What would you do?

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Gulf Coast States

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Joined
    Oct 18, 2013
    Messages
    1,123
    Points
    83
    Location
    Heron Bay, Al
    This afternoon, my wife and I both got off work early. We sat outside with our 16 month old to wait on the older two to arrive home from school.
    Anyways, as we sat their swinging the baby my wife said “what’s this?”
    I looked up and their is a car driving by, trying to be discreet but still taking photos of us. Here he is, you can clearly see the flash.
    335a21588618a9290ca4933046320d5f.jpg

    My thoughts immediately jump to scoping out for a theft, or worse yet child abduction. It’s obvious that children live here with trampolines, play sets, bikes, etc.
    I’ve called and talked to the county sheriff, alerted my neighbors, Facebook, but damn, not sure I’ll sleep tonight.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    Last edited:

    donr101395

    Master
    Super Moderator
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Jan 26, 2013
    Messages
    2,984
    Points
    83
    Location
    Crestview
    I'd do exactly what you already did. Not much else you can do except maybe install security cameras if you haven't already. There are some great wireless systems out their now. My favorite is the Blink XT line from Amazon. You can run 10 cams on a hub and battery life is good. I get 4 months on my less busy cameras and 6-8 weeks on the high traffic areas at the front and back doors. I leave them on 24/7, but you can turn them on and off from the app as well as go live with them at any time and have them feed you clips to your phone when activated.
     

    Snake-Eyes

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Joined
    Jun 22, 2013
    Messages
    3,416
    Points
    113
    Location
    Florida
    Keep vigilant. If they step foot on your property, take their picture with one of these:

    IMG_4103.JPG

    Life's too short and kids are too precious to give a creep a second chance...
     

    Attachments

    • IMG_4103.JPG
      IMG_4103.JPG
      37 KB · Views: 220

    FrommerStop

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Apr 7, 2016
    Messages
    6,897
    Points
    113
    Location
    NWFL
    I would wonder if they were investigators, real estate or insurance people. Not much reason for a thief or child molester to take pictures. Looks like it could be a pretty good car that if new would be costly. Of course if it was stolen that would be something else. In a Pace, FL neighborhood not far from me punks out of pensacola made a raid in stolen vehicles at 5 AM and fired at people that tried to follow them. Juvenile gang members are becoming very bold and do not care. They robbed one fellow waiting for an Uber. So anything is possible.
    As Donr said you (Legally) can not do much more that what was done. If they are in their car and staying on the road you can not legally display a weapon.
     

    stage20

    Master
    GCGF Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    88   0   0
    Joined
    Jun 30, 2018
    Messages
    8,081
    Points
    113
    Location
    pensacola
    How long have you lived there? Felon live there before? Could be dea or atf.
    insurance company? They've been known to swing by randomly. If you have steps without handrail he may have taken a picture and will send you a notice.
    I freak out too. It's probably nothing.
     
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Joined
    Oct 18, 2013
    Messages
    1,123
    Points
    83
    Location
    Heron Bay, Al
    I bought the house from my grandfather 15years ago, I’ve lived in the neighborhood all my life though. I guess it could’ve been an investigator with a wrong address, I told the deputy that would the best scenario I could think of. Only insurance I carry is fire. It looked like an old police cruiser like those the police auction off.
    I may be overreacting, but at the time my gut told me something was off. Just one of those times that reminded me to always be aware.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    Snake-Eyes

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Joined
    Jun 22, 2013
    Messages
    3,416
    Points
    113
    Location
    Florida
    ALWAYS trust those instincts. You did what you could, and then some. You shared the incident with others and raised awareness. I would just add it to the list of things that "adults should be aware of" in society. It's not worth losing sleep over. It IS worth spending a few minutes contemplating what-ifs and seeing if there's anything you can reasonably prepare for.

    -You already lock your deadbolts at night, right?
    -Your windows stay locked, right?
    -Your garage door is down/secured when you aren't outside, right?
    -If it's a two-story house, you don't leave ladders lying around outside, right?
    -Motion-sensors on exterior floodlights?
    -Security system installed? If not, there are some DIY systems. Sometimes, the yard sign and window stickers are enough deterrent to a lazy criminal.
    -Well-lit areas from the car to the main entrance when you come home at night?
    -When you approach your house at night, you scan it with your headlights before exiting your locked vehicle? (takes all of 2-seconds while you drive up)
    -You carry a gun as much as possible, right?
    -Your wife carries, too, and if not, she is at least familiar with how to operate the weapons you have in the home, right?
    -You two have discussed various worst-case scenarios and agreed on realistic decisions based-on contemplative thought and sound judgment NOW, while you Aren't overcome with shock/surprise/adrenaline? (these don't need to be dwelled upon 24/7; it's more like an school firedrill kinda thing, but for adults)
    -You have a fire/theft-resistant safe for valuables, and it stays locked when not in immediate use, right?
    -You lock the doors of your vehicles in the driveway and don't leave valuable items/documents in plain sight, right?
    -Away from home, you walk head up and aware of your surroundings, right?
    -In public parking lots, your gun hand is free, or can quickly be, when walking to/from your car, right?
    -You lock the car doors after you get in and don't wait for the car to do it for you when you put in gear, right?
    -You leave room between you and the car in front you at a light, so you could go around, or at least lurch forward quickly, if necessary?

