Suspicious Behavior... what should I do?

[jgradyc]

We live in a rural area and there were at least two attempted break-ins in our neighborhood last summer.

 

Tonight at 7:55PM (dark), I saw a car pull up to our gate. (Our house sits 120 yards up from the gate and the highway.) The gate was locked. The car sat there for about a minute. Then, it drove up to my neighbor's driveway and pulled in there. It stopped for only a few seconds and then drove back to my driveway and pulled in again. It sat for about 30 seconds and then pulled out and went back down the road the way it originally came up. It was driving slow the whole way.

 

As best that I could tell, it was a full size car with the old 1980's style square tail lights, but all I know for sure is that it was a big car and not a pickup.

 

I am usually gone on Thursday nights, but my wife is home.

 

What can I do? I suppose I could mount a game camera by the gate, but I doubt if I could get a tag number. Besides, they aren't really doing anything illegal.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

EDITED: We don't have a garage, so anyone who's familiar with our cars can tell if we are home or not. The parking is direct line of sight from the gate.

Edited March 8, 2013 by jgradyc

[TripleDigitRide]

Keep you guns close. If they come back, try to get the best description you can and contact the police. 

[Punisher84]

Keep an eye out and you can always report it as suspicious activity to the PD or SD. You'd be surprised the information that you think is nothing that could end up helping catch someone.

[UncleJak]

1: contact local law enforcement and ask them for increased patrol in your area

2: game camera; even if you cannot get plates, you can see more than you are seeing at 120 yards

3: confront anyone parked in your driveway (I have done this before); just be safe

[Rowdy]

confront anyone parked in your driveway (I have done this before); just be safe

^ This. This will show anyone casing your place that you're not the easiest target around. You don't even have to be confrontational, it will show them you are observant and that's one of the things they don't like in a target.

[tennessee01tacoma]

1: contact local law enforcement and ask them for increased patrol in your area
2: game camera; even if you cannot get plates, you can see more than you are seeing at 120 yards
3: confront anyone parked in your driveway (I have done this before); just be safe

A show of force early, I like the way you think.

[nightrunner]

If its rural id start target shooting in the backyard with the loudest gun i had whenever they showed up

[klamb5]

Spot em with a lazer ,let them know they are in range LOL

[knewcomb]

^ a big red dot on their chest is a good repellent Edited March 8, 2013 by knewcomb

[Dolomite_supafly]

If they pull into your driveway they are on private property. Call the cops then walk out to greet them to hold them there if they will stay. You cannot force them to stay but chit chat might hold them there. And if they leave at least they know you are aware of your surroundings. But if they stay have the cops trespass them from your property. If they come back and enter you property again they can be arrested.

I know I have walked down my dead end road to see why someone is parked along it. It is not against the law to ask if they are looking for someone or something.

Dolomite

[jgradyc]

By the time I could grab a rifle, flashlight, and jacket, they'd be gone. Besides, I'm not going to walk blinded by headlights 120 yards to the gate. I do have a laser site on one of my rifles and a flashlight that would light up a car at 120 yards. I'm not sure what that would accomplish, other than letting them know that I own firearms.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I would not approach them with an exposed weapon. Too easy for things to escalate or for them to say you pointed at them. Even on your own property it is aggravated assault if you point a firearm at them unless you have justification and someone sitting at the end of your drive isn't.

[seez52]

Contact Eric Holder he may be able to arrange a drone vist for you

[Volzfan]

Do you have a place to mount a few motion sensor floods that would light up the end of the drive whenever anyone pulled in there and for good measure maybe a dummy camera.

[BigK]

A barking dog couldn't hurt either.

[dats82]

Trebuchet slinging flaming pigs should work.

[Chucktshoes]

Trebuchet slinging flaming pigs should work.

A trebuchet? That's what I call doing it with style. :up:

[RED333]

At night call the PD, stay close to the house, you never know who is there.

Day time, pistol hidden, walk down and see what is going on.

[Guest PapaB]

Do you have a place to mount a few motion sensor floods that would light up the end of the drive whenever anyone pulled in there and for good measure maybe a dummy camera.

 

This^.

Light is the bane of evildoers.

 

Something like this will do the job. http://www.harborfreight.com/60-led-solar-security-light-69643.html

[DaveTN]

Use a scoped rifle or binoculars to get a plate number as they leave. Give it to the cops when you call in a suspicious vehicle. Engaging suspects without cover could turn very bad very quickly for you.

Living out in the county they may be gone before a cop can get there, but if you can get a plate number, it will be put out and they may be stopped later.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Trebuchet slinging flaming pigs should work.

They only work against muslims.

 

Dolomite

[peejman]

Do you have a place to mount a few motion sensor floods that would light up the end of the drive whenever anyone pulled in there and for good measure maybe a dummy camera.

 

Motion sensor lights are a good idea.  But keep in mind that if you point them in such a way as to blind the trespasser, they'll also blind you and your wife every time you trip them in the dark. 

 

That said, I'd hardly call someone that pulled up, stopped beyond a locked gate for a minute or two, and didn't get out of the car suspicious enough to warrant lasers and flaming pigs.  Probably just someone lost, drunk, or both. 

[Jesse]

A solar flood light with a dummy camera would be a very quick solution. Mount the camera where they see it. If they think they have already been made out, they will move on quickly.

[jgradyc]

I’m thinking of mounting an LED motion sensor light on the post by the padlock at eye level and point it directly at where the driver would be sitting. I’d think that would be intimidating to a potential thief.

 

There's no easy way to get a photo of the tag. The gate is about 30 feet from the edge of the road. There's no place to mount a camera to get a shot of the back of the car.

 

I could mount a game camera on a tree on the other side of the road and a remote motion sensor trigger by the gate, but I don't know how to do that.

[peejman]

I’m thinking of mounting an LED motion sensor light on the post by the padlock at eye level and point it directly at where the driver would be sitting. I’d think that would be intimidating to a potential thief.

 

There's no easy way to get a photo of the tag. The gate is about 30 feet from the edge of the road. There's no place to mount a camera to get a shot of the back of the car.

 

I could mount a game camera on a tree on the other side of the road and a remote motion sensor trigger by the gate, but I don't know how to do that.

 

Mount the lights/camera up high, out of reach.