how much stuff have you had stolen?

[DaveBennett]

One that my school caretaker told me about, one of the other guys who works for the school as an electrician asked if he could borrow about 10 chairs for some personal event at his house or w/e. Caretaker said yeah fine, and got them out store cuboard and left them in a very small coridoor which links the main hall to the outside (fireexit). The outside bit can be accessed by walking down the side of the school past the back of the canteen and past the caretakers offices (this is part of the school property). Few days later caretaker asks the leccy, "Did you get them chairs?" and he replied "Yeah got them out the cuboard and took them home". Turns out, the ones he'd already got out and left had actually been stolen by someone who saw them when walking past!

 

Dave

[The Gaffa]

Here's one, happened today.

 

Had placed several sections of the Zipup in our small theatre, while going to get the base unit, only to find that someone had "borrowed" the sections, in the space of 10 minutes.

[adamharman]

Typical that it’s only ever the decent kit that goes walkies, and the Cr*p stuff you can just never lose!

 

Not always. I had a 6 quid electric drill (Do-It-All cheapy one. Very small and light, ideal for pilot holes, etc) stolen from a venue I used to work for. My £300 bosch sds was in it's case a few feet away and wasn't taken!

[lightsource]

I must say, I found it pretty hilarious the antics some criminals used to steal the kit mentioned above

 

Isn't that awful. Whilst the posts had elements of humour, People have had their equipment stolen, and in an ideal world, that's something that should never happen.

 

I always find it amusing the lack of quality in CCTV (I'm generalising here, not just commenting on some of the above...or is it below***? comments)... If you can't define a person or a reg plate in an image, then what's the point of installing CCTV in the first place.

 

As far as we go..... this year (the past 12 months) we've had 2x Shure SM58, 1x Shure PG56 and 1x Radio Mic (without the Transmitter or PSU) stolen.

 

The PG56 was still attached to the tom when it was swiped. One of the 58's went in the blink of an eye!

 

The only things we've gained this year are -

 

A korg guitar tuner (already got one)

3 Guitar stands (All my guitars have stands already)

Various Jack leads, most of which needed a repair (and we've got enough anyway)

1 16A-13A socket........Now that would have been useful last weekend.......if I'd thought of taking it to the gig!

 

 

Edit to add..

 

 

*** It was above

[The Gaffa]

Yesterday, 20m lead for the remote focus unit & a broken staple gun.

 

This happened while we had about 200 people in the building, from where an exhibition was being set up for them.

And yes not one of them saw anything.

 

The lead is fairly distinctive Red sheath, blue & purple marker tape, black Neutrik connectors.

[lightsource]

This happened while we had about 200 people in the building, from where an exhibition was being set up for them.

And yes not one of them saw anything.

 

Had an incident a few years ago, where a ghost (elderly gentleman) walked down the main walkway in the centre of a factory. Only 4 out of 150ish people witnessed it, though it was fully captured on CCTV.

 

Most of the operators were close to that walkway. Yet most saw nothing.

 

CCTv, Security, whatever, is only as good as the people operating it...and in most circunstances, p155 poor doesn't even come close.

[GreatBigHippy]

This thread has reminded me of an audio company I get a lot of studio kit from.

They had thier warehouse robbed, CCTV/alarms/locked the works. Loads of kit taken in a van.

 

One month later the warehouse was robbed again. This was after parking a skip of earth outside the doors they had crahed through in the previous robbery! This time they bought cutting kit and went through the shutters....

 

After that they had a rather funky system installed. Made by Martin apparntly it consists of a number of canisters in holders around the walls. When the alarm is set off the canisters release a very thick smoke, so thick you can't see your hand in front of your face (shades of "who left the hazer on during the interval!!" :unsure: ).

 

Since then, no problems! Except when they had a power cut and the alarms went off! Took 45 minutes to get everyone out! <_<

[rossmck]

After that they had a rather funky system installed. Made by Martin apparntly it consists of a number of canisters in holders around the walls. When the alarm is set off the canisters release a very thick smoke, so thick you can't see your hand in front of your face (shades of "who left the hazer on during the interval!!" ).

 

Smokecloak (at least that's one of the brand names for this system) ... there's a nice optional extra available for that system - two strobe lights slightly out of sync - completely disorientates any intruder - leaving them stuck in the building until the police get there in most cases. (you just have to hope it's not a photosensitive-epileptic intruder!)

 

The smoke leaves behind a hidden chemical tracer as well - so once you've been exposed, it can be detected on your skin and clothing for a good time after.

[Ike]

Am I the only one who thinks these systems are completely stupid?

 

What would happen if one accidentally activated during a fire, while live testing or working at height was taking place? 45 minutes to get the staff out? What if a fire had started in the mean time? The fire alarm would have been no use as presumably the smoke would have already activated it.

[rossmck]

Where I worked had one, it was only active (i.e. powered in any way shape or form) when the intruder alarm was armed, and the final exit switch had been pressed. Also, if the fire alarm was triggered, power to it would be cut (so in theory you could break in by setting fire to the place <_< and it wouldn't go off)

[themadhippy]

I'd rather have the south african version,no smoke just lots of flames

[TIM fighter]

When I worked for dear old Auntie a few years back they "lost" a sound desk from TC one day. Some blokes in brown coats walked in, unplugged it and carried it out! And to add insult to injury Ariel the in house newspaper carried an advert for 'used sound desk for sale, one careful owner' the following week!

[adamharman]

Since then, no problems!

 

Whoever's been doing the place over knows it's there then.....

[RoyF18]

The place I studied famously had a grand piano stolen by two guys who 'took it away for tuning' - not only did the security guys not question them, they unlocked the loading door for them and watched them take it....

But how much would you do? We regularly used to move kit between our union and arts centre, and various other venues, everything from various flightcases, to large amounts of video kit/computers etc sometimes even in shopping trolleys, and no-one ever batted an eyelid. I can imagine it being frustrating for us and security if they did question us each time.

 

Yeah but a Steinway concert grand worth more money than most houses in the UK? Also they told them they were taking it away for tuning and would bring it back when they were done; any fule no that moving a piano knocks it out of tune so it was a pretty cr@p explanation.

There were quite a few brass necked thefts there while I was there, perhaps the less said about that the better... :** laughs out loud **:

 

Edit - thefts not by me!

[TIM fighter]

When I worked for dear old Auntie a few years back they "lost" a sound desk from TC one day. Some blokes in brown coats walked in, unplugged it and carried it out! And to add insult to injury Ariel the in house newspaper carried an advert for 'used sound desk for sale, one careful owner' the following week!

 

edit also the commisionaires at BH stopped a neer do well who was wheeling a trolley mounted Studer B67 out and told him that "the ashtray that was sitting on the top was BBC property and please give it back"