Liveries 'helping themselves' when they leave

bennettjudy

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29 July 2010
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Hi, I've noticed warnings on a few threads in the past about liveries who are moving on helping themselves to other's belongings. Is this a common thing to happen and what do you do if it happens to you? I think I am due to be in a situation where I may need to worry about my things going walkabout in the very near future. I have everything that I can discreetly marked and also have a couple of hidden 'hunting' cameras to protect our most valuable things, such as the energiser, which is also very easily identified as mine but not obviously to the thief, I also have several 'traps' set so that I can tell if people have been in my stuff (paranoid!). The worry I have is that these people have form for doing this, OH has already been a victim in the past at his previous yard. So, would you involve the police if this happens, the cameras will provide evidence as they record images to a card which I can then download to my computer but giving someone a criminal record for what may be a trivial theft seems a big step!
 
Do you have a deposit for the liveries? If stuff goes walkies then you could use the deposit to replace it if you can be sure the people you suspect took it?
 
Surely you'd be better off marking your things as yours very obviously in the first place to deter potential theives? Maybe put up a sign letting people know CCTV is in operation. IMO it would be easier all round if it just didn't happen!
 
Do you have a deposit for the liveries? If stuff goes walkies then you could use the deposit to replace it if you can be sure the people you suspect took it?

It's not my yard, I am another livery there and I wouldn't dream of touching other people's things but know that these people have no qualms about such things.

Equinimity, have wondered about that but some things will be spoiled if they are obviously marked, others are pretty much impossible to mark where it won't just be cleaned off if stolen although perhaps engraving on them may work, will get the dremel out.
 
I would put up a sign and let it be known that you have cameras and 'traps' about, it's a bit wrong to set traps before anything has happened isn't it? seems a bit like a honey trap, but I suppose you are protecting your things.:confused:
 
Don't quote me on this but i'm pretty sure it is illegal to have CCTV and no signs informing people that it's there.... a neighbour of mine got in trouble because he didn't have a sign saying there was cameras on his house :confused:
 
I just typed it in on google and it says something to do with the data protection act you must have visible signs
 
i understand your worries however, i am pretty sure its a legal requirement to have signs up saying that you are recording otherwise you will get into trouble for recording them without their knowledge.
also from experience, the police often dont want to know even if you have proof on camera! i am a YO and when we had issues with stuff going walking we asked the police for their advice... pretty useless TBH!

its really sad that it happens, i would go with locking everything away, and marking as much as your stuff as possible, dont leave it laying around etc. If its all locked away when not in use, they shouldnt be able to get to it.
 
My parents own a yard and over the years we've had a few cases of theft amongst liveries. Even though there was massive proof as to who it was, the police weren't really interested. Unless you have access to a locked cupboard/locker then, although it's a pain, I'd be inclined to take most of my stuff home until the people in question are long gone.
 
You say you are about to be in a position where things might get stolen so you obviously know who is leaving and might steal your stuff. Can you not remove your belongings until these people have gone?
 
thanks, looks like bringing it all home is the answer then! It is just such a pain to have to do it. The cameras don't film anyone unless they are somewhere they shouldn't be, they will only trip if there is movement in specific areas and I didn't put signs up on purpose, I didn't want them to know they are there. I am obsessed about things being stolen because we have suffered from it in the past, it is infuriating knowing who is responsible and not being able to prove it, and, as I said, these people have form for it. Our YO knows about the cameras and they are the only ones who need to know as far as I can see.
 
CCTV is only of any use if it is up to police surveilance standards.

If you want a result use Smartwater.

Smartwater consists of fine particles which contain a unique number which relates any products you own to you the owner.

When the police pick someone up they scan them for Smartwater and if they have been in contact with anything that has it on it then they can identify what they have been in contact with and where they have been. Smartwater can not be removed and remains on the person handling the product indefinately.

For more information: http://www.smartwater.com/Home.aspx
 
Although I agree that taking you stuff home is the best way you coudl always leave the cameras running.

Then you can just say you were waiting to film the rats which had been eating your stuff, which then, by chance obviously - caught the people red handed. :D
 
Although I agree that taking you stuff home is the best way you coudl always leave the cameras running.

Then you can just say you were waiting to film the rats which had been eating your stuff, which then, by chance obviously - caught the people red handed. :D

Love it, well obviously that is why they are there! bloody thieving rats!
 
Does the YO know you have cameras set up?

I find it really odd that a livery would set their own cameras up and I would be less than happy if I found somebody was spying on me. You know, you might have a right itchy minge and think you're having a scratch in private but all the time you are being spied on by a fellow livery.

Not nice!
 
I would agree with locking everything up BUT if anything does go missing, and you can prove who took it, I would definitely report it, I wouldn't put up with any disinterest from the police either! Theft is theft and should be treated accordingly, let them get a record for nicking a head collar if that is what it takes to teach them that stealing is wrong! We pay a lot of money for our stuff and it is bad enough when people who don't know you take it, in my mind it is even worse when it is someone who does know you and, I assume, sees you on a regular basis at the yard. Would suggest you speak to your YO about your concerns. I wouldn't hesitate in involving police nor spreading the word around all local livery yards if I knew who it was!
 
When i moved recently I had acouple of things stolen which i thought i had put away, but they were silly things like jump cups which i bought, and noone else on the yard jumped!!! So its not always the people who are leaving, its sometimes the people that are leaving having stuff pinched. But it seems pretty common, i know someone who was recently asked to leave a yard because she was stealing, but thats all the YO could do.
 
Does the YO know you have cameras set up?

I find it really odd that a livery would set their own cameras up and I would be less than happy if I found somebody was spying on me. You know, you might have a right itchy minge and think you're having a scratch in private but all the time you are being spied on by a fellow livery.

Not nice!

I asked YO permission before I set them up, like I said they will only trip if there is movement in our area, where no one but us should be, so people can safely scratch where they like on their body without being filmed as long as they don't don't do it in places they shouldn't be.
 
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