Need ideas to deter vandalism

[Planman1954]

Hi all.

I hope everyone had a good weekend. My wife and I had an interesting one. After working off and on through the last month or so on a circular small picket fence at our driveway entrance (me constructing, and my wife painstacking painting base coats and marine varnish on each little picket for 2 days), some fruitcake took the time to take perfect aim for it with his vehicle to smush it to pieces.

Here's a couple of before pictures that I happened to take right after it was finished about a month ago before it was painted and the flower beds put in:







Here's what they looked like Saturday morning when we discoved we'd been vandalised:








My wife put a note on the damaged fence: "Somebody Needs Counseling."

So, here's where you guys come in. I plan on rebuilding the damaged sections later this week. I'm letting the damaged fence remain for a few days so that folks passing by might spark conversation leading to a culprit. But I digress....Anyway, later this week, I'll start to rebuild it. I'm afraid though, as soon as it's back up, the varmit will attack again with his vehicle. So, here's the question:
Any bright ideas to deter/damage any vehicle riding over the new fence? I've pondered exploding paint balls, steel pipe w/concrete behind the fence, Nails sticking in boards facing up (too dangerous for grandkids), etc.... I need help, so that when they hit, they won't be happy with what they've done to THEMSELVES. Vengence...Justice...., not really. I just don't want all the hard work ruined again.

[Jeff]

That really sucks. I think I would be to mad to even type yet. I think I would put some sort of sudden tire deflation system in there.  Around here you have to be careful about putting in any immovable objects as the law is on the perps side should they get hurt.

[doctorb]

I think that I would use some concrete posts instead of wood, painted just like the fence, so that there would be some damage to the car when it went astray.  I don't think that you'd be found liable for any damage.  Concrete posts are used for split rail fencing around here, though not very commonly.  You could pour the concrete into a mold, with the appropriate fittings to make attachment of the horizontal wood pieces quite easy. Another idea would be to use a very heavy concrete planter at each end.  Might look nice and it would definitely do some damage should they try to vandalize it again.  Finally, lots of people use very large rocks in their gardening as well as to prevent cars from driving across their lawns and property.  Place one on each side, just inside or outside the rebuilt fence.  Put a few bushes around it to hide it some, then go home and wait for the loud bang!

Are you sure this was on purpose??  Could it have been a drunk driver out of control?  Any tire tracks to help you identify these kids?

Like Jeff, I would be spitting nails about now.  doctorb

[Planman1954]

Man...right off the bat...perfect idea. I know where some really large rocks are down the road. And YES. It was on purpose. They took their time to take direct aim at one side...lined the car up by backing up a bit to get direct aim at the opposite side. They spun their tires in one area so that they could hit it just right. Thanks for the ideas.

[sandhills]

Have to agree with Jeff, wouldn't be able to type yet, but because you couldn't pry the gun out of my hands.  Try this if you have any in your neighborhood.  Get a section from an old well used drag harrow, flip it over so the teeth are pointing up (if it's old and well used they're razor sharp) and lay it under the fence before you rebuild.  They will flatten all 4 tires immediately. Just let anyone you know that you want driving on your new fence that it's there. ;)  

[Tom]

Yep!  That's vandalism.  It's not far afield from having your mailbox smashed.

Putting damaging stuff in the fence might only put you at fault.  I've thought of traps on my mailbox but know I would have trouble living with having hurt someone.

The one time there was justice done on my place, I wasn't the one who caused it.  The car that was running over mailboxes didn't take into account that there was a culvert under the road at the same place as the culvert under my driveway and the resulting intersection created a deep hole that the county maintained.  The car,apparently, went into the hole with the right front tire and smashed into the end of my culvert.  When I saw it the next morning, the car was gone, but there were cigarette butts (emptied ash tray), a little glass (headlight), and numerous pieces of litter from inside of an unkempt car.  It was obvious that it had rolled up on its side and dumped a lot of stuff out of the windows.

They got my mailbox, but this one cost them.  :D

My most favorite dream has to do with a camera.  I would like to install a camera or two in weather-proof boxes and then arrange some kind of trigger on the fence or mailbox that would set it (them) off.   Lights, for illumination, could be mounted away from the cameras so as not to give away the camera location.   I've not done it because it would be too expensive for my pocket, but I sure dream of it.  :P ;D

The chances are good that the person who did this doesn't even live in your neighborhood.

[sandhills]

Tom, my nephew bought a game camera late this summer that is triggered by motion and also can take night pictures.  The nice thing is it switches to video (not sure how but think it has to do with movement not stopping in a certain time frame) and it not only works well but I think it was rather inexpensive.  If you want I can check on it then you just have to figure out where to mount it so it gets the licence plate in the pictures ;)

[doctorb]

I don't think the camera will work without a lot of effort on your part.  Trail cams can take pictures at night, but you'd have to go through a ton of pics and batteries.  It  might be worth it, just deleting the memory card every week or so.  If these guys knew you had a camera, even if it was locked, it would be gone.  While prices for them have come down in recent years, they still can be pricey.

I don't think that landscaping with rocks can be considered harmful to people.  They are, by themselves, harmless.  Unless you put them in a position to endanger the general public, not just these whack-jobs, I think you are fine.  Doctorb.

