An LPR success story

[DanDenver]

I enjoy your updates on this matter. Thanks.

 

[Dave88LX]

This was an interesting read. Looking forward to doing more research on how to set up LPC to start.

I've always wondered, with witness type things is there any fear of these guys coming after you for turning them in? Or is that also a pretty big crime?

Great work!!

 

[wtimothyholman]

This was an interesting read. Looking forward to doing more research on how to set up LPC to start.

I've always wondered, with witness type things is there any fear of these guys coming after you for turning them in? Or is that also a pretty big crime?

Great work!!

If I worried about criminals coming after me because of what my cameras recorded, I wouldn't have them. Why install cameras and report crimes to the police if you're afraid of the criminals? You might as well huddle in your home and hope no one kicks down your door one day. I think you'll find that most people on this site would agree with that sentiment.

Is it possible for the bad guys to come after me for reporting their crimes? Sure, but not likely. First of all, I live in a state where people have the right to defend themselves with deadly force. My wife has had law enforcement and military training, and isn't the least bit afraid to use a weapon. (I actually have the CCP, but I always joke that I would draw the weapon and hand it to her.) I'm not the type of victim who will just roll over.

Second, I'm not the witness. My cameras are. The police and the DA already have the video evidence. Intimidating me wouldn't change what was recorded one iota. I may testify to the court about my camera system and what it recorded, but the videos speak for themselves.

Third, the court system takes an extremely dim view of a perpetrator threatening or intimidating a witness. And how would they intimidate me? Come to my house at night? Send me a threatening letter? No sparrow can fall around my home without me recording every detail. And assuming they did, all that would do is make me that much more determined to testify.

Pardon me while I jump on a soapbox: Citizens should not fear criminals. Criminals should fear citizens. Okay, now I'm off the soapbox.

If you're going to install cameras, don't be afraid to use them. Otherwise, you're just wasting your money.

 

[djernie]

I'm catching up with you Tim, I have 17 cameras now. Each one serves a purpose. I only need three more. Will be adding them this year. Oh Yeah and I'll be waiting for any of these jerks to come to my house as i am locked and loaded.

 

[wittaj]

@wtimothyholman - any update on the court/trial and any update on trying the pulsating white light

 

[wtimothyholman]

@wtimothyholman - any update on the court/trial and any update on trying the pulsating white light

I am still waiting to hear back from the D.A. concerning the Grand Jury hearing.

As to the camera illumination, I think I will have some favorable results to show soon. I am still experimenting with lenses and LED power.

 

[Firefighter]

I know the original storey old but its nice to hear they cared enough to even view your video compared to some of the stories I hear.

 

[wittaj]

I am still waiting to hear back from the D.A. concerning the Grand Jury hearing.

As to the camera illumination, I think I will have some favorable results to show soon. I am still experimenting with lenses and LED power.

Any update on the court case or the illumination device?

 

[wtimothyholman]

Any update on the court case or the illumination device?

I expect to have an update on the illuminator very shortly. As to the court case, I was at a Community Advisory Meeting last night at the local police precinct. One of the guest speakers was an assistant district attorney, and she talked about the long delays in getting defendants to trial. I mentioned to her how long it had been since the preliminary hearing, and she said that it was not at all unusual given the case backlog from COVID.

However, one of the officers spoke to me after the meeting and gave me an update. In short, he said it may be several years before I see the catalytic converter thieves in court again, because they've got bigger problems. Apparently their arrests here in Nashville provided some valuable leads to police in other cities, and triggered an avalanche. They now have dozens of charges against them in Louisville, Bowling Green, and multiple other counties in Kentucky. Apparently they were very busy criminals, but all it took was one good LPR setup to bring a world of legal hurt down on their heads.

 

[Flintstone61]

Yay for LPR!

 

[wtimothyholman]

A final report on this crime: today the District Attorney's office allowed the two catalytic converter thieves to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of theft and vandalism. Both received a one-year suspended sentence, with restitution for my neighbor's out of pocket expenses.

