Office break in :(

Author
Discussion

MrLizard

Original Poster:

261 posts

182 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
Hi, after a bit of non biased advice, MrsLizard and I rent an office in Coventry (first mistake) and Sunday night it was broken into, this is a managed office with about 30 or so businesses in there.

The Irish travelling people decided to smash every door and window they could find - scum frown

Anyway, there is no security guard and the cctv is pretty poor, only one camera would have caught them and that was conveniently off - quite happy with the police response as they were there in minutes with forensics, the only issue being the first person on the scene at 6am was the cleaner and he decided cleaning the evidence was a better use of his time...ffs

I don't want to make a knee jerk reaction but I don't work in the office its just the Mrs and two other young girls who sometimes work late and weekends, our contract is up at the end of this month

Should we move or stay - insisting on improvements, the office is saying they will make some improvements (though I don't know what)

Are we likely to suffer this wherever we go? Could we do something to our office specifically within the building to act as a deterrent?

Ta
MrL

trickywoo

11,701 posts

229 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
Sounds like a dive.

Unless its really cheap I'd move.

league67

1,878 posts

202 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
As above.

Them promising to 'improve' will not amount to much. Move.

Troubleatmill

10,210 posts

158 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
You need high definition cameras - very fast broadband and offsite storage ( Internet )
Or they will nick the recording devices )

A monitored alarm system with police response would be nice too.

Smart water deployed throughout the building.

etc etc



BTW - Once you have been targeted - they will target you again - because the insurance forks up for new shiny stuff.

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
trickywoo said:
Sounds like a dive.

Unless its really cheap I'd move.
EFA

LukePaterson84

65 posts

134 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
As above, I would advise moving on!

You need to be able to go away on an evening happy in that fact you feel comfortable. My office is on a small office park, but manned 24/7 at the gates and regular walk rounds. All the cars can only enter via number plate recognition.

MrLizard

Original Poster:

261 posts

182 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
Troubleatmill said:
You need high definition cameras - very fast broadband and offsite storage ( Internet )
Or they will nick the recording devices )

A monitored alarm system with police response would be nice too.

Smart water deployed throughout the building.

etc etc



BTW - Once you have been targeted - they will target you again - because the insurance forks up for new shiny stuff.
Interesting you say this, the police have said the same - also it turns out they didn't kick the doors in, realising they are all passcode protected fire doors they brought a sledge hammer

One of them cut themselves very badly on the tempered glass and has lost a lot of blood and left a few finger prints 'apparently' - this is just from building management

I am leaning to moving on, double the cost but a nice looking place near Sainsbury on A45

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
MrLizard said:
One of them cut themselves very badly on the tempered glass and has lost a lot of blood and left a few finger prints 'apparently' - this is just from building management
Not the morning cleaner?

MrLizard

Original Poster:

261 posts

182 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
Lol no not the cleaner - though had it been I suspect he wouldn't of said anything and would have just carried on to his last breath

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
MrLizard said:
Lol no not the cleaner - though had it been I suspect he wouldn't of said anything and would have just carried on to his last breath
Just had to ask. hehe

The Moose

22,820 posts

208 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
MrLizard said:
Interesting you say this, the police have said the same - also it turns out they didn't kick the doors in, realising they are all passcode protected fire doors they brought a sledge hammer

One of them cut themselves very badly on the tempered glass and has lost a lot of blood and left a few finger prints 'apparently' - this is just from building management

I am leaning to moving on, double the cost but a nice looking place near Sainsbury on A45
Could you work from an office in the back garden at home?

MrPicky

1,233 posts

266 months

Wednesday 11th February 2015
quotequote all
Check with your insurance co. will the premium go up because it has been done once it probably has a greater chance of being done again soon. This could be your deciding factor!

AGK

1,601 posts

154 months

Friday 13th February 2015
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MrPicky said:
Check with your insurance co. will the premium go up because it has been done once it probably has a greater chance of being done again soon. This could be your deciding factor!
We had an office broken into and a few k worth of stuff taken. Excess was £500 so not much of an issue but after the indecent the excess was raised to 3k for those premises.


MrLizard

Original Poster:

261 posts

182 months

Friday 20th February 2015
quotequote all
well for the sake of accuracy, the office did get broken into again frown

this made the decision for us, we have found somewhere else but the place we are at is making our lives hard trying to break the contract. frown

fkin scum

whoami

13,151 posts

239 months

Friday 20th February 2015
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Sorry to hear that.

Pie scum again?

MrLizard

Original Poster:

261 posts

182 months

Friday 20th February 2015
quotequote all
don't know this time, it was a bit more organised though they broke in the same day the same time exactly one week later, stole all the computer equipment but they got through a door on the second floor without a card pass without breaking in... oddly they then sprayed the entire office with fairy liquid..


grrr, put so much effort in and scum just make it so hard. - couldn't believe the crime stats published on the police site, if you wanted a life of crime you can see where a lot of crime happens and even pin down the arrest and prosecution rates..

Troubleatmill

10,210 posts

158 months

Friday 20th February 2015
quotequote all
I'm not surprised.

Sorry to hear it though.

whoami

13,151 posts

239 months

Friday 20th February 2015
quotequote all
MrLizard said:
don't know this time, it was a bit more organised though they broke in the same day the same time exactly one week later, stole all the computer equipment but they got through a door on the second floor without a card pass without breaking in... oddly they then sprayed the entire office with fairy liquid..


grrr, put so much effort in and scum just make it so hard. - couldn't believe the crime stats published on the police site, if you wanted a life of crime you can see where a lot of crime happens and even pin down the arrest and prosecution rates..
Were other businesses targeted this time too?

MrLizard

Original Poster:

261 posts

182 months

Friday 20th February 2015
quotequote all
Yes, bigger business on floor 2, took everything, all pc, monitors even cables, their staff just stood around, no phones or anything =(

whoami

13,151 posts

239 months

Friday 20th February 2015
quotequote all
MrLizard said:
Yes, bigger business on floor 2, took everything, all pc, monitors even cables, their staff just stood around, no phones or anything =(
You mean they did this during office hours??