[Texas Ranger]

In Texas we have a lot of used 3 and 4 inch drill stem, hollow stuff.  Use them for posts, and then fill with concrete, of course they are set in concrete as well.  Used to be a sport around here to take a baseball bat to mail boxes, till folks started building them out of sheet steel, with drill stem and concrete posts.  One dude showed up at the hospital with a broken wrist, and was told off on by his buddies.

Justice can be sweet, as long as no liability is attached.

[Kcwoodbutcher]

I made a mailbox out of 6" pipe  and a couple of pieces of angle iron. Looks just like the real thing. It's welded to a sch 80 post set in concrete. Over the years there have been splinters on the ground many times indicating someone got a big surprise. I could even see where it's stopped a bullet or two.  The mailman loves it.

[beenthere]

For us in snow country, there are laws that anything in the ROW can't be too solid. Not that stops everyone from putting out some pretty hefty posts and things to protect their property. 

[ely]

hollowpoints are the first thing that comes to mind..... or was it fmj? >:(

[Holmes]

A few boulders 18" to 20" high  should be fine to hold your new fence in place.

[D._Frederick]

It looks like you would have room to dig a ditch in front of the fence and cover it with some 1/4inch plywood strips. Hide it with an inch or two of bark dust. They will need help getting out. 

[Ironwood]

How about spring loaded fence made of steel, would trip over and pop back up, would likely REALLY tick them off, and would look just the same 8) : Each section could automatically trip over. Would be fun!!! Might even get their car stuck on it as well, possibly ripping the bumper/ cowling up :D

Ironwood

[celliott]

My grandfather made a mailbox out of a spruce log with a large burl in it. He carved out the burl and put the box in there. it hasnt been knocked down yet!

[pineywoods]

Bet it was the same low lifes who stole my driveway lights. You need a driveway cam, stop by and I'll show you how...

[Planman1954]

Thanks everybody. Keep um coming...I'm taking notes. 10-4 piney.

[paul case]

if youns catch them see if they happen to have my 2 chainsaws and 3/4'' socket set and magic's torch cart.  we all get to put up with some of those kinda folks now and then.
my advise is to build it back and put up a sign. not that theives and vandalls can read but you may feel better!  pc

[doctorb]

I don't want to change your mind about rebuilding, because you did a really nice job and obviously put a lot of thought and work into it.  Having it taken from you will only steel you further to return it to what you wanted in the first place.

But...every time I do a nice project with fencing, it takes me more time to mow and trim around it.  Why not extend the bed to where the fence was placed and put a row of ornamental grasses.  They serve the same visual purpose as the fence, take minimal effort on your part, you can mow right up to them, which decreases your work, and they look great.  I am not a landscape architect, but I think it would have the same effect you created with the fence.  It's unlikely your vandals will get much pleasure mowing down some tassled grass.  Just a thought.  Doctorb

[terrifictimbersllc]

Too bad, sorry for your loss.   Is it possible it was an accident?  Did you find the tread...was it a truck?   This would have damaged a vehicle somewhat I think.  You might be able to spot your paint or some splinters on the likely suspect.

[Woodwalker]

Rebuild it, paint it and leave a couple gallons of cheap paint setting on the top rail behind the pickets. With any luck, the next time they run over the fence, it will be with enough force to send the cans airborne and knock the lids off the paint cans and deposit some evidence on the vehicle.  
My folks had a mail box that had been mounted on a piece of drill stem, which in turn was welded to an old truck rim which was buried just below ground line. One Christmas morning (of all times) some guys decided to run over mail boxes along our road. Big old truck with a cow catching bumper, everything was going fine for them they till they hit Dad's box at about 35MPH. Mailbox laid over, buried truck rim flipped up and caused quite a bit of damage  to the under carriage and brake lines of the truck. Postal Carrier got in the act, think there was 6-8 boxes damaged by these guys, charges got filed.
I'm not much for shooting some misguided soul over something like this, but there is a lot be to said for a good old fashion a$$ whupping.

[ely]

i wouldnt shoot an individual over a vandalism like this but i would without hesatation make certain they did not drive that mode of transportation any longer.

[David Freed]

The steel pipe on a truck rim sounds to me like the best chance of disabling a vehicle with the least chance of injury to vehicle occupants or pedestrians.

[Coon]

I vote for putting up an infrared game cam.  For mine I have an external 12 volt battery that the camera runs off of and in any case the battery gets disconnected the 4 "C or D" batteries (can't remember which) automatically take over.  Just last week when I checked my memory card I caught a perp red handed on video with some stuff that he had taken.  I put the video from the memory card onto a dvd and took it to the police and gave them a statement.  The police came to my place and looked at my system and where I had it stationed.  The lone guy has been charged and been caught with other stolen property  as well.  The key to the camera setup is to put it where it will be undetected by vandals.  I put mine up on the side of my purple martin condo unit which is on a tall steel pole.  The pole has a hinge system that I lock with a padlock.  I have the camera taken down right now for deer season but will be going back up shortly there after.  I need to invest in a few more of these systems to rent out.  I keep getting asked if I could put it up in such and such a place and catch vandals and thieves.   :

  When I bought my game cam system the place that I bought it from sold it to me with a written bill of sale as a security system so I could write it off for tax and insurance purposes.  It really helps to know people.  ;)  ;D

Brad.