Trailhead Theives

Nighthiker · Post by **Nighthiker** » Aug 20 2002 11:43 am

I noted the East Valley Tribune had an article on Monday regarding thieves who are stealing or breaking into cars in the Phoenix Metro area. I have not had this problem yet. Has anyone ? What steps can you take to not become a victim/target. I have been going into Scottsdale once a week to ride Indian Bend bike route.

pixelfrog · Post by **pixelfrog** » Aug 20 2002 11:53 am

1. Don't keep valuable items in your car when you are at the trailheads.

2. Park in very visible areas or next to other cars, or very well light areas if hiking at night, but that's probably not the best idea anyway.

3. Car alarm Stickers on the windows. These are probably more important than the car alarm itself.

These are a few things you can do, but really if someone wants to break into your car they are going to, so the best solution is just not keeping your valuables inside.

Pix

pixelfrog · Post by **pixelfrog** » Aug 20 2002 11:55 am

Ha ha, I just realized your screename was night hiker!

Meant hiking at night around the Phoenix area probably isn't the best idea.

P

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Aug 20 2002 12:05 pm

When I did Bear Mountain a while ago the car next to me was a poor example. They had a radar detector on the dash and a portable cd player in the passenger seat.

The following week I went to Capitol Butte. Two cars parked on the forest road with suspension bikes on top.

Your car or truck should be empty. For example, if a hand saw is seen in the backseat your just begging for trouble. Tools rank pretty high on the thief list. Sounds crazy but it's true.

My buddy used to swear on leaving a door ajar. He claimed it looked suspicious and nobody would approach. He ALMOST changed his mind when it was broken in at the Cardinals facitlity.

Another buddy Jim (he caught the Hockey Bandits a week ago monday) was at a funeral when his truck was lifted!

As far as trailheads go... All the broken glass around the Bell Trail trailhead isn't comforting. But the area that concerns me most is above the Aloquin(how ever it's spelled) Trail. (Big Dipper in TrailDEX)

Oh yeah, NEVER post on the internet where you're going!

pixelfrog · Post by **pixelfrog** » Aug 20 2002 12:30 pm

Hey that was 500 posts for you Teva! Congrats or something! :P

P

mtoomeyaz · Post by **mtoomeyaz** » Aug 20 2002 1:08 pm

A tip I picked up. If you do have to hide a valuable in the car, do it well before you get to the trailhead. Too easy for someone to watch you from the brush. Seems obvious, but I had'nt thought of it til I read it somewhere.

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Aug 20 2002 1:22 pm

excellent tip!

Lizard · Post by **Lizard** » Aug 20 2002 2:23 pm

Apparently trailhead thieves are getting more sophisticated these days:

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/mes ... 1028788828

azhiker96 · Post by **azhiker96** » Aug 20 2002 5:54 pm

The article in the paper mentioned thieves will watch people arrive and see where they hide their keys, purses, etc. I've never had anyone break into my car but then I make sure it looks empty.

nealz · Post by **nealz** » Aug 21 2002 1:42 pm

teva wrote:As far as trailheads go... All the broken glass around the Bell Trail trailhead isn't comforting.

Yeah, that's always bothered me too. And it's obviously automotive window glass, not just broken bottles.

I do most of these preventative things at the trailhead already, although stashing stuff before I park to thwart 'observers' is a new and good tip. I'll frequently bring additional gear to the trailhead and make a last minute jettison decision based on the weather conditions. Usually what stays behind in the truck is extra rain gear or top layers of clothing which store easily, and invisibly. Then there's the problem of where to put the cooler with the apres-hike adult beverages.

I like to think that the really hard-to-get-to TH's are more secure than the popular ones, but I'm not completely convinced. I wonder if Peralta TH, in the winter months, which isn't much different from parking at a mall, suffers a lot of crime. I probably worry about TH breakins more than I do any other hiking or backpacking risk factor. Hmmm

