What to do about a Prowler/peeping tom?

[offroadking208]

So my grandparents are both pretty old and they dont get around too well anymore. They have a 2 story house here in a housing edition in Noblesville (so low crime) and they've had a problem for the last 2 or 3 months with either a prowler, peeping tom, or who knows. Someone keeps ringing their doorbell, rattling the storm doors, and basically beating on the front (and back) door anywhere from 11pm-4am, and as of a week ago I found footprints in the mulch in front of their windows from someone looking in.

The backyard is fenced in, but the fence is only about 4-4.5 feet tall. The people or person has to climb over the fence to get into the back yard to ring, rattle, and look. I was wondering what options I have as far as helping them out. It takes them 5 minutes just to get down the stairs, so if someone actually breaks in it would be terrible. They can't get downstairs fast enough to catch anyone in the act either. I'm a fan of booby traps, but they aren't exactly legal for the most part. And they don't have a set schedule. Sometimes they come on a weekend, sometime it's in the middle of the week.

What options do I have as far as putting this to a stop? For the time being I've set up a trail camera that's hidden and facing their front door to catch a picture of the person, but I was looking for more ideas. What I'd really like to do is get a ghillie suit and wait in the back yard for a weekend with 2 of my friends and a 12 Ga to watch them pee themselves when they hear the CLACK CLACK, but once again the legality is the issue here, LOL. Any suggestions?

 

[CathyInBlue]

Infrared and visible band video surveillance system. Get enough video of what I surmise is the local middle school crowd committing the tort of trespass and turn it in to the police.

 

[gvsugod]

I like the ghillie suit idea. I would roll with that.

 

[Hoosierdood]

either a prowler, peeing tom, or who knows.

What exactly is a "peeing tom"?

 

[offroadking208]

What exactly is a "peeing tom"?

They're the worst! They pee WHILST looking into your house. Talk about weird... HAHAHA

 

[hoosierdoc]

Are there motion sensor security lights out back?

Also, is it possible they are getting senile or are you confident it is happening?

 

[singlestacksig]

game cameras..
plant blackberries..

 

[hacksawfg]

Ever seen Death Wish 3? Couple of these by the fence might do the trick:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_l7GJci730

 

[abnk]

Sounds like a job for a 30-06.

Actually, notify the police to establish a record and see if you can install motion activated lights and cameras for them. Sounds like neighborhood teenagers being stupid.

 

[Quad]

What exactly is a "peeing tom"?

George Mcfly

+1 on the ghillie suit!

 

[offroadking208]

Are there motion sensor security lights out back?

Also, is it possible they are getting senile or are you confident it is happening?

No motion sensor lights in back, just flood lights that are on all the time. And I'd wonder if it were happening at all if I hadn't seen the footprints through the mulch and landscaping in front of the windows. They even tracked mulch out of the landscaping onto the front step. There's about a foot wide gap you can stand in between the windows and shrubs and neither of my grandparents can get into it. I do all the landscaping and such for them since they can't do it themselves anymore.

Sounds like a job for a 30-06.

Actually, notify the police to establish a record and see if you can install motion activated lights and cameras for them. Sounds like neighborhood teenagers being stupid.

Police are aware and have "increased patrols".

 

[Doug]

Which trail cameras take pictures without the guy seeing a flash or knowing the camera is there?

 

[SSGSAD]

I like the ghillie suit idea. I would roll with that.

I hate to be a party pooper, BUT this idea, is called "lying in wait" IIRC, from my Criminal Justice days at IUPUI ..... NOT a "good idea" !!!!!

 

[offroadking208]

Which trail cameras take pictures without the guy seeing a flash or knowing the camera is there?

Infared flash

I hate to be a party pooper, BUT this idea, is called "lying in wait" IIRC, from my Criminal Justice days at IUPUI ..... NOT a "good idea" !!!!!

Yes. Unfortunately. As nice as it sounds, the legality would be the issue here.

 

[abnk]

Police are aware and have "increased patrols".

That's good. As much fun as it may be, don't place yourself in a situation where it could be argued that you chose to escalate the conflict (e.g. gillie suit), unless you have the money to defend yourself in court in the worst case scenario.

 

[hopper68]

In the old days, a double barrel loaded with rock salt would have stopped this.

 

[abnk]

In the old days, a double barrel loaded with rock salt would have stopped this.

In the even older days Thorstein would have put an end to this with his staff.

 

[CathyInBlue]

I hate to be a party pooper, BUT this idea, is called "lying in wait" IIRC, from my Criminal Justice days at IUPUI

I would think that would all depend on what one was waiting to do while lying there. If they were waiting to arbitrarily commit a pre-meditated physical assault, then yes. If they were waiting to confront and assess any trespassers to document their identities and communicate in no uncertain terms that their presence was unwelcome, then that would fall under the reasonable belief rubric in IC 35-41-3-2(d):

(d) A person:
(1) is justified in using reasonable force, including deadly force, against any other person; and
(2) does not have a duty to retreat;
if the person reasonably believes that the force is necessary to prevent or terminate the other person's unlawful entry of or attack on the person's dwelling, curtilage, or occupied motor vehicle.

So for me, the question would be, is the use of a ghillie suit to combat mere vandalism "reasonable". I'd say it depends on how many jurors have been victimized by teenaged vandals.

 

[Ryano23_98]

security lights and cam.
wire door bell to stungun

 

[Kedric]

This has my vote!

One of these under every window you have seen footprints should do the job in one night.