[obol] Royal Sting?

[Adam Elzinga]

Well, I've never been to Fern Ridge, but after viewing posts of
vigilante justice and risking life and limb to get evidence on these
thieves, it makes sense to me that a remote trail camera setup would
be very appropriate.  We are using an inexpensive ($200) Scoutguard
SG-550 trail camera to monitor mammalian predators at our field site
and something similar would certainly do the trick.  Its very small
and easily concealable on a nearby tree or vegetation and can take not
only pictures but video.  It might not help getting an arrest, but at
least you can get a good look at the thieves before coming back with a
baseball bat (just joking!).

Best of luck and good birding,
Adam



On Thu, Jul 31, 2008 at 11:11 AM, Jeff Gilligan <jeffgill at teleport.com> wrote:
> The problem is that we don't punish criminals severely enough.  Fewer crimes
> would be committed if the punishment was sufficient to get their attention.
>  Those incarcerated should be put to hard labor in difficult circumstances.
>  Taxes dedicated for that purpose will pay off.
>
>
> On 7/31/08 9:00 AM, "David Irons" <llsdirons at msn.com> wrote:
>
> Paul et al.,
>
> Many such ideas have been considered, however we have one major problem here
> in Lane Co.  Even if these thieves were somehow identified or better yet
> caught, they would serve no (or virtually no) jail time.  The Lane County
> Sheriff Dept. is understaffed and the county jail has only enough space to
> house the most dangerous among us.  There was a recent front page article in
> the Register-Guard, which explained how inmates are "matrixed" out of the
> jail based on some sort of hierarchy depending on their litany of past and
> present offenses. Those involved in property crime generally score very low
> in terms of danger to society and they are back on the street within minutes
> of being booked (if caught).  Worse yet, the Lane Co. Sheriff's Dept. does
> not even investigate a property crime until the loss is greater than
> $10,000.  This fabulous piece of news was advertised for all to see in the
> article. Think petty thieves don't know the county has written them a blank
> check to take all the want???
>
> As Don Baccus pointed out, the platinum in catalytic converter that was
> stolen was probably what these thieves were after. The metals trade is big
> among those trying to fund meth and other drug habits. A couple months ago
> there was a break in at Food For Lane County (a non-profit food bank) where
> the main thing stolen was copper wiring out of their refrigeration units.
> Copper wire is also stripped from new home construction sites where wiring
> has been done and the drywall has not been hung.
>
> It's a laugh a minute here in Eugene. It costs a little more to get there,
> but it was a lot more relaxing to bird way out in the middle of southern
> Lake Co., where the risk of having a car broken into is virtually nil. Not
> only are there very few people around, but those that did pass by were
> ranchers and Forest Service/BLM types just going about their business, and
> they all wave as they drive by.
>
> Dave Irons
> Eugene, OR
>
>
>
>> From: ptsulliv at spiritone.com
>> To: obol at oregonbirdwatch.org
>> Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2008 05:53:26 -0700
>> Subject: [obol] Royal Sting?
>>
>> OBOL:
>>
>> I understand from the multiple postings on OBOL that car break-ins at the
>> Royal Ave (and Fisher Butte) access to Fern Ridge Reservoir are fairly
>> commonplace, and that the police aren't likely to do much about it.
>>
>> I wonder, with all the photographic horsepower and computer savvy
>> available
>> in the birding community, wouldn't it be possible to mount a sting
>> operation
>> at these sites and get a photo of the perpetrator or their license plates?
>> Put out some bait and watch from half a mile away with a good long lens.
>> Take a picture of every license plate that enters the parking lot.
>>
>> Alternatively, put up a dummy surveillance camera on the restroom.  Mount
>> one on a pole. Park a vehicle with a manikin holding a camera about 100'
>> back up the road.   That might serve as a deterrent.
>>
>> Com'on, you techno-types, I think this can be done.  You're the ones with
>> the expensive gear.
>>
>> Paul Sullivan
>> --------------------------------------
>> Subject: Eugene Birders & another theft at Royal
>> From: "Dennis Arendt" <dbarendt AT comcast.net>
>> Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:32:01 -0700
>>
>> Obolers,
>>
>> The Eugene Wednesday birders went to Fern Ridge Reservoir, parking at the
>> end
>> of Royal Avenue. To prevent thieves from being tempted, both of our
>> vehicles
>> were left unlocked and any valuables were removed. However, this did not
>> stop
>> thieves from taking the catalytic converter from underneath the Nissan
>> pickup.
>> They did a very neat job of cutting it from the exhaust pipe. The good
>> morning
>> of birding was not spoiled by this event (mainly because we were finished
>> when
>> the theft was discovered). The little four cylinder Nissan engine sounded
>> like
>> a drag racer all the way home.
>>
>>
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