Attempted break in
Discussion
3am, the dog growled waking me. I looked out of window to see a man standing guard near the road. Then I heard the front door being rattled. I opened the window and shouted. Two more appeared to make four people in total trying to get in. They ran off, but they have planted that seed of fear. Utter, utter b
ds. The violation of not feeling safe in your own home makes you feel powerless. I presume they came for the car. The car will be going and some bland replacement sort.
No real point. You have my sympathy if you have been through something similar, or worse. Going to bed with a weapon and trainers next to the bed in case they come back. Grim.
ds. The violation of not feeling safe in your own home makes you feel powerless. I presume they came for the car. The car will be going and some bland replacement sort. No real point. You have my sympathy if you have been through something similar, or worse. Going to bed with a weapon and trainers next to the bed in case they come back. Grim.
Ruskie said:
3am, the dog growled waking me. I looked out of window to see a man standing guard near the road. Then I heard the front door being rattled. I opened the window and shouted. Two more appeared to make four people in total trying to get in. They ran off, but they have planted that seed of fear. Utter, utter bds. The violation of not feeling safe in your own home makes you feel powerless. I presume they came for the car. The car will be going and some bland replacement sort.
No real point. You have my sympathy if you have been through something similar, or worse. Going to bed with a weapon and trainers next to the bed in case they come back. Grim.
Have you reported it to the Police so they know what happened?ds. The violation of not feeling safe in your own home makes you feel powerless. I presume they came for the car. The car will be going and some bland replacement sort. No real point. You have my sympathy if you have been through something similar, or worse. Going to bed with a weapon and trainers next to the bed in case they come back. Grim.
1/ install gates to act as a physical barrier. Hopefully the next ones see them and keep walking to find an easier target.
2/ PIR flood lights.
3/ if you get a ring door bell, you can set it to detect people and then your phone.
4/ House Alarm.
If you have a nice car and a garage, use the garage for the car.
Hope this helps.
2/ PIR flood lights.
3/ if you get a ring door bell, you can set it to detect people and then your phone.
4/ House Alarm.
If you have a nice car and a garage, use the garage for the car.
Hope this helps.
Just make sure you dominate the stairs and you’re all good!
On a serious note, it can have an unnerving effect, a few years ago, I’d fallen asleep on the couch and got woken up by would be burglars in balaclavas shining torches in though the patio doors, however, after seeing me, they just ran off.
Now I do tend to have a rather nonchalant attitude to things, so it didn’t effect me too much, but I did install an alarm system with Ring camera’s and security lights afterwards and also have my downstairs curtains set to close on a nighttime in an attempt to make sure it didn’t happen again(which 5 years later, it hasn’t).
On a serious note, it can have an unnerving effect, a few years ago, I’d fallen asleep on the couch and got woken up by would be burglars in balaclavas shining torches in though the patio doors, however, after seeing me, they just ran off.
Now I do tend to have a rather nonchalant attitude to things, so it didn’t effect me too much, but I did install an alarm system with Ring camera’s and security lights afterwards and also have my downstairs curtains set to close on a nighttime in an attempt to make sure it didn’t happen again(which 5 years later, it hasn’t).
There are little things that you can do to make your house less of a target, but ultimately if they want to get in, they will.
Personally I'd be looking at other things before cameras. A hood or something stops it being worth anything. And CCTV at night is ste normally. If you do get it, Ring is surprising good for the price or Nest. But put them at head height for door bells so you may get a face shot. CCTV up high just gives you a few of any bald patch they may have.
Alarms on doors/windows.
Gravel around windows/driveway (makes noise which they don't like).
Lights on sensors outside.
If you are out lights/TV on timers. Gives am impression someone is in.
Doors locked always. Even if you are home. Windows shut if you aren't in the room.
Personally I'd leave keys for cars away from doors/windows but not hidden in draws etc. If someone is breaking in for the keys, I'd rather they just took thr car than ransacked the house and attacked someone inside to get them.
Edit
If it happens again. 999 straight away. As much as police get a bashing for not attending burglaries. Offenders on we all love and will be blue lighting it from all over.
Personally I'd be looking at other things before cameras. A hood or something stops it being worth anything. And CCTV at night is s
te normally. If you do get it, Ring is surprising good for the price or Nest. But put them at head height for door bells so you may get a face shot. CCTV up high just gives you a few of any bald patch they may have. Alarms on doors/windows.
