Second time in just a few months...

[AmBraCol]

Had a call from the alarm company... this time multiple sensors went off, indicating it wasn´t just a lizard or other creepy crawly setting off the system. Sure enough, when I got to the church meeting place there was a hole in the roof and marks along the wall. The miscreant learned from last time. Last time he went down from the stub of a wall to the ground and the alarm went off immediately. This time he walked along the rollup door system to the partial wall around the sound room, hopped onto the desk and THEN the alarm went off. This time the cameras caught him, but not very clearly. Last time he grabbed the camera system TV off the wall and ran. This time he grabbed my personal electric guitar and skedaddled, but we got a lot of his actions inside the hall which showed he knew his way around this time. He even turned the light on in the mens' room to give a bit of illumination. In and out in about 5 minutes, not counting the time on the roof to rip a hole through the fiber/cement tiles. To add a bit to my disgust - I'd just put a nice set of new strings on it and had it set up for a nice sound. If he'd grabbed it LAST week it'd have had the old strings on it. There's a reason so many businesses in the area have concertina wire around the roof.

[Lassiter]

I hate thieves

[Ysabel Kid]

I hate thieves

+ infinity.

And a thief that would break into a church? Unreal...

[Walt]

Very sorry to hear it, Paul. It's terrible to doubt the feeling of sanctity of your own space.

[Griff]

I hate thieves

+2. Thankfully no one was hurt... It's just stuff.

[Bill in Oregon]

So sorry Paul. Concertina wire is such an ugly answer to an ugly problem. As Walt said, it's that violation of your space that lingers in the mind ...

[AmBraCol]

I hate thieves

+2. Thankfully no one was hurt... It's just stuff.

That is it, exactly. We don´t build with bricks and stone, nor with guitars and electronics. I'm saddened for the kid who's doing this. He clearly thinks he's clever, but has set his feet on a path of destruction. If he hits the wrong establishment, his days will be shortened, to say the least. Thieves cause more harm than any "good" they might receive, and not the least of the harm caused is to themselves. Years ago a thief stole a hub cap from a unique set of alloy wheels a friend had on his vehicle. He went looking for the kid, found him in the hospital. He'd also stolen a mirror from another vehicle - and the owner of that vehicle worked him over.

As you said - it's only stuff. We pray for the young man, but also look for ways to help him not have further "success" in his miscreant ways.

[Paladin]

I hate thieves

Correct, the only thing I agree with the muslims on "Cut off their hands"

[AmBraCol]

Just got back from having the hole in the roof repaired. Roofing here is different from what y'all see up there. Corrugated fiber/cement tiles affixed to steel cross pieces is the way it's put up. Usually it's held in place with wire ties. Fairly easy for someone to break in that way. So we've got them held down with self tapping screws through the tiles and into the cross members. We also put a heavy bead of adhesive between the top tile and where it overlaps the one below it. And we put the old, busted tiles on top so if he comes back he'll have to work harder and make more noise. Now to cogitate on other counter measures. I'm leaning towards a steel mesh of 1/4" reinforcing bars usually used in concrete pads. Welding some of those to the underside of the roof structure would keep him out, but doesn´t keep him from breaking, just from entering. And it all takes money so we'll have to see what can be done within the limited budget. Such is life! If I knew when he'd be back I'd just wait there with a paintball gun.

[Ysabel Kid]

I hate thieves

Correct, the only thing I agree with the muslims on "Cut off their hands"

+1