Vacuum dirt keeps getting robbed

[HighOctane]

Wondering if anyone had a solution to a problem I’ve been having. Some druggie keeps coming onto our property and cutting open the vacuum clean out doors to root through the trash and look for loose change. He’s hit us 9 times in the last 3 weeks. I welded on some L- shaped pieces of steel to secure the bottom door but he just cut the locks on the top door and went through the bags. He didn’t seem to like this extra security and he took a knife to all of our filter bags; sliced them up beyond repair. I clean the vacs daily now but that doesn’t seem to deter him - were usually pretty busy so there’s enough trash that accumulates between the time I clean in the morning and when he hits us at night. I’m going to weld the top in the same configuration but I’m worried about him prying the hinges. Anyone have an idea of how to protect the hinges? I’ve attached a picture of what I’ve done on the bottom / am going to do on the top.

 

[Burky]

Put up some cameras and call the cops. Vandalism and theft. The people that rob car washes are the same people that are committing all the other crime.

 

[CarWashBoy]

Cameras !!

 

[HighOctane]

Put up some cameras and call the cops. Vandalism and theft. The people that rob car washes are the same people that are committing all the other crime.

Yep we’ve got cameras and have contacted the police - nothing they can do

 

[Carwashking]

Do you live in a blue state?

 

[HighOctane]

Unfortunately yes; I’m in Denver

 

[MEP001]

I locked mine up tight and it stopped them. You're probably going to have to catch this one guy and have him trespassed. They've decriminalized everything here, it's a misdemeanor (criminal mischief) even breaking into the coin boxes. Ten years ago it was a felony if they got so much money or caused so much damage, not anymore. Your only other viable option is to leave them unlocked and empty them every evening. They may never stop messing with them.

 

[OurTown]

Put snakes in there, a loud siren and a really bright strobe light. You'll only need this setup for one night. Make sure you have good surveillance cameras. Post the video here for our entertainment.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Years ago (15) I had the same problem.
I bought extra doors so that I could take off the bent doors
and broken locks.
Only by mistake I forgot to lock up the extra doors that I installed so that I could fix the bent ones.
The next day all the vacs doors were open and the vac trash was on the driveway.
I was mad I forgot to lock the doors at first but by the time I clean up the crap around the vacs I realized the doors weren’t bent or broken and the vac was cleaned out.
After several weeks leaving it that way I decide to leave in unlocked.
All I use now is a paper clip wrapped around trash door lock.
Paper clips are cheap. Every day I find a couple at the wash.
No more bent or broken door or locks.

 

[MEP001]

I went through 2000 zip ties in a year trying not to lock the doors. Homeless would go through them multiple times throughout the day, and of course would rarely ever latch the doors. One day I watched on video three different people within five minutes go through the vac trash. I was making almost nothing on the vacs. If you're going to secure them, secure the hell out of them.

 

[Carwashking]

I had the Dallas Police trailer camera security on my lot and that didn’t detour them. When my employee notice the white truck with fake paper plates on my lot during lunch time I called the detective and told him he was at my wash. He told me to call 911. The substation is one mile away. They did show up but allowed the illegal alien go with out any punishment. Maybe 50 locks destroyed. Had another guy Knightley cutting my locks off and I was watching him on my camera system. I activated the alarm system remotely and I have never seen him again.

 

[Carwashking]

POS

 

[Bigmatthew86]

Maybe go sit up there one night & wait for him. Let him know you don’t appreciate it in person.

 

[MEP001]

Maybe go sit up there one night & wait for him. Let him know you don’t appreciate it in person.

Don't do that without a way to protect yourself. Most of these people are mentally unbalanced and completely unreasonable.

 

[Bigmatthew86]

Absolutely

 

[traveler17]

POS

Looks like another fine upstanding citizen

 

[CheetahExpress]

We had a similar incident and bought a metal shroud from GinSan that fits over both locks of the top and bottom compartments. Haven't had a problem since.

 

[Dan kamsickas]

I can't guarantee that will fit the JE Adams vac the original poster has.

 

[CheetahExpress]

Probably not, but he might check with the manufacturer of his to see whether there's a similar product.

 

[Randy]

We had a similar incident and bought a metal shroud from GinSan that fits over both locks of the top and bottom compartments. Haven't had a problem since.
View attachment 8408

I hate to tell you this but those lock shrouds don’t stop anyone. If they want to get inside they’ll pry them open with a flat bar pry bar, been there and done that. They look nice is about all. We’ve given up trying to secure the lower clean doors after they started prying open the clean out doors on the hinge side, now that really messes up a vacuum. Now we just use a couple cable ties on the latches so they don't mess up the vac's anymore than they are already messed.