I had a car stolen from in frond in my house just last Sunday.  How frustrating it is to wake up and look out to find that you care isn't there!  The police technician who took the report told us that it would be a great help if we had security cameras that captured the activity.  Unfortunately, I couldn't provide the BPD with that.

Ironically, I just bought a business that installs video security systems and while I was busy with the business I didn't take time to install a system at my house.

I don't want this to sound like a sales pitch, but if you want some information the store is PCXGEN.

The police are doing the best they can in protecting our city.  A little assistance on the part of the citizens will go a long way toward making their work more effective.

Yeah, whomever suggested parking car in garage is just not being realistic (or fair!)!

I've got far too much  "good stuff"

Whaddya spect me ta do -- clean it up? go through it and donate it? organize it?

GET REAL!

 You're supposed to park a car in the GARAGE ????   I thought that was the room you used instead of Darrell's Mini Storage.  What a strange concept.

Since my double garage is detached, has two horizontal wooden sliding doors, is at the end of a fairly long driveway behind big wooden locked single car gates, parking my car in there is way more trouble than it's worth.

Not that it has anything to do with cars, but that's where my washer and dryer resides.  Not good anytime but it's a boogerbear to do laundry in the winter.

 Unfortunately our local law enforcement is incompetent and unable to fulfill its duty  ~bubbleboy

This should not go without comment. What if someone said  "our Real Estate Agents (given C&C et al) are all incompetent, we should all just do our own RE buying/selling". Or  "given the RE loans fiasco, all loan officers are incompetent boobs, we should arrange all our own RE financing"

Not only would that be virtually impossible, unrealistic, and downright stupid (liability-wise)  -- it is so absolutely unfair to those in that business. I wonder what bubble does to turn a buck?

 And I liked what Shawna said about the cops. They have the kind of thankless job that its easy to pick at. We all see them react to common sense things/situations and without knowing all the mitigating factors, many of us naturally think  "I would have done this or that....."

In reality, given all the tings they have to consider when facing a crime scene/sitrep, we civilians have no idea in the world what we would have (could have) done!

To all those cop denigrators I just have one thing to say -- go to the academy!

 My alarm only goes off if you try to get in the car.  That's all I need.  I don't want a motion sensor anywhere that even a cat jumping on your car can have you running out of the house in your BVD's and a 12 guage.

 I agree with you Nancy when your car is parked in Wally world parking lot.

But I think she is saying when its in your driveway. Your neighbors may hate yer guts after awhile but you damn sure would know if someone was messin with yer wheels!

If it goes off, ya jump right up and run out, you might just save yourself some money/grief!

I don't have an alarm either, and part of it is due to what you say. But it just might help in some circumstances. At least you'oll know someone is messin with yer vehicle and you'll hve ta get up!

And it might just scare em off. If that doesn't I'm sure you will!  :-)

 I realize it's very difficult for folks in Bakersfield to do, but why not empty out that garage and park you car in there?

 The problem I have with motion sensor alarms is that they go off on a regular basis and it becomes like the little boy who cried wolf.  No one pays much attention to them any more.  I suppose it would spook the burgler but the neighbors will hardly bother to look.

As for remotes.  I pushed the button on my remote one day and the car next to me flashed lights beeped, and unlocked.  My friend and I stood there looking at the car, then each other and said..oops.  For a minute we thought maybe the owner did it from afar so my friend said "push it again."  I did, and it locked.  We both chuckled and walked off....modern technology isn't foolproof.

 If a person's automobile tires or car stereo (or whatever) get stolen, and if that person happens to have automobile insurance, they'll have a decision to make. 

1.  Report the loss to their insurance company and then pay their deductible before having the item(s) replaced.

2.  Don't report the loss and simply cover the replacement out of pocket.

Either way, it can cost SEVERAL HUNDRED dollars for those who are a victim of theft.  My solution... think ahead; invest a few hundred dollars into a motion sensitive car alarm system.  Not only will the car alarm scare away potential robbers but the car owner may also be eligible for a discount on their auto insurance because of their newly added security alarm.   (Check with your insurance provider for discount information)  

Would a smart person leave $20,000 cash in their driveway without attempting to keep anyone else from taking any of their cash?  Well, more often than not, MANY people will spend more than $20,000 for a car that will sit in their driveway completely unattended at night (many times left UNLOCKED).  Why not invest a couple hundred dollars to help protect several thousand dollars from being stolen?  (It's just 1% of the $20K spent to buy the car.)