Gravel around windows/driveway (makes noise which they don't like).
Lights on sensors outside.
If you are out lights/TV on timers. Gives am impression someone is in.
Doors locked always. Even if you are home. Windows shut if you aren't in the room.
Personally I'd leave keys for cars away from doors/windows but not hidden in draws etc. If someone is breaking in for the keys, I'd rather they just took thr car than ransacked the house and attacked someone inside to get them.
Edit
If it happens again. 999 straight away. As much as police get a bashing for not attending burglaries. Offenders on we all love and will be blue lighting it from all over.
Sorry to hear this OP, I got burgled a few years ago, my grandfather had passed away in the morning and we went for a drive to clear the heads and came home to nothing, no car stolen as I was in it but given them the chance it would had been gone.
Nothing will be done by Police but I'd raise it with them non emergency to ensure they know its occurred as they may had done others.
Also, I'd be getting your best friend the biggest bone going today, he did a great job here.
Nothing will be done by Police but I'd raise it with them non emergency to ensure they know its occurred as they may had done others.
Also, I'd be getting your best friend the biggest bone going today, he did a great job here.
I repeat the same advice on every thread like this because people often recommend deterrents and not actual security improvements.
Check your locks. Are they eurocylinders? Are they anti snap, anti-bump 3* rated? Are your handles 2 star rated?
Check your glass. French doors are made of toughened glass which means it crumbles. Replace with laminated glass along with any windows adjacent to doors.
Upgrade any UPVC doors to decent colid composite doors. Avoid letter boxes of you can. And don't leave keys in the back of doors that can be reached through letter and pet flaps!
Cameras and lights are often quick and easy but are also relatively easily avoided.
Check your locks. Are they eurocylinders? Are they anti snap, anti-bump 3* rated? Are your handles 2 star rated?
Check your glass. French doors are made of toughened glass which means it crumbles. Replace with laminated glass along with any windows adjacent to doors.
Upgrade any UPVC doors to decent colid composite doors. Avoid letter boxes of you can. And don't leave keys in the back of doors that can be reached through letter and pet flaps!
Cameras and lights are often quick and easy but are also relatively easily avoided.
LosingGrip said:
CCTV at night is ste normally.
If you installed it in the 90s, sure.te normally. If you installed even middling to cheap stuff in the last 5-10 years it’ll be more than good enough at night.
My ReoLink cameras recording to Synology Surveillance Station was cheap (£300 for 3 cameras with enough storage for 2-months of recording retention), but the quality even at night is great. And as I’ve wired it directly through the walls of the garage, they are at a suitable height without being susceptible to attack.
The only lighting there is whatever is in the surrounding area, plus the infrared of the two cameras.
Edited by paradigital on Saturday 14th October 08:24
Edited by paradigital on Saturday 14th October 08:25
CCTV is only really a deterrent though, or a nice record of unidentifiable scroats nicking you stuff.
I have a nice 20 mins of video from my CCTV showing my neighbour's car being nicked off his drive, lots of figures in balaclavas and dark clothes, only real help was with numbers of scum and timing. His car was never found. (BMW, so nothing special)
I have a nice 20 mins of video from my CCTV showing my neighbour's car being nicked off his drive, lots of figures in balaclavas and dark clothes, only real help was with numbers of scum and timing. His car was never found. (BMW, so nothing special)
Evanivitch said:
I repeat the same advice on every thread like this because people often recommend deterrents and not actual security improvements.
Check your glass. French doors are made of toughened glass which means it crumbles. Replace with laminated glass along with any windows adjacent to doors.
.
I would be a little careful with things like laminated glass which is harder to break as it can also hinder your escape in an emergency, overall security is a balance between keeping the unwanted out but also keeping your ability to get out in an emergency.Check your glass. French doors are made of toughened glass which means it crumbles. Replace with laminated glass along with any windows adjacent to doors.
.
I would have no hesitation throwing something through a window to get out in an emergency if necessary.
I had a lock fail to operate leaving me locked out of the house, when discussing the rating the new lock with the locksmith, his view was too much security looks like you have something to protect and therefore possibly worth a go. I take the view that making the property higher a risk of being seen, etc than next doors is the best approach because if the want in, they will get in.
Material possions can be replaced, people can't be.
paradigital said:
If you installed it in the 90s, sure.
If you installed even middling to cheap stuff in the last 5-10 years it’ll be more than good enough at night.
