How do you prevent vandalism at your local course?

[riverboy1]

Another approach is to bug the police about it and they will eventually fold to the pressure and patrol the area more frequently. If the vandalism looks really bad call the local news they often do local interest stories and that will definitely put pressure on the local police.

CHEERS - Koffee

This seems like a good idea. Our local short course gets patrolled often, so we haven't had much problems. In fact, since the dikes are up in half the park, and patrol cars can't get through, vandalism has increased.

 

[Lithicon]

I'm with others on the motion sensor cams. They aren't all that expensive and you can hang it in a tree really high pointed at the basket. Have someone take it down or turn it off during the day. (Pretty sure they have some with timers to set for how long it runs, or remotes to turn them on and off for a little higher price.) This will either help, or you'll get a long of woodland creatures doing the dirty around your basket. BUT, if all else fails, Snipers are DEFINITELY the best solution. Someone that gets shot with a BB gun, or Paintball guns while trying to steal a basket would be highly pissed, so shoot them again for good measure. Then shoot them again for being a dick. Physical pain will do more to extinguish the problem, as the camera will only get a picture, and well that's hard to go by. Unless you happen to know the guys. But, you could then post their pic all over the park like the Wild wild west wanted posters and put a bounty on their head, that would definitely bring the snipers out then!

 

[jubuttib]

IBut I am a cynical person and go by the 80-20 rule. 80% of people suck, and only 20% solid upstanding people.

I genuinely believe that the percentages are more around 95-5...

Sucks to hear that this sort of thing goes on, hoping this won't happen here when we get our course.

 

[jsun3thousand]

IBut I am a cynical person and go by the 80-20 rule. 80% of people suck, and only 20% solid upstanding people.

I genuinely believe that the percentages are more around 95-5...

Note to self: Stay away from Idaho and Finland because they are full of assholes. If not horrible places, peppermack and jubuttib will most likely hate you anyway.

 

[peppermack]

IBut I am a cynical person and go by the 80-20 rule. 80% of people suck, and only 20% solid upstanding people.

I genuinely believe that the percentages are more around 95-5...

Note to self: Stay away from Idaho and Finland because they are full of assholes. If not horrible places, peppermack and jubuttib will most likely hate you anyway.

Idaho is great place, I have lived all over the US and love the people here. I am a social worker and spend a lot of time with people in all sorts of situations. I also pride myself on really being able to read people, and most of the time you can tell when it comes down to it most people are going to do the selfish thing that gets them ahead with little regard for the consequences. There is a lot of evidence in our society.

But back to the course vandalism, call the police so much that eventually it is easier for them to swing by the course at night than have to listen to you call them again, get some of the motion activated cameras that everyone has talked about, or handle this shit the good old fashion way. I caught someone breaking into my car once out in the sticks a few miles away from my house. They were greeted with the business end of a 12 guage (not a good idea to break into cars during hunting season). Some people do not understand things unless they are slapped in the face with it. Like the quote from the crazy ass serial killer in the move Seven "you can't just walk up and tap people on the shoulder now days, you have to hit them with a sledge hammer". There are a lot of ways to accomplish this without doing something that is going to get yourself thrown in the clink as well. Us you imagination, you will come up with some good stuff.

 

[nohr]

Has anyone hung a deer tracking camera overlooking a basket. Besides catching pictures of potential vandals you might get a bunch of cool putting pictures also.

 

[cali]

I am going to propose the idea of a motion sensor camera at league this Sunday. The cost is not an issue since this is the 8th basket stolen in 3 years. It has cost DDG around $3,500.00 just to buy new baskets in the past 3 years.

 

[black udder]

wow. A lot of money on stolen baskets.

I think a combination of things should resolve it.

Cameras to get pictures.

Bug the police.

If no action taken by the police, just ask for their name and look at their name tag and write down the name. Just say, "I want to make sure I get the name right when I mention it to the local news." Depending on how they respond, "We were hoping to be able to say with the local police support, but if not, oh well."

Be creative. The police need and want a good reputation. They just need help sometimes prioritizing which needs to be handled first. Publicity will help them do that correctly.

