Camping and Crime

[John Joseph]

This has been weighing on my mind. I know some rangers who have told me that Yosemite Valley in the Summer has a population of a large municipality and the criminal activity to match.
But that never bothered me much, what does concern me is beach front campgrounds on the coast. In California many of these are in close proximity to larger cities which nearly all have sizeable homeless encampments. These are often governed by bad players. In Los Angeles there have even been homeless encampments set up on popular beaches and tourists have suffered the consequences.
To me, this doesn't sound at all recreational.
Are there any on-line resources that would provide a clue as to the safety status of campgrounds on the coast?

[toedtoes]

You can contact California State Parks and ask them about their campgrounds. They are the ones providing law enforcement.

Honestly, there are a lot of homeless in my area. Homeless camps plus folks living in their cars and RVs. Reading next door posts and such, I have found that most crimes are committed by non-homeless. The homeless usually will pick something up that is left on a porch and checking to see if doors are locked. But the non-homeless are actively breaking into homes and vehicles and climbing over fences, etc.

As for minimizing your risk while camping, here are a few ideas:

1. Don't leave anything you aren't willing to have stolen out. If you need your generator, lock it to a tree, etc. Solar panels? Put them on top of your camper or inside your vehicle at night.

2. Motion activated lights do not deter thieves. Thieves know that the majority of people will ignore the lights, so it becomes a calculated risk to keep going until someone comes outside. If you use motion activated lights, etc, the key is to get up and check if they go off. If a thief knows you are alert and actively checking then they will go elsewhere.

Motion activated lights and cameras are simply to alert you that something is there. You still need to get up immediately and follow up. If you see someone in your campsite in the middle of the night, scream at them to get out of your site. Don't worry that you woke your neighbors - your screaming will run that thief off so they don't steal from your neighbors.

[Happy Joe]

It is getting to the point (too civilized) where I am usually armed while camping and usually try to camp with a group of (I assume, armed) friends.
I only camp offroad, usually in places that need 4wd to get to.
I used to carry bear spray with dye most times while camping... never felt the need to get it out for the bears.

A friend (who is also a grandmother) foiled an incursion by a couple of guys in a pickup who entered the apparently unpopulated camp, when she exited the tent to see who had driven up, holding her .357 at her side.. the guys made a hasty excuse about looking for jumper cables and left.

It used to be that most people had a sense of right and wrong and paid attention to it.. unfortunately this is becoming less and less common as more and more children are raised with the television or internet as their baby sitter (no/minimal/capable parental influence).

We need to support the local district attorneys who enforce laws and warehouse criminal in prison where they only can do damage/prey on other criminals, IMO... catch and release for criminals doesn't work; obviously.

I don't go into national parks/monuments any more because of the higher crime rates (obviously people there have money and stuff to steal).

I do chain the more expensive portables/stealables to trees.
I am considering getting a game cam after my cooler was overturned last summer... no automatic lights/alarms/electric fences for me...yet.
A dog is a very good idea.

I don't go into national parks/monuments any more because of the higher crime rates (obviously people there have money and stuff to steal.

Enjoy!

[toedtoes]

I don't see it as a "generational" problem. People of all age groups steal. Watching Ring videos, I have seen folks from kids to seniors stealing.

Theft is big right now because 1) the economy sucks, 2) online shopping has created an easy target (deliveries), and 3) there is a lot of hatred and self righteousness in the world right now so folks are feeling entitled to treat each other like crap and take what they want.

I haven't heard or seen signs that National Parks are getting a ton of thefts. Other than the fact that there is an increase in people camping so therefore there is an increase in scum camping, I don't think it is much different ratio-wise.

I do think that campgrounds close to urban areas are more likely to be problems, but that has always been the case. Here in California, foothill reservoir campgrounds have always had issues during summer when they get crowded. Easy solution, avoid them in peak season.

In reality, you are more likely to have your home burglarized while you are camping than have your campsite burglarized.

[Happy Joe]

I agree people that have little self respect or respect for others (scum) will steal; a farther, decline in personal responsibility started, as best I can determine in the 1960s.

I refuse to help justify/enable the immoral/illegal acts of others by making or accepting excuses... As long as they can get away with crime by making excuses they will not learn.

I can more easily secure my habitation than I can my camp... A steel security door will be installed on the garage side entrance this year; every year my domicile becomes tougher to crack; the object is to make it enough trouble that they will go elsewhere. If they really want in they will get in. Cameras are scheduled for this summer.

