New Hampshire Break-Ins

[dvbl]

Most people probably have seen some or all of these things, but it doesn't hurt to repeat them. Not perfect by any means, nothing is, just a simple list of various things I sometimes do. If nothing else it at least makes me feel like I've done what I can to prevent my car from being broken into at a trailhead. Some of these things are not possible or practical in all cases. Again, it's just a list. Take a few, leave a few.

--Leave glove compartment empty and open.
--Leave center console empty and open.
--Leave front seats and back seats and floors totally bare. A jacket or blanket on the back seat looks like it's hiding something, even if it isn't.
--Don't make it obvious about stashing stuff into your trunk at the trailhead; do that at your last stop before the trailhead.
--Park with the trunk facing the middle of the lot or wherever there is the most "eyeball traffic".
--Upon arriving at the trailhead, walk around the lot and look at the cars and the plates. If you see someone just sitting in a car, make it obvious you're looking at all the cars and the plates. This can be uncomfortable for some people to do. Your call.
--Take a few pictures of the parking lot. Once again, some folks might be squeamish about doing this. Your call.
--If it's a self-pay lot, and you're doing an over-nighter, well that stinks, because now you have a ticket stub on your windshield with the chads punched out (sorry, Mr. Gore) showing what day you'll return to your car. This is when it's nice to have an annual parking pass. Or maybe call the local ranger station and tell them you're parking over-night and you've payed, but you don't want to display your ticket stub because of the break-in reason.
--Place a sign on the front seat of your car with the following phrase: "PLEASE SMILE FOR THE CAMERA."

Criminals, like other lower forms of animal life, are not driven by complex thought patterns. They take when the taking is easy. The goal isn't to stop them, that's pie-in-the-sky dreaming, and will never happen. The goal is to not make it so easy for them. If breaking into cars at Lafayette and other WMNF trailheads stops being profitable, the break-ins will decrease. They'll never stop, but they'll decrease.

 

[rocket21]

Most people probably have seen some or all of these things, but it doesn't hurt to repeat them.

Do you mind if I include some of these if/when I do a phase two of this 'project'?

If breaking into cars at Lafayette and other WMNF trailheads stops being profitable, the break-ins will decrease. They'll never stop, but they'll decrease.

Sounds like an economics lesson!

 

[David Metsky]

It's all about trends...if we see that a lot of break ins submitted were at one parking lot, it might be enough to say "hey, let's be careful here" or "hey, maybe we should try a different trail."

I think the point is that collecting data from such a limited and biased (not politically, but self-selecting data is always biased) source could leave you to believe that trends exist where there are none. Since the number of people who post here is so much lower then the number of people who hike in the Whites, and I think we are probably not "average" hikers, you don't have enough data to predict trends.

Suppose someone reports a break in at trail head A, which gets a lot of traffic. With limited numbers of reports, and no data on usage, you might end up concluding that it is an unsafe trail head. Full data would show that in fact it's safer then seldom-used trail head B, but because the overall numbers are much lower you wouldn't expect to get any reports from there. People may park at B when it's safer to park at A. Without usage numbers the number of break ins per parking lot is of limited use.

I'm not against the project of collecting the data, although I think you'd get much more interesting, useful, and complete data from the police. I'm leery of projecting any trends or lessons learned without good methodology. This isn't a study, it's data collection. A study involves much more work up front before collecting data.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but I think showing the raw data rather then conclusions would be more useful at this point.

 

[Stan]

I think rocket21 should be commended for the efforts. How useful it will be to any of us or to assist police remains to be seen but one thing for sure, without this commitment there is absolutley no chance it will be of value. I would hope the naysayers would offer constructive advice rather than criticism. Certainly, there is a need to support the "authorities" in battling this problem.

My concern is that VFTT members represent a very small portion of the victims at these parking areas so the ability to spot trends accurately and quickly may be limited. If someone with access to police records (these are public records) could help fill in the blanks, that could be even more useful.

And, a word of caution to those who think that police have all the resources, time and ability to conduct an analysis of patterns, that is quite a leap of faith. It would be wise, however, to communicate with police about what has been learned and what would be helpful to them.

Other than that, my only question is, where does the vigilante committee sign up?

 

[David Metsky]

Other than that, my only question is, where does the vigilante committee sign up?

