Stopping Destructive Kids (Spring Hill: how much, home, neighborhood)

[floridagirl777]

So it happened again last night … several kids drove down our street and smashed up a bunch of mailboxes at 3:00 a.m. I am SICK of this stuff happening. Most of my immediate neighbors are sweet, elderly folks and they don't deserve having their property destroyed. This has been a frequent occurrence on our street over the past few years since the economy tanked and we ended up with a bunch of low-income, dysfunctional families in our neighborhood. The police have been contacted numerous times, but my neighbors say all they can do is write up a report and patrol the area … the kids never get caught.

So … my question is, what can we do to keep this from happening?

I CANNOT WAIT to get out of this area. I've lived in many places throughout my lifetime, and I've NEVER been subjected to so many neighborhood problems!

[FloridaKash]

Sorry to hear about the hoodlums in your neighborhood. What a pain. I have not experienced such issues while living here. Perhaps you could purchase a video system that is able to record in the dark. Set it up so it can read the license plate of a vehicle as it passes by. ??

Or put up a 'dummy' mailbox which is welded onto a solid metal post that is extremely sturdy. Fill the mailbox with concrete. Most likely this mailbox will break the bat the kids are using, or possibly their wrists.

[ChiTownBull]

Originally Posted by floridagirl777

So it happened again last night … several kids drove down our street and smashed up a bunch of mailboxes at 3:00 a.m. I am SICK of this stuff happening. Most of my immediate neighbors are sweet, elderly folks and they don't deserve having their property destroyed. This has been a frequent occurrence on our street over the past few years since the economy tanked and we ended up with a bunch of low-income, dysfunctional families in our neighborhood. The police have been contacted numerous times, but my neighbors say all they can do is write up a report and patrol the area … the kids never get caught.

So … my question is, what can we do to keep this from happening?

I CANNOT WAIT to get out of this area. I've lived in many places throughout my lifetime, and I've NEVER been subjected to so many neighborhood problems!

where do you live?

[floridagirl777]

Originally Posted by FloridaKash

Sorry to hear about the hoodlums in your neighborhood. What a pain. I have not experienced such issues while living here. Perhaps you could purchase a video system that is able to record in the dark. Set it up so it can read the license plate of a vehicle as it passes by. ??

Or put up a 'dummy' mailbox which is welded onto a solid metal post that is extremely sturdy. Fill the mailbox with concrete. Most likely this mailbox will break the bat the kids are using, or possibly their wrists.

One of my neighbors asked the police if they could do the dummy mailbox thing, but the police said if the kids got injured from that it could go to court. I'd love to do a video surveillance system, but that would cost too much money.

Maybe we need to organize some sort of neighborhood watch.

[floridagirl777]

Originally Posted by ChiTownBull

where do you live?

In what used to be a decent neighborhood in Spring Hill, but now our area has gotten really bad.

Thankfully, we are moving.

[floridagirl777]

Does anyone know how much a good nighttime surveillance system costs? Maybe I could get some neighbors to go in on it together. I'd like to see these kids caught and punished for their destructive acts.

[FloridaKash]

I say do the mailbox thing.... put it on an easement or some sort of public piece of land and act like you know nothing about it.

[FloridaKash]

Under $100

VideoSecu 2.4 GHz Wireless Security Camera Set Night Vision with Audio Microphone for CCTV DVR Home Surveillance System WAH">VideoSecu 2.4 GHz Wireless Security Camera Set Night Vision with Audio Microphone for CCTV DVR Home Surveillance System WAH

[GoRays813]

Originally Posted by FloridaKash

I say do the mailbox thing.... put it on an easement or some sort of public piece of land and act like you know nothing about it.

As great of an idea that this is, you will get sued if you follow this advice.

[floridagirl777]

Originally Posted by FloridaKash

Under $100

VideoSecu 2.4 GHz Wireless Security Camera Set Night Vision with Audio Microphone for CCTV DVR Home Surveillance System WAH">VideoSecu 2.4 GHz Wireless Security Camera Set Night Vision with Audio Microphone for CCTV DVR Home Surveillance System WAH

I didn't know they were that cheap! Great! I will approach our neighbors with this info and see if we can get one set up.