So, to answer the blog question, "Are you willing to put up my own money for a reward?" No, I would not.  Instead, I spent money to PREVENT having to worry about putting up any kind of a reward!  Purchasing some sort of alarm for your car is much better than having no alarm at all on your car.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

One little note before I go:  **  It is easy to complain about how our town's police department doesn't do enough to solve all of the crimes committed here but come on!  To those who complain about cops eating too many donuts, and to those who spew accusations about how our cops don't do all they could or should to solve each and every crime, I must ask, "Have you ever spent a single day working in the shoes of the brave men and women who risk their lives doing their best to keep us ALL safe?"    It's not fair, nor is it very kind, to accuse our local law enforcement of not doing their job just because they are unable to catch every criminal or solve every crime.  Just like the rest of us, they are doing the best they can while on their job... every single day.  Perhaps those who complain about our cops should consider changing their career & joining our local law enforcement team.  After all, who better to make a change than those who think change is easy to make? 

 VigilentBfld,

   Send me an e-mail with your phone number and I can put you in touch with the association.

I'm at sswenson@bakersfield.com

 DogGone, the words "bakersfieldbubble" and "fool" seem to go together way more frequently in a sentence than you can imagine.

My neighborhood has also suffered the same exact problems, except we have pictures of them. Is there a contact number for the Stonecreek Neighborhood Watch Association or someone we could talk to so that information can be shared?

Bakersfiedbubble, you're a fool if you believe your written words. If the folks who live at the house, or next door to, or down the street from where the crime occurred can't notice that the crime happened till morning, what chance do the police have other than collecting fingerprints or by recovering the stolen property from the bad guys? the police don't have a lot of free time to actually patrol. thank you alan tandy for incorporating cottonwood road and not adding more cops. smart move.

unfortunately for us law obiding citizens, property crimes rank pretty low.  a gang banging shooting will always trump a visit to us for a "minor crime" like theft of our property. even though we pay the most property tax, we bottom dwellers when it comes to service.

 The police can't be everywhere every time. It is up to each of us to be vigilant. If we call them and they don't come, then we can complain.

 I agree with your point, Driver, but I recall the city asked for a .25% sales tax. That idea went over like a fart in church and was soundly rejected. Get what you pay for.

 Hell no! Raise taxes so that everyones life improves in bakersfield maybe then we will live up to our motto "Life as it should be". Raising taxes would help the city better train police officers and be able to fund more police officers. Anyone with a brain understands that raising taxes would significantly improve our city!!!!

 How about an open season on taggers. Restricted to shotguns with #9 or smaller shot  and fifty foot minimum range. Shoot em where you find em.

 Unfortunately our local law enforcement is incompetent and unable to fulfill its duty so the local citizens need to take things into their own hands. This is truly sad!

Our city leaders should be ashamed of themselves. They have wasted and squandered funds on stupid projects and now have no money left to protect the local citizens.

Instead of wasting their day at the local donut shop the police should be doing their jobs!

 Catpaw-must agree with the restitution plan you've stated.  Make them pay back the victim or a crime victim fund.  Make the laws stricter on these thieves and vandals.  Or you can be your own neighbor hood watch and sit and wait with a shotgun:)

 We are entering a painful recession. People are losing jobs and homes. The middle class is fast becoming the working poor. Vandalism and theft is not a simple matter of submitting an insurance claim. The deductible can be a financial burden.

If the criminals get caught they will get "catch and release" treatment from the court, especially if they are juveniles. I think a mandatory condition for probation and parole should be paying restitution, even if it is to a crime victims fund. I can almost hear libs arguing that would be tantamount to debtors prison. Not anymore than if  I refused to pay taxes. Jail is paying a debt to society; restitution is paying a debt to the victim.