I know you were joking, but please keep any vigilante or revenge ideas off this board.

-Chicken Boy-

 

[sli74]

Seriously, the man (rocket21) is just trying to collect some data . . . why are so many getting their undies in a bunch? The internet is FULL, FULL of all kinds of information most of which is biased, incomplete, untrue, blah, blah, blah. The man isn't trying to force a single view or a finalized thesis, he is merely interested in seeing if any trends exist, his methods may be right or wrong, his conclusions could be on point of completely off . . .

I am most amused by how seriously we all take ourselves. It is a fun, interesting project, let him enjoy himself. If he chooses to spend a bunch of his time, why is that such a problem?

In any case, rocket21 . . . I am looking forward to hearing about what you find . . . and I agree with Metsky that the raw data might be most useful at this point. Anyway, just my 2 cents . . . let's go hiking.

sli74

 

[Mike P.]

How much does a credit card weigh? Why leave these in the car? How much does 6-10 bills weigh? I find it hard to believe we are dealing with an organized well thought out crime (no not the mob) ring that is supporting their lifestyle through making money on trailhead crime.

Were you all angels growing up? Dayhikers being vandalized, I'd question what time they started & ended, I suspect they are at the less frequented trail heads if they are arriving & returning during daylight. 19 Mile gets some reports because cars are very accessible & a fast getaway is at hand (& likely the little %^&^# live close by) Garfield & Gale River have a little more remoteness but even with two ways to escape, they are pretty close to one another.

Plenty of times cars are vandalized & nothing is taken, it's just kids being delinquints.

I highly doubt these "criminals" are going to start waiting up the trail for people if breaking car windows becomes boring & unprofitable, it's not really about profit, it's about kicks after a few beers. That comes with a risk/reward ratio & in a day & age with cell phones if a 2-4 teens without packs were hanging around 100 yards up a trail with no gear hiding in the bushes, someone would call the police. The first possible victims they might encounter might be 4-8 guys in their 20's or 30's who'd kick their butts, their two SUV's on the other hand won't fight back at 2:30 AM

Some trailhead are so remote even a car alarm wouldn't make much difference at night.

Do we have any repeat victims?

Insurance fraud while possible is likely remote with this group, I can't think of many hikers I've met who would break their own window (the company is going to expect a glass claim & may inspect the area the loss occurred so finding no glass there won't be very good) & borrow a friends receipt to Best Buy (where their friend paid cash unless you want to explain your friends receipt) to get some new stuff.

Good luck
Sincerely, someone not in insurance who was always an angel....

 

[DougPaul]

I find it hard to believe we are dealing with an organized well thought out crime (no not the mob) ring that is supporting their lifestyle through making money on trailhead crime.

Plenty of times cars are vandalized & nothing is taken, it's just kids being delinquints.

My guess is delinquints and druggies are the major offenders. A car at a trailhead is often a rather easy and low risk target.

Doug

 

[rocket21]

How much does a credit card weigh? Why leave these in the car? How much does 6-10 bills weigh?

I think the thinking is sometimes "I'm not going to take the risk of dropping this on the trail" or "I don't wan't to fall into the brook with this in my pocket." Doesn't make it the right judgement, but that's just my guess.

Insurance fraud while possible is likely remote with this group, I can't think of many hikers I've met who would break their own window (the company is going to expect a glass claim & may inspect the area the loss occurred so finding no glass there won't be very good)

I agree that insurance fraud is very unlikely in this group. The reason I brought this up, in more of a general sense, relates to what I've seen in the ski industry...sometimes someone breaks a very nice ski...and it coincidently goes 'stolen.'

 

[Mike P.]

Car keys, especially with the newer remotes falling in a brook would be worse yet, we don't leave the keys in the car & they weigh more.

Wallet (with credit cards) & keys in a zip-lock someplace you don't go in & out of, like a zippered pocket in shorts or a compartment in your pack lid (for those with top loaders)

Things on your person, say a Digital camera easier, you own it & brake it, you have receipt, you just have to lose the camera & should lose the memory card or just remember you need a new one too.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

I agree with David Metsky, as I have been parking at White Mountain trailheads for over four decades, so say probably over 500 separate parking events, and have never suffered a break-in. So, when that first break-in occurs, I do not think that the location will mean much.