My ReoLink cameras recording to Synology Surveillance Station was cheap (£300 for 3 cameras with enough storage for 2-months of recording retention), but the quality even at night is great. And as I’ve wired it directly through the walls of the garage, they are at a suitable height without being susceptible to attack.
The only lighting there is whatever is in the surrounding area, plus the infrared of the two cameras.
That is a lot better than I've seen lately at work! If you installed even middling to cheap stuff in the last 5-10 years it’ll be more than good enough at night.
My ReoLink cameras recording to Synology Surveillance Station was cheap (£300 for 3 cameras with enough storage for 2-months of recording retention), but the quality even at night is great. And as I’ve wired it directly through the walls of the garage, they are at a suitable height without being susceptible to attack.
The only lighting there is whatever is in the surrounding area, plus the infrared of the two cameras.
Edited by paradigital on Saturday 14th October 08:24
Edited by paradigital on Saturday 14th October 08:25
FMOB said:
I would be a little careful with things like laminated glass which is harder to break as it can also hinder your escape in an emergency, overall security is a balance between keeping the unwanted out but also keeping your ability to get out in an emergency.
Whilst I agree, at no point should your escape route involve smashing glass to exit your home.FMOB said:
I had a lock fail to operate leaving me locked out of the house, when discussing the rating the new lock with the locksmith, his view was too much security looks like you have something to protect and therefore possibly worth a go. I take the view that making the property higher a risk of being seen, etc than next doors is the best approach because if the want in, they will get in.
At a glance a composite door, good locks and laminate glass look the same as the poorer alternatives.We don't have flash cars on the driveway, a 5-foot house number, grey uPVC or AstroTurf so I guess we look like beggars.
craig511 said:
3/ if you get a ring door bell, you can set it to detect people and then your phone.
We have PIR lights on our drive which illuminate for any movement on the drive but our most useful security deterrent is our Ring Doorbell and Ring Chime. The Ring Doorbell is on the front door and the Chime is plugged into a mains socket in the hall. The camera on the Ring Doorbell detects movement on the drive day and night and this causes the Ring Chime to make a windchime sound which at maximum volume can heard all around the house and is easily audible from outside so anyone approaching knows that they have been recorded. The recording of the detected motion is uploaded to the Cloud for storage and retrieval. The motion detection also alerts me on my phone.
paradigital said:
LosingGrip said:
CCTV at night is ste normally.
If you installed it in the 90s, sure.te normally. If you installed even middling to cheap stuff in the last 5-10 years it’ll be more than good enough at night.
My ReoLink cameras recording to Synology Surveillance Station was cheap (£300 for 3 cameras with enough storage for 2-months of recording retention), but the quality even at night is great. And as I’ve wired it directly through the walls of the garage, they are at a suitable height without being susceptible to attack.
The only lighting there is whatever is in the surrounding area, plus the infrared of the two cameras.
Edited by paradigital on Saturday 14th October 08:24
Edited by paradigital on Saturday 14th October 08:25
Ruskie said:
3am, the dog growled waking me. I looked out of window to see a man standing guard near the road. Then I heard the front door being rattled. I opened the window and shouted. Two more appeared to make four people in total trying to get in. They ran off, but they have planted that seed of fear. Utter, utter bds. The violation of not feeling safe in your own home makes you feel powerless. I presume they came for the car. The car will be going and some bland replacement sort.
No real point. You have my sympathy if you have been through something similar, or worse. Going to bed with a weapon and trainers next to the bed in case they come back. Grim.
One thing I can tell you is those feelings will go away after a few weeks (not the resentment/hate - I never lost those feelings - I used to visualise taking out the little fds. The violation of not feeling safe in your own home makes you feel powerless. I presume they came for the car. The car will be going and some bland replacement sort. No real point. You have my sympathy if you have been through something similar, or worse. Going to bed with a weapon and trainers next to the bed in case they come back. Grim.
kers with a scoped rifle for a long while after one particular run in with theives, but you will feel safe again after a while. I've had someone/s come through a downstairs window, and leave via the front door whilst asleep, and also caught 4 lads in the act of stealing a scooter (who challenged me to stop them and laughed at me). Moving out of SE London solved all crime issues for me, but, I lived there happily for 10 years and soon stopped worring about the burglaries after the events. Really struggled to sleep for a while and the slightest of noise would have me up with a kitchen knife in hand. It passes eventually.Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff