garage in Toronto during the day during a street festival. We were traveling so we had all of our stuff in the Volvo hatchback, including two laptop computers and accessories... but all that was covered up by they parcel shelf. I left one small overnight bag on the back seat. They broke the rear driver's side window and grabbed the overnight bag that had NOTHING of value in it -- just some clothes, a belt, and some toiletries. They also, luckily, didn't open the back hatch or we really would have been screwed. But sitting right next to the weekend bag on the back seat was my backpack -- empty, open, and flat on the seat. They didn't take that. It had $500 in cash zipped up in a small side pocket.

 

[whitex]

I had a different idea. Why not buy a small GPS tracker, place it inside a really old laptop, or backpack and let it sit in your trunk? The window will be broken regardless if you have anything in the back or not.. so why not instead have a device that can track down where this maggots live?

And then do what? You cannot break and enter to retrieve it. Cops can't either, unless you get a warrant, which you won't because the laptop is under $5K or whatever the limit is for your area. Check the internet for stories of people who did track down their devices and how there was nothing they could do. One guy decided to post his remote password on a hacking forum, telling people it's his laptop and they can do whatever they wish to it, then someone installed spyware on the machine and collected information such as banking password of whoever was using it, posted it on a forum, then the owner got a visit from law enforcement - apparently giving away his own password to his stolen property was illegal (vigilantism at least, plus you could be targeting an innocent person who bought the stolen laptop not knowing it's stolen).

 

[AgentMir]

And then do what?

The guys that are doing this are repeat offenders, and it's usually the same crew. I'd be willing to bet the local agency would be willing to take them down if they knew the extent of their crime spree. I would harass various agencies to take action. It's better to be proactive then to complain about getting your property smashed and not do anything about it.

 

[Duffer]

The guys that are doing this are repeat offenders, and it's usually the same crew. I'd be willing to bet the local agency would be willing to take them down if they knew the extent of their crime spree. I would harass various agencies to take action. It's better to be proactive then to complain about getting your property smashed and not do anything about it.

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