Twice in two weeks!!... I've had enough

[H6CJF]

So, after having foglights nicked from two cars outside the house last week..... http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Yesterday morning we were woken at 5.00am by two little scumbags kicking the front door in to get at a shopping bag that Mrs H6 had carelessly left on show in the living room! Didn't half make a row I can tell you! Anyway, I was up quickly enough to spot them running out .. hoodies up of course, so called out to my son 'JimiGT' and we piled into two cars and were after them within half a minute (you don't want to know what I was wearing lol) but of course nowhere to be seen (they were on foot so presumably used some fence jumipng, cross garden tactics.

Fortunately there was very little in it except for a filofax with her debit card (which we were able to cancel immediately) and driving licence in, no cash whatsoever and no mobile phone... so they actually achieved bugger all. Unfortunately however they did spot a set of keys to 'JimiGT's ZS at the same time so took those as well - of course his house keys were on there as well so, change of house locks needed.

I'm now seriously considering setting up som cctv around the place... couple of cameras and a spare pc tower... anybody tried it?

edit: Anyone know if you can re-code the (one remaining) remote on an '04 plate MG ZS?

I wasn't sure where to post this , maybe it should Sp P & L but it happened at home so...

[ShredderXLE]

Close curtains before bed......sorry its not much help. But the police dont look highly on you shooting them as they ran away (which is what I would prefer)

[mrmr96]

Sorry to hear about your problems. CCTV might be useful, depending what other factors there are in your house/neighbourhood.

I think you can get something working with an old PC, but maplin also do some proper standalone systems for reasonable money, so you might consider one of these as they may be more reliable?

Have a look here:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/cctv-finder

[Shuvi Tupya]

H6CJF said:

I'm now seriously considering setting up som cctv around the place... couple of cameras and a spare pc tower... anybody tried it?

Not much point unless it is just for you to look at, the police won't care.

[funster]

Hate to sound like a bore but you were bloody lucky you didn't catch up with them. Your raw emotions at the time are likely to have led you to do something very silly (even though they deserved it) and they know where you live! You'd be getting a knock on the door (the unbroken part) from the police on serious charges of assault (brought against you by the little kids who know their rights), where as they'd be told not to do it again and sent on their way due to lack of evidence.

I've got a Swan system with a couple of cameras, it's stand alone, wasn't stupidly expensive and works well.

[SplatSpeed]

I have never been burgled

however I have dogs!

[H6CJF]

funster said:

Hate to sound like a bore but you were bloody lucky you didn't catch up with them.

Point taken but no way was I intending to confront them.. too concerned for my own safety tbh. I think it was more that I hoped (naively) to be able to engage police assistance if I was able to locate them. Also hoping they might have dumped the bag - Mrs H6 just wants it back 'cos she liked it, & her filofax... 'cos it's got all her addresses and phone numbers in (not a great user of technology my wife!)

Anyway, better go and fit a temporary immobiliser awitch in the ZS fuel pump feed!

[H6CJF]

Shuvi Tupya said:

Not much point unless it is just for you to look at, the police won't care.

Actually on this occasion they did ask if any of our neighbours have cctv because ther have been a about 5 such incidents in the village over the last few weeks apparently (now they tell me!)and they are hoping to get a better description.

Being semi rural round here we don't have any 'generic' cctv around so it may be of some use.. dunno

[RJD223]

Shuvi Tupya said:

Not much point unless it is just for you to look at, the police won't care.

Agreed. We have a £5k CCTV setup on our close and even with crystal clear images of scrotes breaking in to cars they couldn't get a conviction. Only bother if it's for your own viewing as police don't give a toss (despite what they say).

[StevieBee]

As a deterrent, a strategically placed CCTV camera or two may have merit - regardless of whether they are hooked up to anything - in the same way that a dummy alarm box is.

We've had a spate of car thefts round our way and a common denominator has been that the owners hadn't double locked their front doors and left keys on tables near the front door or kitchen work top. A neighbour - also a copper - mentioned that scrotes are generally lazy bds. Thus, removing valuables from sight and locking a door is a lot cheaper and probably more effective than some CCTV!

[Jasandjules]

OP, obtain two large dogs - at least 8 stone each. Burglars will stay away once they know...

[SplatSpeed]

if you did catch them

remember "you are only allowed to hit them once, or it is not self defence" Sussex police!

so make it fking count!

don't ask how I know!

[Kudos]

Having been in the same boat (and getting keys to my boxster nicked first time, wallet the second), I'd say CCTV would be a waste of money - that came from a good mate who owns a large company selling CCTV.

Recommendation is to beef up physical security - fence to stop people going round the back, security lights, close curtains downstairs etc. My main peace of mind has been a zoned alarm which I set every night for downstairs. You think you would hear someone coming in downstairs during the night, but they can be very quiet.

As for the wife's filofax, I'd imagine it will turn up dumped somewhere.

[H6CJF]

Kudos said:

You think you would hear someone coming in downstairs during the night, but they can be very quiet.

Quiet!.... This was like stormtroopers coming through! Never heard so much damned noise.
We have an ADT zoned alarm as well but the delay on the front door entry (to give you time to come in and de-activate it) meant it didnt go off until they were back home with their feet up having a cuppa.