Then go to the news and ask they do a report on the issue. If it's more than just the course, the story could be bigger. If the police are not helping, then it's even bigger.

 

[JHern]

This is a very serious issue at my home course. Belmont Park. It is insane the amount of damage people do to this place while managing to stay under the radar and never get caught. Teesigns are constantly knocked over, benches and picnic tables will be broken, someone was nice enough to build a set of wooden bleachers at the 6,9,11 teebox area 2 years ago for people who want to watch multiple holes at once during tournaments, those were demolished within 2 weeks and last but not least the ever-so-frequent theft of basket #18. Last November someone tried to steal it again and couldn't manage to get it out of the ground so they settled for breaking the chain rigging off and take that. DDG finally got a new chain rig and got the basket up and running again about 3 weeks ago, only for the entire basket to get stolen (again) last week.

I feel something needs to be done about this shit. Anyone else have this same problem they have been able to resolve? Belmont is one of the oldest and most historical courses in the state of Ohio and also one of the most disrespected. Something has to be done.

You just can't keep anything nice around, it seems. What the hell is wrong with these people?! This kind of thing always amazes me. I've traveled all over the world, and I've only seen this kind of shit in the US. It makes sense when you see all the nice stuff they have around, monuments, wooden temples, statues, public art, etc., and in great condition. They don't have to sit around and guard it.

Clearly, these jerks want to live like filthy pigs, and I wish we could grant them their wish...away from those who want to live better lives, who want to build things, have a nice community, etc..

Anyways, there is no greater advancement of your cause than to try and monitor the situation at night when it occurs, and treat these animals like animals. Maybe even bait them with something irresistable. And when you bust them, catch one of them, and be extremely cruel. Don't do anything that will permanently disable them, but go to work. Bones can heal, but avoid joints. You can rip their hair out, and it will grow back, but they'll look ugly for a while. Black eyes are fine, but avoid other places in the face.

Get the picture?

When word gets around, they'll stay away from the course.

 

[riverboy1]

^^^ You are joking right? It seems to me that this will only lead to legal troubles, and possibly get the course pulled if it becomes habitual.

 

[JHern]

There is a better feel-good option, of course, which would be to work with police to catch the jerks, and then the city or county prosecutor can ask the judge that they be sentenced to hundreds of community service hours doing course maintenance under your supervision.

If the police won't do anything about this kind of thing, then the neighborhood has to step up to the plate. The cops know this, and actually don't mind seeing jerks get a little taste of medicine, so long as there is no permanent damage (this is a key point!). But sometimes even the hint or rumor of vigilantism is enough to get them off their asses. But then you might also have to deal with the side effect that the cops will need to patrol the disc golf course a lot, and there are downsides for some players in this respect (e.g., beer drinkers, tokers, etc.).

 

[cali]

Yea the locals don't like the cops patrolling because they usually sit on the benches by 1 and drink/smoke all day long. They never really go out to throw but they don't bother anyone.

 

[JohnnyB]

Start a rumor about that guy that got his ass beat when a couple of night golfers came up on him stealing 18's basket.

 

[JHern]

Start a rumor about that guy that got his ass beat when a couple of night golfers came up on him stealing 18's basket.

That's using your head...good option!

 

[cali]

New basket went in today. Don't know if it's true but I guess they rigged up a couple GPS tracking devices in the pole. Sick idea if they really did.

 

[PieMethod]

Dude, this thread makes my heart hurt. Why would people destroy a disc golf course? We don't hurt anyone or anything, in fact, we help the environment. I don't think I've played golf with anyone who's ever even thrown their cigarette butts on the ground, and usually if anyone sees trash there's a can coming up on the next hole so we grab it up. I don't get it. I hope your situation works out bud. If that were happening up here in Warren some people wouldn't be sleeping until the problem was resolved.

Let us know if they installed the GPS devices in the pole for real. Get confirmation by seeing the program with the blip on the screen.

 

[JHern]

No doubt. Some jackass tore apart the water fountain at one of my local courses. Didn't take anything, didn't have any reason, just to destroy an important public asset. The neighborhood kids play there and drink that nice free water all the time. And homeless people from miles around use it to refill their canteens. How screwed up in the head do you have to be to go and destroy something like that?!