I have a gig tonight and tomorrow, which I'm now able to do thanks to the loan of a keyboard from somebody I don't even know. I will be concentrating on that kindness tonight, so as to not look like a bitter sourpuss on stage.
 
 
Just heard of your loss, Bit.
Sucks, Big Time.

Thieves do a lot more than steal. They ruin neighborhoods and societies.  People stop trusting each other.

You can meat dozens of good people and the one thief you'll remember.

Get on a first name basis with the detective. If there isn't one assigned call them several times a day until they get the message that they are going to have no peace of mind until they take care of this. There is a story on the Bible about an unjust judge that someone bothered every day for justice and she GOT  justice because the judge wanted her to leave him alone. Be the squeaky wheel, squeak loud, squeak all the time. Make them want you to go away and they will take care of it. Maybe you can borrow a high end trail camera from someone, one that takes pictures at night and sends them to your phone in real time. Put it somewhere that covers their house so that if they start loading anything up you can call the police. I wonder if someone who is not you could put a GPS tracker under their bumper. Someone young who can run fast if need be.
Don't get in trouble. Some of these ideas probably aren't really good in this day and age and come with some risk, especially since you are dealing with known criminals. Criminals, obviously, don't care about the rules, you do. It is easy for me to talk. We are all angry with you. Don't get yourself in trouble. Do call the detective every day, heck.. twice a day morning and afternoon. Ask for a home number. Bug them.
It must be really hard knowing your stuff is right there and you cannot go get it. I hope Spacey is right and the police are working on it but dang..
I have a feeling this is going to work out for you but hanging there in limbo must be really hard. You are in my thoughts and prayers, angry as I am about this.
 
Julien
 

Guitarhacker

bitflipper
New development. I think I know who robbed me.
It was the neighbors. My stuff may be in their house right now but there is nothing I can do. We found their exit path, over the back fence and straight to their house. Had the cops back and showed them the footprints and new gash on the wood fence top. All they can do is look up the address and see if there are known baddies living there. They did not answer the door when I knocked this morning, even though there were lights an TV on inside.
It may not be today or tomorrow, but retribution WILL be mine.

 
You need a Hockey mask....and a machete....   wait for them to come home..... step out in front of them and simply say..... "I want my musical gear back.... we can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way. "

Of course, you better be really sure they have it and took it....and that they don't have a concealed carry permit..... or you could end up dead or in jail.....
 
Just thought I'd throw that out as another possible option for you to consider.

Of course I disavow ever having said anything of the sort should you attempt this and it goes badly.
 
 
Edit: but if it works.... imagine the stories you could tell....
 
 
 

Bit,
 
I'll keep an eye out for things on CL just in case.  My friends had neighbors from hell as well, they kept poisoning my friend's cats.  

The past 3 days people have been telling me their own horror stories, and it's shaken my faith in humanity. Others have related much worse tales than mine.
 
I don't want to join the paranoid gun-totin' conspiracy-believing scared and angry crowd, but I can sure see how they got there.
 
But just as I dealt with the death of my wife, and felt like the world was collapsing, I have to keep reminding myself of everything I still have. Family and friends are not so easily stolen.

I know what it is to have your world crash in on you. It's happened to me 3 times and I had to pick myself up and brush yourself off. It's your attitude that can become yours worst enemy Dave. Horrible things happen. My advice to you is to take a few minutes a day and recoup yourself of negative feelings. Use the time to clear your mind and even SMILE!. It will do wonders. I wrote NOW for this very type of situation. The only thing that is important is NOW and where you go from here. Good luck!. You have supporters here also

Dave, I'm glad you keep checking in to let us know what is or isn't happening. If nothing else, at least you know people here are hoping for the best.

bitflipper
New development. I think I know who robbed me.
It was the neighbors. My stuff may be in their house right now but there is nothing I can do. We found their exit path, over the back fence and straight to their house. Had the cops back and showed them the footprints and new gash on the wood fence top. All they can do is look up the address and see if there are known baddies living there. They did not answer the door when I knocked this morning, even though there were lights an TV on inside.
It may not be today or tomorrow, but retribution WILL be mine.

What is it with neighbors?  Oddly enough, we have always suspected our neighbors as well, and for similar reasons. I found little parts and pieces from various drum hardware, a guitar strap, some trash, along a little route through our backyard and over a fence into an empty lot - right next door to the house we jokingly called the crack house.  They never came out, never seemed to be home.  
 
And they never, ever answered my knocks on their door.  Ever.  
 
Bit, I'm hoping this works out way better for you.  I really, really do.  You have an amazing attitude as well.   
 
 

bitflipper
Not being Canadian, I'm not sure where to even buy a hockey mask in my town. But yeah, I think I'll keep an eye out for one. I already own a machete.
 
Prior to that suggestion, my leading idea was placing a sign in my yard facing that house, which reads "I know who you are and I know what you did". Or maybe just "I know where you live".

At a minimum, I suggest you make it your mission to let all your neighbors with whom you are speaking terms know about your suspicions.  First, they deserve to be warned.  But also, one of them might see something at some point that you will have missed.

dmbaer

bitflipper
Not being Canadian, I'm not sure where to even buy a hockey mask in my town. But yeah, I think I'll keep an eye out for one. I already own a machete.
 
Prior to that suggestion, my leading idea was placing a sign in my yard facing that house, which reads "I know who you are and I know what you did". Or maybe just "I know where you live".

At a minimum, I suggest you make it your mission to let all your neighbors with whom you are speaking terms know about your suspicions.  First, they deserve to be warned.  But also, one of them might see something at some point that you will have missed.

Any maybe they already have?  

bitflipper
The cops, not so much. Too bad they're not musicians.

On the other hand...
 
I used to work in a conference center, where, among other things, we organized weekly conference calls for what would be the equivalent of the state police.
 
One morning, while on hold to music and waiting for his conference call to begin, a police officer pressed 0 for assistance and filled a formal complaint saying that classical music made him very aggressive.
 
EDIT: I might have understood if it were Wagner... But it wasn't.