All other points are of course correct and the obvious answer is not to leave anything on view. - I should have learnt this after 2002 when I had my 911 AND my S6 Avant knicked off the drive with keys obtained in just that way. They used the S6 to raid a video shop and the 911 to, well, play with I think! Fortunately both had RAC Trackstar fitted so were recovered very quickly

[RemainAllHoof]

You've been burgled that many times??? Have you considered moving out of the area?

[H6CJF]

RemainAllHoof said:

You've been burgled that many times??? Have you considered moving out of the area?

That was nearly ten years ago! We've not had any trouble since then up until now.

Trouble is, it's actaully quite a nice area and that's why the scrotes organise 'shopping trips' from outside the area!

[pmanson]

H6CJF said:

Quiet!.... This was like stormtroopers coming through! Never heard so much damned noise.
We have an ADT zoned alarm as well but the delay on the front door entry (to give you time to come in and de-activate it) meant it didnt go off until they were back home with their feet up having a cuppa.

All other points are of course correct and the obvious answer is not to leave anything on view. - I should have learnt this after 2002 when I had my 911 AND my S6 Avant knicked off the drive with keys obtained in just that way. They used the S6 to raid a video shop and the 911 to, well, play with I think! Fortunately both had RAC Trackstar fitted so were recovered very quickly

On my alarm I can set up different configurations - eg. Full Arming, Part Arming and Perimeter arming.

At night we set the perimeter only (Front door, back door sensors and PIR in the garage) which allows us to move around the house without any issues. Then if we go out we full arm the house which also includes all the PIRs in the house.

[RemainAllHoof]

H6CJF said:

That was nearly ten years ago! We've not had any trouble since then up until now.

Trouble is, it's actaully quite a nice area and that's why the scrotes organise 'shopping trips' from outside the area!

Oh, right, I see.

What about those private patrol companies? Work with neighbours to get a group discount? (Not recommending but asking.)

[tenohfive]

funster said:

Hate to sound like a bore but you were bloody lucky you didn't catch up with them. Your raw emotions at the time are likely to have led you to do something very silly (even though they deserved it) and they know where you live! You'd be getting a knock on the door (the unbroken part) from the police on serious charges of assault (brought against you by the little kids who know their rights), where as they'd be told not to do it again and sent on their way due to lack of evidence.

I recently took a statement from a chap who caught someone breaking into his property and detained him. Said burglar had various injuries.
At no stage did I think the chap had acted unlawfully, and in taking his statement I was able to help him explain his actions and justify that force he used. He wasn't prosecuted.

I've dealt with another chap in the past who gave two young lads a kicking when they tried to rob him at knife point. He wasn't prosecuted.

There's a couple of examples, and in my experience they are much more common than people being prosecuted for having gone too far. There are some high profile cases to the contrary, yes, but the vast majority never receive that much attention.

There's a difference between using force in detaining someone and trying to get revenge, though as you correctly point out when your blood is up and the adrenaline is kicking in it can be easy for the former to become the latter.

OP, from a crime prevention/detection point of view the vast majority of CCTV from incidents at night isn't good enough for facial recognition so for catching burglars later, it's unlikely to lead to a result. The only footage I've seen from domestic CCTV in which you can clearly see faces has been from inside. It might prove a deterrent, though personally I'd look at making the house physically more secure - focus on good strong doors and windows. Security lighting and making sure that walls/hedgerows at the front are around waist height or lower is also a good thing, as it exposes the front of the house to view. Big tall hedges/walls at the front just hide burglars from the view of your neighbours as they're breaking in. The back of the house (and access to it) should be locked/gated, and with tall fencing that is difficult to climb over.

[H6CJF]

tenohfive said:

OP, from a crime prevention/detection point of view the vast majority of CCTV from incidents at night isn't good enough for facial recognition so for catching burglars later, it's unlikely to lead to a result. The only footage I've seen from domestic CCTV in which you can clearly see faces has been from inside. It might prove a deterrent, though personally I'd look at making the house physically more secure - focus on good strong doors and windows. Security lighting and making sure that walls/hedgerows at the front are around waist height or lower is also a good thing, as it exposes the front of the house to view. Big tall hedges/walls at the front just hide burglars from the view of your neighbours as they're breaking in. The back of the house (and access to it) should be locked/gated, and with tall fencing that is difficult to climb over.

Absolutely, all good advice. The crux of the matter is that if you leave valuables on show, get lazy / complacent & don't bother to use all the bolts and chains that are fitted, then at some time or another the little scrotes will sieze an opportunity. So, predictably, we have gone back to doing all the sensible things and I'm sure we shall be fine again for a while.

As for being visible, this was 5.00am and broad daylight so the security lights didn't help much and whilst we don't have high hedges at the front or anything we are a bit rural so open on four sides & 'neighbours' are a hundred yards away. All that said, the whole thing could only have taken about 30 seconds from coming through the gate, 'shouldering' the door in, grab bag and gone again, so very little chance of anybody 'happening' to see it.

Thanks all for your comments.. ironically had a call from 'Victim Support' whilst typing this! I think I'm ok!