My neighbor across the street is furious about this outcome. She is contacting her insurance company so that they will be aware of what happened, and perhaps pursue this further in civil court to recover their costs to replace her converter (twice!).

Overall, it's a disappointing but not unexpected outcome. It will at least make an interesting post on Nextdoor.

 

[wittaj]

A final report on this crime: today the District Attorney's office allowed the two catalytic converter thieves to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of theft and vandalism. Both received a one-year suspended sentence, with restitution for my neighbor's out of pocket expenses.

My neighbor across the street is furious about this outcome. She is contacting her insurance company so that they will be aware of what happened, and perhaps pursue this further in civil court to recover their costs to replace her converter (twice!).

Overall, it's a disappointing but not unexpected outcome. It will at least make an interesting post on Nextdoor.

Thanks for the update.

Unfortunately it was the outcome probably most of us expected.

Our system is so messed up that they can basically be free, and probably have been free for awhile, to continue their stealing ways.

 

[Flintstone61]

Bring back public execution for everything by guillotine and put it on all the fuckin social media channels that these losers post on.

 

[CCTVCam]

Thanks for the update.

Unfortunately it was the outcome probably most of us expected.

Our system is so messed up that they can basically be free, and probably have been free for awhile, to continue their stealing ways.

Same in UK, expecially in the shops. Shop assistants can't stop thieves for their own safety as many have been stabbed with knives or needles. Many companies will fire them if the do for breaching the safety policy. The Police won't prosecute under I think around $250 in value, so thieves literally walk in shops and take what they want. If an assistant speaks to them, they simply say you can't touch me and carry on!!

 

[wtimothyholman]

Thanks for the update.

Unfortunately it was the outcome probably most of us expected.

Our system is so messed up that they can basically be free, and probably have been free for awhile, to continue their stealing ways.

What is particularly frustrating is that that one of them was a convicted felon carrying a gun when they were arrested with my neighbor's catalytic converter. That should have resulted in a mandatory prison sentence. What happened instead was that the gun charge was dropped, and the felony burglary and theft charges downgraded to misdemeanors.

 

[samplenhold]

the gun charge was dropped

That pisses me off! That always happens, the liberal DAs drop the gun charges. But if it was a conservative holding some criminal at gunpoint, they would be charged. They piss and moan about 'gun crime' and needing more laws, but don't enforce the ones we have.

 

[wtimothyholman]

I contacted the Assistant DA who prosecuted the case to find out exactly why the gun charge was dropped, and why the felonies were reduced to misdemeanors. Here's what he told me:

(1) The "Felon in Possession of a Gun" charge was dropped because his felony charge in Kentucky was resolved as a misdemeanor. No felony, no charge. There was no choice in the matter.

(2) Despite being charged with felony burglary and vandalism, the charges against both thieves came out of the Grand Jury as misdemeanor theft and vandalism charges. They were not indicted for burglary because they did not enter the vehicle.

(3) They were placed on probation so that they can pay restitution of $1550 to the victim (my neighbor) for her insurance deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. According to the ADA, their probation will not end until they have paid her in full.

I then asked the ADA why the Grand Jury only returned misdemeanor indictments of theft and vandalism for one of the thefts, pointing out that they stole my neighbor's catalytic converter twice, several weeks apart. Evidence and testimony about both incidents were provided at the preliminary hearing. Why wasn't there a second set of indictments for the other theft? His reply: "I cannot speak to that. Grand Jury proceedings are secret and we are not privy to their deliberations. The police present their evidence and the grand jury returns indictments or declines to indict. We have representatives there to answer any legal questions that may arise, but they are not present during the deliberations. I do not want to attempt to speculate as to how or why they only returned indictments related to one theft, but I did take both thefts into account when resolving the case."

And that is that. Someone undoubtedly dropped the ball in dealing with the Grand Jury, but I'll never know who. It's a pretty unsatisfactory resolution, but it is better than nothing.

My neighbor is doing one other thing: she plans to contact her insurance company to see if they are interested in obtaining a civil judgement against the thieves for the replacement costs of both catalytic converters.