Enjoy!

[toedtoes]

It's only been this bad for a few years. The 00s, 90s, 80s, 70s and 60s weren't any worse than before the 1960s. The only difference was more people, but the ratio was similar.

It's not excuses for them, it's simply understanding the underlying cause. Right now, there aren't enough prisons to hold them all because it's an epidemic. We can keep inprisoning them, but it won't stop. We have to deal with the underlying causes to reduce the number of people making the choice to steal in the first place.

I thought it was easier to secure my home. Until my Death Valley trip. Come to find out, if you're not around to stop them, they have the time to get in your house... Especially if you are somewhere without cell service so police can't reach you. I now leave the campground's phone number and my campsite with my neighbors along with a statement that says who has a right to be on my property and what vehicles are to be on my property. That way the police have necessary information to do something - without that info, all a criminal has to do is say "I'm a friend" and the police can't do anything but shoo, until they verify with you.

I have cameras. They don't deter criminals. Heck, thieves go around and steal the cameras. What they do is provide you with a delayed view of what's going on outside without having to get up. The best thing they offer is a speaker and microphone, so you can shoo away a tresspasser without opening your door. For the wandering homeless and opportunistic thieves, that works.

With package theft, there are two easy deterrents:

1. Put up a small hedge/border/fence around your porch so folks can't see packages from the street; and
2. Bring in the package when it arrives. If you aren't at home, ask a neighbor to bring it inside for you.

[Happy Joe]

Glad that I stopped before I got to california, things sound much worse there than here.
I do feel (kind of) for those without monitored alarm systems, though... its their choice.
My packages get mis-delivered more often than stolen.

Enjoy!

[toedtoes]

In 57 years, my dad was burglarized by neighbor kids while he was gone once and I was burglarized by people who live several blocks away while I was gone once. In neither instance, was it due to homeless, etc. The only other person I know who was burglarized was a friend's parents - their summer home was burglarized during the winter.

In fact, once I accidentally left my motorhome door unlocked. A homeless person crashed out in it overnight, left me a note explaining why, ate a bag of chips and drank a couple sodas and traded my cheap (under $20) combat boots for her worn out slippers. She left the telescope and all my camera gear alone. While she shouldn't have done so at all, I'll take her over neighbor teenage boys who vandalize and steal out of boredom.

California gets a lot of attention for being crime ridden, but the truth is it's all political nonsense. We aren't any worse than anywhere else. We have a higher homeless rate simply because it's easier to be homeless in our climate - we don't get the extreme cold or the humidity, so living outdoors is mostly comfortable.

I do have an alarm system now. Locking the barn door sort of thing.

[John Joseph]

The reason why I mention the homeless is that in the larger encampments in my town there is usually a group of thugs who take charge, controlling the drugs, theft, vandalism and human trafficking. Somebody controls the bolt cutters used to access freeway easements. Many homeless suffer mental illness and are easily frightened. That sorry state of affairs, like the excrement, often spills out into adjoining neighborhoods.

[Denni2]

We were just camping at Crystal Cove SP near Laguna. We felt safe in the area. We may boondock at the harbor in Oceanside next week. We keep a pretty clean minimalist camp and only usually leave our chairs out. Unfortunately crime is usually opportunity based. We have a class B and lock the rig any time we leave it. When we made our reservations we received the normal rules and policies except for a not normal caution to 1. carry key fobs in a faraday pouch. 2. Don’t use your fob to lock and unlock your vehicle. We found out once we got once we got here that thieves 1. can get the code from your fob and make a key to drive your rig off. 2. Jam the lock signal and steal your items while your away. It is sad.

[John Joseph]

We were just camping at Crystal Cove SP near Laguna. We felt safe in the area. We may boondock at the harbor in Oceanside next week. We keep a pretty clean minimalist camp and only usually leave our chairs out. Unfortunately crime is usually opportunity based. We have a class B and lock the rig any time we leave it. When we made our reservations we received the normal rules and policies except for a not normal caution to 1. carry key fobs in a faraday pouch. 2. Don’t use your fob to lock and unlock your vehicle. We found out once we got once we got here that thieves 1. can get the code from your fob and make a key to drive your rig off. 2. Jam the lock signal and steal your items while your away. It is sad.

My niece and her family love Crystal Cove SP!