How to feel safe again in your own home

Guest101

Faith177 wrote: »

Got home from work on Saturday to find some little darling has attempted to break in to my home by prising open the small top kitchen window


Looks like luckily the dogs scared them off before they could do any real damage or get in.


The police weren't able to gather any evidence but said there were smudge marks showing they got their hands in to open the locks on the main window below


I now can't relax in my house every time I hear a noise I'm getting up to investigate. I know I am so very lucky that they were stopped but I just can't shake the idea that they are going to come back doesn't help that I suffer with anxiety so my brain is running away with itself


Has anyone else been through this and have any advice?

For what it's worth most thieves are opportunists looking for easy targets. Knowing there's dog in the house prob deter them.

Invest in some prominent CCTV, will help ( no there's no law against it - before that starts again )

suki1964

I was assaulted in my own home aged 24

Woke to find a man sitting on me with a knife at my throat

No need to say any more



Do get in touch with victim support. They are fantastic. For me they were extra helpful in getting me moved to another area. They also were there to have a shoulder to cry on, to talk out my fears and worries

When I did get rehomed the crime prevention officer came around and went through my flat and gave me advice on security, out side lights, door and window locks, spy hole etc ( long before CCTV was around)

It will take time to feel safe again but being proactive really helps And don't be afraid to say that you are feeling vulnerable. I used VS and the Samaritans when I found it tough going but even a good supportive friend will be of help

Good luck for the future. The fear will pass eventually

syntheticpulse

Yes, two months ago we had the same thing.

I'd dared to take my OH away (with both of our dogs...) for his 40th.

Whilst we were away, we recieved a message from our neighbour telling us that our bedroom window looked like it had been damaged, he'd been up and checked and no one had got in. Naturally then I was just worried sick about the house and we ended his 40th birthday waiting up for the police to come round after a long drive back and a wasted night in a hotel (already paid for!)

Police couldn't take prints. They'd tried to crowbar our bedroom window open with such force they'd bent the frame and cipped bricks on the outside. They hadn't got in purely because they'd not realised it was a side opening window, not bottom. For whatever reason then, they'd given up and tried another house further down the road whose occupants were also on holiday, got disturbed and bolted.

We've had to use the home insurance for a new window, at a cost to us of £200. £200 which we really didn't have at the time

I feel fine when the dogs are in. No worries there at all. I am however a little hesitant about going to visit family a couple of hours away over Christmas

I'll be leaving certain lights and the TVs on. I'll also be asking our neighbours to keep an eye. It makes you wonder what sort of people there are out there who are comfortable making others feel scared in their own home

Spendless

meer53 wrote: »

I was burgled whilst myself and my 8 year old daughter were asleep in bed. I never heard a thing, they took everything, including my brand new car. They snapped the lock on the back door and let themselves in and out again.

This happened to us earlier this year. The target was my husband's car, but they picked up some items en route (2 laptops, wallet, kindle).We now have anti snap locks fitted to the doors. Victim Support came round and gave us some freebies including window alarms, internal door alarm, personal alarms. We also hide our sets of keys before going to bed.

We got the car back as it was fitted with a tracking system, and months on me, husband and son are ok but it's left my 11yo daughter who is more sensitive with a fear of coming downstairs first in a morning.

pollypenny

So sorry to hear that Faith. However, I do think that the dogs will be the deterrent for anyone trying it again.

Years ago ago we had trouble with phone calls in the middle of the night and a prowler, all when husbands were working nights. I actually hearts my back door being tried in the might, but a low growl soon made him scarper.

We suspected it was a window cleaner and the trouble used to happen at half terms when his wife went to look after her sister's kids.

Faith177

Thank you all so much sharing your experiences

Found out last night that there was a break in last night at 5pm the next road over from mine the same MO and another was done on Friday 2 roads away so I am in overkill now

Housemate is going to put a lamp on as he leaves and OH is going to get me some timer switches and hopefully a movement light too

We have a camera at the front of the house but it has been O/S since as long as I can remember but think i'm going to get it looked at

I made sure as I left the house I checked all the windows throughly and triple checked the locks on the door and I have also started to put the mortice lock on too before i just did the one but now I just dont feel that's enough

I need to look into an alarm but as cats and dogs have run of the house during the day so I don't know how that will work so need to arrange an appointment with someone like ADT

warmhands.coldheart

Get some extra locks fitted to your windows.
Like these possibly. There are a number of types out there
I fitted these to my opening windows when burgled quite a while ago... Just added extra piece of mind...
Mind you... if someone wants to get in badly they will just smash a window or the likes so nothing really you can do about that other than steel bars on your widows and doors....

ally18

I just wanted to add, dogs are not necessarily a deterrent!

I was burgled many years ago over night, whilst my daughters and I were asleep and the dog was downstairs! They came through a very small kitchen top window and then unlocked the front door to go out.
It was this being wide open the next morning when we realised what had happened.

The dog never made a noise and we heard nothing. Talk about soft, the police even laughed! Mind you, the dog did go around the house slightly shamefaced for a while afterwards, I think he knew what he had done. He was a Labrador so not a small dog either!

For years afterwards, I took a knife upstairs with me (due to being on my own) purely for that safety thought.

No one was ever caught but the police did sell me a false burglar box for the front of the house .

Since then though, I make double rounds every night to make sure everything is locked. All downstairs windows are kept locked all the time and I take the front and back door keys out and put them out of sight away from the door. I still feel apprehensive because of this and yet it happened about 11 years ago.

sammyjammy

Could you contact your local crime prevention officer? They can do a walk around pointing out vulnerable areas nadoptions for improving your security.

I woke at 6am once and went down to my kitchen finding a couple of lads with a fishing pole with a huge magnetic attached throguh my catflap trying to get my car keys that were on the other side of the room. I live alone and haven't slept properly since. The police were great with fingerprints etc but had no luck in solving it.

neneromanova

Can you not get a sign out the front saying warning, vicious dogs or warning, huskies loose and see if that deters people?