Phoenix Park Break Ins

Vinny Mulvey

I know there's been stuff posted on this recently but thought I'd mention that the last 3 weeks have resulted in car break ins at my running camps at 9 in the morning!!! What they are doing is watching runners arrive and breaking in thru the front door, popping the boot and then taking phones and wallets/purses/handbags from the boot. I suspect they might be disguised as runners so that they don't stick out. Either way, just wanted to alert people. Or been onto the gardai in cabra but they didn't seem that bothered to be honest!!!
Watch your valuables. It seems we are all being targeted!

RandyMann

Vinny Mulvey wrote: »

I know there's been stuff posted on this recently but thought I'd mention that the last 3 weeks have resulted in car break ins at my running camps at 9 in the morning!!! What they are doing is watching runners arrive and breaking in thru the front door, popping the boot and then taking phones and wallets/purses/handbags from the boot. I suspect they might be disguised as runners so that they don't stick out. Either way, just wanted to alert people. Or been onto the gardai in cabra but they didn't seem that bothered to be honest!!!
Watch your valuables. It seems we are all being targeted!

Where did this happen? I was parked at the first cul de sac off Wellington road (coming from chesterfield avenue) and I saw a car window had been smashed at 10am

Vinny Mulvey

RandyMann wrote: »

Where did this happen? I was parked at the first cul de sac off Wellington road (coming from chesterfield avenue) and I saw a car window had been smashed at 10am

Sorry forgot to say where it happened. At the popes cross. We've been there at 9am the last few weeks and its happened each week so safe to say they will prob be there again next sat

Ososlo

thanks for the warning. I had suspected about people disguised as runners. Clever move on their part.
I think the key here is to not leave anything in your car that you don't mind too much not being still there when you get back from your run! Bring your phone/money/house keys with you.

RandyMann

Vinny Mulvey wrote: »

Sorry forgot to say where it happened. At the popes cross. We've been there at 9am the last few weeks and its happened each week so safe to say they will prob be there again next sat

Thanks, it appears nowhere in the park is safe

Vinny Mulvey

RandyMann wrote: »

Thanks, it appears nowhere in the park is safe

This happened again yesterday at the car park at the bottom of the magazine fort

RacoonQueen

Why do people bring this stuff out for their run with them? I always wince when I see people take a handbag from their front seat and put it in their boot. Bring a bit of cash and stick it in a zip pocket/put your phone somewhere hidden in your car before you even enter the park so no one sees you 'hide' it or get an arm band or something and take it with you...

SWL

Vinny Mulvey wrote: »

This happened again yesterday at the car park at the bottom of the magazine fort

This crime could easily be stopped, they have an MO and some sort of sting operation should be put in place, instead these scumbags will continue to steal at will, hopefully a couple of lads on a club run will come across them.

TRR

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Why do people bring this stuff out for their run with them? I always wince when I see people take a handbag from their front seat and put it in their boot. Bring a bit of cash and stick it in a zip pocket/put your phone somewhere hidden in your car before you even enter the park so no one sees you 'hide' it or get an arm band or something and take it with you...

I've had laptops/phone/wallet etc in car as may be coming from work etc. We don't all live beside the park. Friend of mine had car broken into a year ago and to say the burgulars were forensic is an understatement, they found his hidden laptop etc that he had placed under boot were spare wheel goes.

augustus gloop

TRR wrote: »

I've had laptops/phone/wallet etc in car as may be coming from work etc. We don't all live beside the park. Friend of mine had car broken into a year ago and to say the burgulars were forensic is an understatement, they found his hidden laptop etc that he had placed under boot were spare wheel goes.

uggh! thats really chit, its a hard one to monitor esp if the perps are dressed as runners. thanks for the heads up OP

average_runner

TRR wrote: »

I've had laptops/phone/wallet etc in car as may be coming from work etc. We don't all live beside the park. Friend of mine had car broken into a year ago and to say the burgulars were forensic is an understatement, they found his hidden laptop etc that he had placed under boot were spare wheel goes.

Not been smart here, but can ye not go home first or go back to work to collect the laptop.

When i run there, i dont even bring my phone, always have a few bottles of water in the boot, some gels, some dirty gear and even there could be a dirty nappy from my kids that i forgot to remove! Welcome to take that!;)

Krusty_Clown

average_runner wrote: »

even there could be a dirty nappy from my kids that i forgot to remove! Welcome to take that!;)

You should store it in a laptop case. Just because...

average_runner

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

You should store it in a laptop case. Just because...