    Some of these things may seem "too much" for some folks. To me, it's normal precautions that don't cost me much, if any, time, and they make me and my wife feel better, and make us harder targets for the random acts of evil out there.

    Another habit: I don't walk out the front door with my hands full. Primary gun hand is either empty or carrying something I can drop easily or throw easily as a distraction. I scan the immediate area as I open the door and step outside. Natural habit now. Takes zero extra time, unless I have a bunch of stuff to carry to the car, then it may cost me one extra trip. I've avoided being surprised on multiple occasions: by a coyote, a raccoon, and a few rabbits. Luckily no two-legged threats. Since I've had various black bears literally walking on my porch past my front door (the videos are cool), I have a "socially acceptable" reason for my vigilance, but even if I had zero wildlife, I'd do and recommend the same for everyone. Maybe it's a by-product of the military. We always kept our right hand free when walking outside, or able to shift the carried item to the left hand, to be able to salute. Translates well to civilian circumstances with concealed carry.

    A small child should be treated like top-secret documents:
    -always monitored or secured.
    -deliberate transfer of responsibility to another responsible person.
    -protect it from possible theft, especially while traveling in public.
    -treat with caution any stranger that approaches it

    Your concerns are valid.

    Was the photographer alone in the vehicle?
    Was he driving/moving while taking pictures, or did he stop the vehicle momentarily first?
    Did it look like a "real" camera (lens body, etc), or was it a phone?
    Was it dark enough outside to need a flash?

    The flash is what caught my attention. A "professional" photographer (real estate documentation, private detective, insurance appraisal, etc) would probably know that a built-in camera flash is only good for a short distance. Worthless across a lawn, unless you just want highlighted reflection from taillights on a parked vehicle. Even an attached strobe "flash" with a diffuser, won't do much from inside a car across the street. Besides, any above-board purpose for the photos would involve stopping the vehicle, and probably exiting it, and even talking with you. That leaves private detectives, inappropriate strangers, or criminals.

    If the person was taking multiple pictures with the flash going off each time, then it was probably a phone, with the settings on auto, and the driver was unaware of the flash because it was out the window. This tells me he is not a professional, or careful.

    If you, your family, and your home are hard targets, those type of people will move on to an easier score.

    Stay vigilant. Be prepared. Then stop worrying. Who knows, it might've been someone who thought "aww, look at that slice of American freedom: mom, dad, and toddler enjoying the afternoon with a toddler. I'm gonna take a quick picture to show my ____ when I get home."

    And if it wasn't, you now have a plan. :)
     

    FrankT

    6.8 SPCII Hog Slayer
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Joined
    Sep 26, 2012
    Messages
    17,360
    Points
    113
    Location
    Crestview/Hwy 90E/Shoal River
    Always carry, looks like a government car to me, you did the right thing...Install a camera! I use game cams around the house
     

    rviray

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Joined
    Dec 20, 2014
    Messages
    895
    Points
    63
    Location
    PCola,United States
    Did a deputy get back with you on this? I would have assumed that a deputy would swing by...if not follow up with them, so it is really documented. It does look like a government car, did you get a look at the license plate? I actually have security camera's up and running at the house, now I am looking at setting up motion sensor lights for the driveway.
     

    FrommerStop

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Apr 7, 2016
    Messages
    6,897
    Points
    113
    Location
    NWFL
    Did a deputy get back with you on this? I would have assumed that a deputy would swing by...if not follow up with them, so it is really documented. It does look like a government car, did you get a look at the license plate? I actually have security camera's up and running at the house, now I am looking at setting up motion sensor lights for the driveway.
    I been trying figure out how to get a camera setup to get plate numbers on passing cars.
     

    rviray

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Joined
    Dec 20, 2014
    Messages
    895
    Points
    63
    Location
    PCola,United States
    My cameras are set up to detect motion when someone approaches the house, driveway or backyard. The cameras I have aren't good enough to get the license plate from vehicles from the street. I have my cameras in a place where I can see vehicles coming and going, unfortunately the quality of the cameras aren't good enough to get license plates from vehicles in the street. I want to eventually upgrade, but right now it is good enough to get make, model, color and see any distinctive marks or stickers.
     
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Joined
    Oct 18, 2013
    Messages
    1,123
    Points
    83
    Location
    Heron Bay, Al
    Thanks guys, a deputy did come out, since they were on public property nothing really illegal, I knew that before I called but wanted it on record. He mentioned it could’ve been a detective that got a wrong address, but he said to watch out and if I see them again to call. It looked like a phone. I have cameras but like Rviray there not good enough to read a plate from a passing car.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    Top Bottom