Thread: Vandals!!!!!

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Well I have not seen anything like this posted here, and I know I can not be the only one on the site who has had the displeasure of having there Halloween props vandalized. It happened to me twice this last year, and sadly I never caught them……..well not to sad because I am not sure what I would do to them if I did catch them, might be in jail! Lol
Anyhow I was wondering how many have had this problem and what you have done to stop it and protect your pricey and time consuming props

Unfortunately because I trust NO ONE I usually set up on Halloween and tear it down that night. Plus my hubby always walks around that night to make sure there are no sticky little fingers.

We even bring in our pumpkins! Shows how much today's youth respects other people's property!

Yeah..it's a problem here in the UK too. Some people either don't know or don't care how much time and money is invested in these things or that their stupid antics spoil the enjoyment of many others.
Like MOTA, I daren't set up anything until the day, as the chances are it will be gone or vandalised if left overnight. Halloween day normally sees me taking a day off work and an early start to get everything set up ready for the first lot of TOT's who can arrive as early as 4.30pm. In addition, everything has to be taken down that night and moved back under cover (can't even trust the weather here...) In the past I have had static props vandalised, pumpkins smashed and small props such as skulls and candlesticks stolen, as well as catching one individual doing something very unhygenic in the apple bobbing tub.
Since I now enlist the help of my 18 year old sons friends as actors in my haunt (scary enough, even without make up) they also double up as security guards and now nothing but nothing is left unattended even for a second.
You can't fully stop it. unfortunately there will always be those people (not always kids either) who will be of the mindset that they can do what they like with or to other peoples property. All you can do is try to be vigilant and reduce the opportunity for a vandal attack.

how horrible!

I am glad my neighborhoodi s safe. not that i put up anything elaborate, but i leave things up from oct 1st to the first weekend in november.

Mr. Frost I to have felt the pain of vandals. The worst part is most of the time it occurs while I'm at home. I have several security cameras, but they're only good if I watching at the time. I do plan on adding a DVR system to record the cameras, but most security cameras do not give you an image clear enough to identify anyone. Since most of the time it occurs at night while I'm and home, I'm thinking of adding a few Dakota Alert MURS around the perimeter of the yard and tying them into my alarm panel to notify me of someone entering the yard. I figure if I can catch one, I can drag them to the nearest clothing drop off, have them strip to their undies and deposit their clothing for the needy, then send them on their way home..... ID's I would drop off at the police department.

Most of my outdoor items are made of steel. Welded, bolted together they seem to be fist-proof.
I am located right behind 4 taverns so most of my problems are alcohol inspired when it comes to people messing with things and they tend to be in adult-sized bodies .
Video cameras watching them instills more civilized behavior in most of them.
I am open year-round but the "Stupid-Season" is late Sept. and all of October.
I really do believe that some of the potentially vandalistic types who arrive here from many hours away feel a new fear of things unknown in the possible form of the small-town Policeman and his jail.
All I have to do is tell the Police to "Take them away" and they are gone! (Insert evil laugh here~)
I have gotten a Police response here in as little as ten seconds. Maybe some drunks hear the truthfullness in this claim as I warn them?
Maybe it's a little of the "Barney Fife" syndrome? He might have only had one bullet for his gun, but one nervous unintentional shot can still kill or maim.

Install some motion detector lights for the outdoors displays , maybe another one to turn on a talking "chip" device.

I haven't had problems but I usually wait to the last week to drag out the good stuff, and I don't leave the electronics outside. I live in a cul-de-sac, so unless people go out of their way, I figure most people wont see things until Halloween Night, then I just take down everything and shove it in the garage after the last TOT..

I'm thinking of using the backyard and garage this year so I can set things up earlier and not worry about vandals.

I'm also thinking of adding motion detectors too.

The past few years I have done the same LadyAlthea, but this year sadly it did not work out so well. some of my nicer props were taken and the thing that pisses me off the most is that they came on to my front porch. my yard it one thing but for someone to go on to ones porch and steal! at you can see I'm still a little PO'ed about it. lol motion detectors was another thought for the next year, but i might just put out the tombstones and little things till Halloween. i have also thought about using my garage but its in the back yard, not sure if anyone would go back there on Halloween. does anyone else have this problem? not sure i have the extra $$$$ for cameras Pod, but sounds like a good idea. better than sleeping outside with a baseball bat "winks"

That's why I only do a halloween party one night and most of it is inside....I don't think people that vandal and steal have an understanding of the passion or hard work that goes into this....As I get older, I just don't have as much faith in the human race as a whole....Sure, there's still a majority of good people and I'm blessed to be surrounded in that but there is just so much craziness anymore....It's sad but you just can't trust anyone anymore and that's the approach I take....When our party is over - the few props that are outside get set inside and the doors are shut and locked....ZR

Unfortunately, one can expect little sympathy from the police. Their attitude seems to be "If you left it outside, what do you expect?". Unlike Gym, I could not hope for a police response within 10 seconds if my life depended on it...maybe if somebody reported me for having a stoplight out, or an out of date road tax disc I may stand an outside chance.

A neighbour down the street puts a big Christmas light display outside his property. A couple of years ago vandals came on to his property and cut through the cables. As a response he put up a sign in the front garden calling their parentage and IQ's into question.
A visit from the local constabulary followed shortly after, in which he was ordered to remove the sign as it "could be offensive".

Hey ho...