Home Security

[Deleted member 35268]

Hi

Just found out a neighbour has been burgled, ipads, passports, jewelry etc.
Aside from locking the double glazed doors we have NO SECURITY.

No cameras, no alarm.

We live in a nice area, but we are close to easy access from the Motorway and London.

Easy pickings really.

Any suggestions on afforable solutions welcome, be it a paid plan with ADT or a DIY setup.

thanks

 

[Tin Pot]

Hi

Just found out a neighbour has been burgled, ipads, passports, jewelry etc.
Aside from locking the double glazed doors we have NO SECURITY.

No cameras, no alarm.

We live in a nice area, but we are close to easy access from the Motorway and London.

Easy pickings really.

Any suggestions on afforable solutions welcome, be it a paid plan with ADT or a DIY setup.

thanks

Do you have home insurance? Check the minimum security they demand before they will pay out. Get that and nothing more.

Edit: make sure all your iPad photos are stored in the cloud.

 

[vickster]

Firstly, serious locks on doors and windows, although presumably if you have home insurance, you already have these?
Maybe a safe for valuables? Don't leave the house unattended if possible

 

[DCLane]

A maintained alarm would be sensible.

Apart from that make sure your important documentation is locked away.

 

[gavroche]

If you have double glazing with locks and front and back door with multi-locks , there isn't much more you can do. Put your important papers and valuables in a safe screwed on the floor. Make sure all Windows are shut before you go out. Not much else you can do really apart from cctv if you can afford it. Do you have neighbourhood watch in your area?

 

[Drago]

Window locks, decent door locks, perimetric alarms around the land, that sort of thing. Where I used to work 49% of house burglaries were via insecure doors and windows, so doing the obvious halves the chances of being a victim.

If its old double glazing ensure the glass is bonded into the frame, and not simply held in with beading that can be popped off from the outside.

Ensure any side gates etc are sturdy and locked. Don't leave ladders in the garden.

A dog - a proper one to act as an alarm for you, and they're quite off putting to burglars.

And as a last resort I have Beretta Silver Pigeon Sporter

 

[Piemaster]

[QUOTE 4962848, member: 259"]Buy a big dog![/QUOTE]
Or a small noisy one.
Obviously not mine as it appears to be broken. Doesn't bark unless the doorbell is rung, often more than once.

 

[Dirk]

Put your important papers and valuables in a safe screwed on the floor.

The elderly parents of a mate of mine were burgled many years ago in a nice suburb of Birmingham.
They woke up in the morning to find the contents of their safe, minus valuables, scattered across their back lawn.

Their safe had been screwed to the floor........underneath their bed!

God only knows what would have happened if they had woken up during the theft.

 

[raleighnut]

A mate of mines brother had a great one. Sheba would let anyone into the house, wouldn't let anyone out again though.

I bought a 'field' motorbike from his lad, went round on Friday to pay him for it and went to the back door (which was open) so knocked and shouted 'yoo-hoo' and out trotted Sheba (who I knew) so I gave her a fuss but there was no-one in so I went to go out of the back yard, as soon as my hand touched the gate lock 'Ggrrrrh' but when I took my hand off it was back to wagging tail, tried again and was 'warned' by another growl. Ian thought it was funny when he got back from the shop 10 minutes later telling me "She caught my Mum last week"

 

[classic33]

Buying a CCTV system is all well and good, but if they take the storage?

Are you in the end house, and what way can you get out, if you needed to. Fence/wall three foot high the only thing stopping you.

What about a security light?

 

[Markymark]

Alarms, even monitored ones, aren't a deterrent as they don't care as they'll be out long before the police get there and know nobody walking passed will do anything.

Smartwater is good. And so is making it difficult to get in/out.

 

[User33236]

Buying a CCTV system is all well and good, but if they take the storage?

Are you in the end house, and what way can you get out, if you needed to. Fence/wall three foot high the only thing stopping you.

What about a security light?

One copy on the system recording, a second copy on a wireless NAS drive under the floorboards, and digital stills uploaded realtime to the cloud.

At least that how I got round it

 

[Drago]

CCTV can sometimes be a good detection tool, but there's no statistical evidence it has any measurable deterrence effect.

 

[classic33]

Knee jerk "solutions" are all well and good, but you can become over reliant on them. Neighbour was broken into and they removed the "computer", loading it into his car, which was reversed down the drive and driven off.

Get into a regular routine if possible. Or an irregular one. Making certain doors are locked, & keys removed to an easy to find place(for you), windows closed.

Even closing the gate , can help.

Decide beforehand what you'd do, if you were woken by anyone. Stick to it if you're able. Keep a phone, charged of course, nearby. 112 can be dialled from a mobile handset with no SIM card.

 

[gavroche]

Their safe had been screwed to the floor........underneath their bed!

I find that hard to believe. To unscrew the safe, you need to open first.