Good idea, just to make it extra special, i will wait for my sons teeth to start and give them one of those nappies:D

RandyMann

Vinny Mulvey wrote: »

This happened again yesterday at the car park at the bottom of the magazine fort

Think I will park on Chesterfiled Avenue and walk down now.

The Davestator

A little tip - make sure your Bluetooth is turned off if leaving your phone in the car. They use their own iPhone to pick up Bluetooth signals from other phones, so they know there is one in the car regardless of how well hidden it is.

Also - open up all compartments so they can see they are empty. (Glove box, centre console etc)

kingQuez

RandyMann wrote: »

Think I will park on Chesterfiled Avenue and walk down now.

Sounds like the current robberies aren't over there, but still beware--I'd my car broken into on a weekend a few years ago on chesterfield av. when there were lots of people around in the middle of the day (so I didn't expect I'd have any problems). It's a pity, I dont bother going to the park for running anymore since.

RacoonQueen

I would guess no where in the park is 'safe', I've/we've parked at the bottom of they kyber, top of the kyber, papal cross or chesterfield at least once a week for years and never had a problem *touch wood*

Never leave anything in the car though, if I'm driving to the park all they'd find in the boot is the dog box anyway.

magoko101

I've some mates in South Africa... to prevent car break ins they just leave a box labelled 'Snake' in the back. ;-)

G-Money

I was thinking, just leave an agitated Rottweiler in the boot to give the would be scumbags a nice surprise

rovers_runner

I'd be cautious of scumbags reading this thread thinking they have a heads up.

To catch them in action you could have a couple of cars manned at either end of a cul de sac (kyber car park or papal cross car park), or even a few runners incognito.
Keep a low profile in the cars and wait for them to pounce, then block road leaving enough time to halt their progress and get pics or ID on car etc.

Would take a couple of weeks to get a result maybe but scumbags being scumbags they won't be able to abandon their potential loot without being bitten.

SWL

rovers_runner wrote: »

I'd be cautious of scumbags reading this thread thinking they have a heads up.

To catch them in action you could have a couple of cars manned at either end of a cul de sac (kyber car park or papal cross car park), or even a few runners incognito.
Keep a low profile in the cars and wait for them to pounce, then block road leaving enough time to halt their progress and get pics or ID on car etc.

Would take a couple of weeks to get a result maybe but scumbags being scumbags they won't be able to abandon their potential loot without being bitten.

Thats what I do not understand, they have an MO surely the Guards can set up a basic sting operation on a saturday morning and catch them. The idea that this crime (s) go unsolved or uninvestigated is shocking, especially when its confined to one location.

The Davestator

SWL wrote: »

Thats what I do not understand, they have an MO surely the Guards can set up a basic sting operation on a saturday morning and catch them. The idea that this crime (s) go unsolved or uninvestigated is shocking, especially when its confined to one location.

It's not one location though. Swords boot camp has been hit hard a few times, as has Malahide boot camp. Not to mention car parks around Wicklow mountains.

SWL

The Davestator wrote: »

It's not one location though. Swords boot camp has been hit hard a few times, as has Malahide boot camp. Not to mention car parks around Wicklow mountains.

Guards could do the same thing in Swords and Malahide, I know talk of a sting sounds a little Hollywood but the crime is easily solved

Shane O' Malley

The Davestator wrote: »

A little tip - make sure your Bluetooth is turned off if leaving your phone in the car. They use their own iPhone to pick up Bluetooth signals from other phones, so they know there is one in the car regardless of how well hidden it is.

Also - open up all compartments so they can see they are empty. (Glove box, centre console etc)

Very few phones have Bluetooth in Discoverable mode on their phone. They only put that on when connecting to new device. Cant find a phone that way unless the normal settings have been changed.

Holsten

Jesus... I've been running up there for months and always stupidly left stuff in my car... won't be doing that again! What pricks!

digger2d2

Garda Headquarters Phoenix Park and the knacks are robbing cars at will on the doorstep

The Davestator

Shane O' Malley wrote: »

Very few phones have Bluetooth in Discoverable mode on their phone. They only put that on when connecting to new device. Cant find a phone that way unless the normal settings have been changed.

Next time you're in the cinema, turn on your Bluetooth and see how many phones are visible!

dna_leri

The Davestator wrote: »

Next time you're in the cinema, turn on your Bluetooth and see how many phones are visible!

Then try and find them - not so easy!
Bluetooth or not, don't leave your phone in the car.