A Lesson to be learnt maybe

Guys and Gals
A mate of mine had his tackle stolen from a secure garage last week. Fortunately the police arrested a guy breaking into another house some miles away and in the back of the thiefs car was my mates tackle. The police obviously interview the culprit and when asked how he knew that my mates garage had fishing tackle inside. The thief said he saw a Warrington AA club sticker in the rear screen of his car parked in his drive way. A lucky escape for my mate. And an open invitation to the thief. Surely a lesson too maybe be learnt by us all.
Dave

you mean the police gave him his tackle back,they kept mine as evidence

The police still have his tackle and will keep it in case it is needed for evidence.
The guy is in court on Monday so hopefully my mate will be able to fish next weekend.
The point I was trying to make was would his garage have been broken into if he did not have the sticker in his car rear screen.

I had a 'Drennan team England' one until a workmate said he didn't know I was a fisherman until he saw 'A fishing sticker if some kind' in the back of my car. Got me to thinking just as you have suggested and may explain why all my gear went out of a locked concrete shed with steel door last February. (Smashed through the roof).

I have also thought the same when match fishermen have their names on their boxes or their jackets, throwing about expensive poles. Can't be too difficult for a theif to look up likely names in the phone book and pay you a visit.

All too easy these days, now the electoral roll etc can be accessed via the web.

They're more likely to check names in local paper fishing columns, angling weeklies.

Local papers have to be careful reporting things like retirements - thieves read Mr Jones retired after 50 years working at Floggitt and Blush and plans to go on a round the world cruise, guess what hge comes home to find three months later, for example...

One of the saddest things is that some tackle thieves are actually anglers. Sure some are just teenagers after £20 to buy smack, who'll unload your gear down the nearest second hand shop or car boot.

Others know there's a ready market for some types of kit, so they keep their eyes out for it.

Take the stickers out when you leave is the only answer, clubs issue stickers so that members can park on private land. Alternatively ask the clubs to start producing parking discs which can be displayed and removed more easily than a sticker.

All my club/parking stickers are adhered to card and then kept in the glove box until I park on club designated land where I need to display the pass.

I know a couple of crime prevention guys, I'll ask them for some security stuff and do it up in an article.

Shed breaks are one of the commonest crimes in some areas. People spend hundreds on quid on a mountain bike or fishing gear, then leave it in a rickety old shed with a two-quid padlock.

Darryl speak to whoever is dealing with the case , remind him or her of the wonder of photographs and insist on your kit back.You will just have to promise to keep it until the case is dealt with , which you would do.

Chris mentions the second hand market.

I've seen two adverts for angling shops in Sheffield where they both say they buy second hand tackle. Only one, however, says "I.D with photo required". It might help if all dealers insisted on I.D although I accept that this would not stop the trading in stolen tackle at car boot sales.