-Nealz

montezumawell · Post by **montezumawell** » Aug 21 2002 2:03 pm

Howdy from Oregon. TH break in's are BIG TIME here on the Oregon Coast. We're talkin' BIG TIME!!! Apparently there is a long-term tradition of poppin' cars at TH's along the Oregon Coast. People make their living doing it. We'd read about it in the local newspapers so we actually took the time to go talk to the Curry COunty Sheriff Kent Owens himself, not once but twice about the subject. He assured us that vehicle breakin's are indeed his county's #1 crime and most take place at TH's. He said there's only one not-quite-foolproof method to put off the career criminals.
Basically, you strip the entire vehicle, right down to the registration. You travel with NOTHING and take your restration hiking with you. You leave the glove box open, roll down the windows, unlock the camper, etc. He said that method works pretty well and, so far, it has worked for us.
We have since talked with numerous locals who swear by this method.
We have talked with people who also swear by the "old beater" method. You buy a crummy, beatup vehicle (Old Volvos are popular here) and use it just for parking at TH's. We actually wnet shopping for an old beater but learned you can't buy a vehicle in Oregon unless you're an Oregon resident. Dang. We plan to use this "stripped vehicle" approach when we get back to AZ this fall. One other thing, the thieves here use an auto body sop tool that's called a "power punch" or something like that. They simply hold it up to the window and press a trigger and, POOF, there goes your side window. Nothing's foolproof. A vehicle at a TH South of here had every single window broken out the other day. We've also printed up notes that announced there's "no nothin'" inside the vehicle and we leave $2 on the seat with this note, "You watch out for our truck, we watch out for you." So far, no one's taken the money but it can't hurt. Sure beats paying the deductible on our glass insurance.

Also, TH breakin's were a real big deal in Sedona awhile back. It took a long-term coordinated taks force effort to finally get those guys. One our of sheriff deputy buddies worked an undercover detail once at a Sedona TH. He was dressed in camo and hiding in the junipers, armed and dangerous, of course. Some tourist pulls in and looks around and then walks over to our buddy's juniper tree and lights up a real big joint. Our buddy was under strict orders not to "blow his cover" and couldn't bust the guy, even though every deputy fiber was aching to do so. Meanwhile, the guy finishes his joint and returns to his car and drives off, happily oblivious to one of the biggest strokes of luck he'd never know about!

J&S in Gold Beach

evenstarx3 · Post by **evenstarx3** » Aug 23 2002 3:46 pm

I'd really be PO'd if someone busted the windows in the Jeep to get in; all ya gotta do is unzip the windows :!:

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Aug 23 2002 4:06 pm

The Republic ran an article on this subject today.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... ion23.html

ck_1 · Post by **ck_1** » Aug 23 2002 4:13 pm

I've always been concerned about trailhead break-ins, but never experienced any...even at Peralta, which is supposed to lead the state in break-ins.

On a trip in the Wemminuche Wilderness in Colorado, I remember seeing an old model Toyota 4Runner (the quintessential outdoor vehicle) with the windows rolled down and doors unlocked at a roadside trailhead...the guy even had a 12 pack of Diet Pepsi (which is of course what I noticed first) sitting under the truck.

The truck was there when we hiked in, and still there when we hiked out 3 days later...had not been touched...though I was tempted to borrow a dp...

Now adays I don't do much other than crack the windows, put the sunshade up and put anything valuable in the back of the truck (xterra) and pull the little cover thing over it...

Pellegrino · Post by **Pellegrino** » Aug 23 2002 5:13 pm

Mike wrote:The Republic ran an article on this subject today.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... ion23.html

God forbid the cops actually DO something about it. Like maybe THEIR JOBS :roll:

Nighthiker · Post by **Nighthiker** » Aug 23 2002 8:36 pm

They can't find the trailheads

GeorgAZ · Post by **GeorgAZ** » Aug 24 2002 12:50 am

My truck got broken into in the main parking lot at Peralta on a Monday,my day off.There's not always many folks around on Mondays.Fortunately I only had $2 on the floor,but had a smashed window. Even more fun was had trying to deal with the Pinal county sheriff who finally showed up! :roll:

Wiz · Post by **Wiz** » Aug 24 2002 3:52 am

ck1 wrote:I remember seeing an old model Toyota 4Runner (the quintessential outdoor vehicle)

Surely you jest. Haven't you ever driven a Jeep Wrangler? The machine that won WWII, etc etc.
C'mon, Hooli, back me up on this!

HEY!! I figured out how to do a quote!

Nighthiker · Post by **Nighthiker** » Aug 24 2002 6:25 am

Been driving 4x4 jeeps almost all of my driving career, on my third and fourth jeep (88 wrangler and 93 cherokee) now.

evenstarx3 · Post by **evenstarx3** » Aug 24 2002 6:39 am

Wiz wrote:C'mon, Hooli, back me up on this!

Only had the Jeep for a few months, but it sure does the job!

Trailhead Theives

Trailhead Theives

for what it's worth

Peralta TH