How to feel safe again in your own home

jodles16

We were burgled about 4 years ago, police eventually found them after a rash of around 30burglaries in the area by some youngsters, even now I worry a lot about the safety of the house especially since we have moved somewhere more rural and I worry about my dogs! Though people seem to think they look 'aggressive' I worry about people stealing them for bait dogs! (I watch far too much TV and there are far too many scaremongering posts on facebook!!). My Dad is getting CCTV installed outside which he can access anytime, his dogs have run of the house so he felt this was a good option.

Thanks warmhands.coldheart they look like a great idea! Though sadly your right thats what they did to our previous back door, I think they tried jimmying it but it shattered!

It is a horrid feeling and can take a long time to feel safe again!

snowleopard61

ally18 wrote: »

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

...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!

I must admit this was our experience too (in a previous house). Our dear (late) soppy dog used to bark like crazy when any friend or other visitor came to the door and rang the doorbell. However, the burglars (not surprisingly!) didn't ring the doorbell but just forced a window very neatly downstairs while we were asleep upstairs. The dog therefore didn't bark but just carried on snoring beside our bed!

I did, however, hear a story of a burglar who was found by a couple who returned from holiday, kept at bay on the top of a wardrobe by a snarling Rottweiler. Don't know how long he'd been there but it served him right!

ETA: I didn't personally know the people involved and [disclaimer!] if I had a dog I certainly wouldn't leave it alone when I was away ... possibly they were out rather than actually away.

bugslet

I was burgled last year whilst away on work and my mutts in kennels, they kicked the front door in, a standar uPVC one, which I later found any idiot can break into by smashing the centre panels.

I upgraded the front and back doors and double check the windows are fully locked and had an alarm installed. The only problem with the alarm is that it goes off if something like a spider crawls across it, which a) annoys the neighbours and b) gets my heart racing in case it's something more than a spider.:o

However, I did find that upgrading security helped and stopped jumping at every sound once the new doors were on.

If I had been in, the dogs would have barked and woken me up.

One word of caution about dogs, friends of mine were burgled a few years back. They had two Rhodesia Ridgebacks at the time and they were knocked out - it does suggest that in that instance it was very much planned ( they live in a pretty flash house! ), whereas most burglarys are opportunistic.

TBeckett100

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?

I have been through this. It was 2am and we lived in the middle of nowhere

I always sleep with the window open and lights on downstairs and the sound of the metal gate handle turning was enough to wake me up.

I sat up in bed and listened. I heard the cat flap slowly open and having just buried the cat I knew it wasn't him. Then I heard a slight knocking noise and then the sound of the back door opening and a broom falling over.

We looked out of the window and saw the man standing in the road outside. After calling 999 We went downstairs and discovered that he had taken a broom from outside, put the handle through the cat flap and tried to nudge the Yale lock handle from inside. We walked into the living room and saw a 6 foot cane poking through the letter box in an attempt to lever my wallet.

The police arrived within minutes and the village was crawling within 10. Never caught but they had an inkling. The police said because I left the lights on he could see my car keys on the side in the kitchen and my wallet in the living room.

Next day I bought window locks and a dummy alarm box and a security light. I bought a pressure mat for the Backdoor which went off every time a cat sat on it in the middle of the night.

Thankfully for us the house was under offer so we moved but I installed a proper alarm here and everything is locked.

After a year we find ourselves back to normal and the alarm isn't set as often as it should. I bought a rock door for the front door which even the police would struggle breaking down.

Unless people go through it, even though they took nothing, the distress that someone has selected you takes a long time (I couldn't get back to sleep that night until the sun rose).

To answer your question, it will probably take a year.

Counting_Pennies_2

Faith177 wrote: »

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

You can have sensors that only activate when a person walks in, ie it doesn't pick up if the person crawls on their tummy to the level a dog or cat is

idea

I had this, but I walked in on the person walking out with my stuff, we had a bit of an altercation and I ended up lying on the floor after being pushed out of the way (I was in-between him and the door). Living in a ground floor flat. Took me ages to be able to sleep with a window open and even longer to be able to walk in and not have to check each room in the place.

The only thing I can say is that you will get over it I promise. It will take time, but if I can do it so can you. The poster above that said a year was about on the money in terms of me.

I now have a dog....noise in the night I put down to him, but perhaps that's my good part of my brain telling me not to worry and get some sleep.

Wishing you all the best xx

Edwardia

People have tried to break into two houses I've lived in, both times I was in at the time. One was 9pm on a weekday winter evening the other mid-morning on a summer morning.

Suggestions

- Window locks on all windows and make sure they are locked whenever you are out.
- Window alarms are fairly cheap.
- Venetian or roller blinds so when you go out can make it more difficult for someone to try and open a window by sticking arm through and noise alerts dogs
- Cat flaps which only open for the cat
- Letterbox cage or keep keys well out of range/view
- Double locks on all external doors and keep door chain on when you're in or have a door alert which warns if someone is on front path or tampering with door
- CCTV ?
- Burglar alarm ?
- Prickly plants in front of windows
- No ladders, storage bins which enable easier access to windows

Takeaway_Addict

put a cctv system that covers the outside and inside in some key areas (living room, corridors etc)

Beckyy

Very sorry to hear about the attempted break in.

neneromanova wrote: »

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

I would be wary that could land you with some awkward questions regarding the dangerous dogs act etc. Dogs can be a deterrent but I wouldn't try and say they were vicious.

You could put one of these:




On the nearest lamp-post, and possibly on the side of your property. Actually putting up cameras wouldn't be a bad idea, they may be helpful for numerous things at some point.

SuzieSue

I use this on my bedroom door at night:

http://www.templock.co.uk/