UPDATED : Need Advice on neighborhood kids

[slowpoke13]

Go talk to dad. Tell him you know he's an ex-cop, tell him you think some neighborhood kids are running around vandalizing cars, can he call the local PO and see if extra cruisers can swing through the neighborhood.

If there are more kids in the neighborhood, he might not assume their his kids. But, might take the info to heart and give his kids a "talking to" to ensure it's not them. Just let him know you're noticing dings that look like they're coming from rocks, mention the rocks in the  driveway. Take a "wild guess" that it's a slingshot, or something like that. He might be able to put 2 and 2 together if he knows his kids have a slingshot without you outright blaming his kids.

[Howie]

What does the fact that the father is an "ex cop" have to do with anything? Even if he was currently a cop it still wouldn't matter. Go talk to your neighbor. You have no idea how many calls we go to because people don't talk to their neighbors anymore. 

This makes a lot of sense.  Cops are people too, and, in this case a parent.  Give it a try.

[kutter]

I vote for a Thompson Encore Pistol chambered in 410 loaded with rocksalt, I know the one time I got shot with something like that as a kid I never went back there again. 

[the_Journeyman]

I vote for a Thompson Encore Pistol chambered in 410 loaded with rocksalt, I know the one time I got shot with something like that as a kid I never went back there again. 

This is what caused a peeping tom to not frequent a nearby neighborhood.  A homeowner tracked him through the neighborhood & lit him up with rock salt ~

JM

[Monsterlover]

I hear that stuff sucks. . .

[MendoDave]

Go talk to dad. Tell him you know he's an ex-cop, tell him you think some neighborhood kids are running around vandalizing cars, can he call the local PO and see if extra cruisers can swing through the neighborhood.

If there are more kids in the neighborhood, he might not assume their his kids. But, might take the info to heart and give his kids a "talking to" to ensure it's not them. Just let him know you're noticing dings that look like they're coming from rocks, mention the rocks in the  driveway. Take a "wild guess" that it's a slingshot, or something like that. He might be able to put 2 and 2 together if he knows his kids have a slingshot without you outright blaming his kids.

This sounds like sound advice and it is what you should probably do, but its not as much fun as talking about machine guns, helecopters and blunt force instruments...

[akmnstr]

A little off topic.
A shop I worked in, Nikiski Alaska.
Rob the shop helper is out back sand blasting parts. Comes inside to complain about neighborhood brats using him as BB gun target practice.
Lloyd and I go the long way around, catch the  little bastards in the act.
We drag them into the back of the shop, put their BB gun in vice of welding table, fire up TIG welder, weld end of barrel shut, and then hand it back to them.
On the way out we told them " No charge for fixing their BB gun "
Never heard  a word.

TIG welding is way cool.  I'd go with this solution.  If you don't have TIG you could always go with MIG. 

[kutter]

I think if you are going the welding route then just get a nice flame going on an acetylene torch, heat the barrel real well and flatten that puppy out with a nice 3lb engineers hammer, very gratifying, and ya get sparks and everything!

[BWClark]

Yeah, I don't know why people don't talk anymore. You're not an idiot  (by any means!). You know it probably has something to do with those kids, and you know you don't have proof. This father's no idiot, and he's made a living out of putting 2 and 2 together.  Just tell him what you think in a "thought I'd come talk to you, let you know what's going on and hear what you think" kind of way. If i were their dad, I'd like to know what my kids are getting up to, and even what the neighbors think my kids are getting up to. My reputation and my kids reputation would benefit from keeping all this kind of stuff out in the open.

Just be conversational, not confrontational, and it should be fine.   

[akmnstr]

Yeah, I don't know why people don't talk anymore. You're not an idiot  (by any means!). You know it probably has something to do with those kids, and you know you don't have proof. This father's no idiot, and he's made a living out of putting 2 and 2 together.  Just tell him what you think in a "thought I'd come talk to you, let you know what's going on and hear what you think" kind of way. If i were their dad, I'd like to know what my kids are getting up to, and even what the neighbors think my kids are getting up to. My reputation and my kids reputation would benefit from keeping all this kind of stuff out in the open.

Just be conversational, not confrontational, and it should be fine.   

Okay, I have to admit that this is a better solution than the Welding fix.  Maybe you could weld something to put you in the right mood than go
talk to the dad. 

[ducatiz]

I would just get one of those child-sized mannequins, dress it up and then doctor it to look like it's bloodied and beaten, then hang it in front of your house with a sign "sic temper assholi"

[Buckethead]

I would just get one of those child-sized mannequins, dress it up and then doctor it to look like it's bloodied and beaten, then hang it in front of your house with a sign "sic temper assholi"

Teenager-sized chalk outlines work well, too.

[corey]

[IZ]

That camera looks like a perfect sling shot target

my first thought!

You could always run over their bikes     Just say that they left it in your driveway.      Won't fix your dent but it will make you feel better!!

Who cares if dad is an ex-cop..if the kids are being azzholes, you two need to have a discussion about the damage. 

[MendoDave]

Oh, No Apache Helecopters because they're too expensive but M1 tanks are OK?