I am copying an earlier posting that I made to the original thead in case anyone missed it.

A few years ago, I began leaving notes on the front dash and the back window shelf stating "No cash or credit cards in car or trunk," and have not had a break-in since (knock on wood). However, if there had been a break-in, the perps would have found that my notes did not lie.

As Berlin becomes the prison capital of the Northeast, with most of the prisoners being drug abusers, and families moving into the cheap rents in the area to be near their incarcerated loved ones, I think that break-ins will only increase. I am told by good authority that cash remains the primary target of break-ins to buy ingredients and materials to support meth labs, which are now rampant in the North Country, and one of the biggest expenses in environmental remediation.

 

[dvbl]

Do you mind if I include some of these if/when I do a phase two of this 'project'?...

I don't mind at all. Very polite of you to ask. In reality, these are not "my" ideas; they're just ideas collected along the way, or derived from other ideas, or just shamelessly stolen.

 

[grog]

What do you do with vehicle registration?

grog

 

[Breeze]

19 mile brook break-ins are truly a "cyclical thing", a spate of reports and then nothing. Suspect the same on 2 in Randolph.

Right now there are 5 State Police who live in Gorham/Berlin/Shelburne with a few more in Randolph/Lancaster, and they all have teenage kids, or teenage babysitters for younger kids.

A "profile" of the "usual suspects" leads one to the simple truth that bravado isn't bravado unless bragged on, and word gets around. Eventually, listening ears get a drift and go from there.

Working at the Auto Road and Wildcat, I'm passing 19 Mile Brook Trail 5 days a week at various morning hours pretty much year round, and always including weekend mornings. IF there is a hit at 19MB trailhead, its going to be on overnighted cars ( those who are staying at Carter Notch Hut) , and happen at dark of night, there is just too much daylight traffic on 16 for B and E to go unnoticed.

Breeze

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

For what it's worth, the ranger I met at the Beaver Brook trailhead this weekend told me that there had not been any problems at all with break-ins at that trailhead. On the other hand, a few weeks ago at the Liberty trailhead for Mt. Chocorua I had left early and returned to the car fairly early. The lot was full when I returned. While I was preparing to leave a kid pulled in with a pickup, saw me, did a U-turn and left. I had a bad feeling about it, but the kid hadn't done anything wrong. My presence at that moment might have saved someone's car, but I'll never know.

 

[erugs]

I posted this last Friday on the Lafayette Break-Ins thread, but it should have gone here, so I'm adding it now.

Just had a call from my friend Brian who had hiked the Osceolas Friday, 6/8. When he got back to his car at 3:00, at the Greeley Pond Trailhead off the Kanc, he was disturbed to see that another car in the lot, a new-looking green Subaru Legacy wagon, had had its window broken in. How frustrating. What's with people like that?

 

[dentonfabrics]

All this talk of break-in's is skeeving me out. Yesterday, for the first time in my non-illustrious hiking career, I put a homemade cardboard sign on the drivers seat of my truck at the trailhead saying THERE IS NOTHING OF VALUE IN THIS VEHICLE.

I didnt get broken into, so I guess it must have worked. But either way, it's a real shame that we need to give this topic so much ink.


bob

 

[Rob S]

I didnt get broken into, so I guess it must have worked.

Or maybe the thieves just took the day off. Unfortunately you'll never know. Seeing a sign may cause a would-be thief to break-in anyway, thinking you really must be hiding something ....

 

[David Metsky]

I'm probably jinxing myself but I've been parking at NH trailheads for about 25 years, maybe 20 times a year, and never had a problem. It's really not that common.

-dave

 

[DougPaul]

I didnt get broken into, so I guess it must have worked.

A potential thief could conclude that the sign is a lie in attempt to protect something valuable. IMO, such a sign could either increase or decrease the probability of a break in.

Some people put phony alarm stickers on their cars. It may protect their own cars, but it probably increases the risk for all owners of cars with alarm stickers (legitimate or not) because thieves know that some of the stickers are phony.

Note how much press the break in stories get... How many people file a report just to say that they parked at a trailhead and weren't broken into? (Actually, I'll bet that essentially all trip reports that do not include a break in story did not have a break in.)

Doug