Neighbour burgled - anything I can do for them?

pinkteapot

Hubby's parents normally stay when we're away so we very rarely leave the house empty anyway.

My biggest nightmare is people breaking in while we're home (overnight), but both mum and hubby said the vast majority of burglars run if they hear you as the police don't put too much time into investigating burglaries but it'd go up their priority list if it turned violent! Our burglar alarm is set overnight and we also have a panic button in our room that sounds the alarm immediately. There's also a lock on our bedroom door - have never known why but we used it last night as it made me feel a bit safer.

I also used every single security thing on our front door so yale lock, deadlock, two bolts and security chain (it's never been replaced with a UPVC door so no standard multi-point locking). If there had been a fire it would have taken us ages to get out. :rotfl:

catkins

I was burgled quite a few years ago and it is horrible. I really can't describe how I felt - sick, angry, scared. I didn't even like being in the house on my own during the day after it and we actually moved houses quite soon afterwards even though we made a big loss on our sale.


I would just swop phone numbers if you haven't already and say to phone each other if worried about any sounds etc.


Obviously they will try and make the house safer although that never helped me. Best thing is to get a dog as burglars are far less likely to break into a house with one. My 2 wouldn't let anyone in that's for sure and if someone broke in I know absolutely one of my dogs would go for them despite him being the softest dog normally

pinkteapot

We have a cat. He'd either hide or meow at the burglars in an attempt to get some food.

dandelionclock30

Regarding burglar alarms they are a false sence of security really as they can all be disabled by decent thieves.Also they know how to take out UPVC windows etc.
I think the best thing really is not to leave the house unattended overnight and during the day I would leave the radio on.
If I was on my own I'd also get a dog, a big one.

fivetide

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

Regarding burglar alarms they are a false sence of security really as they can all be disabled by decent thieves.Also they know how to take out UPVC windows etc.
I think the best thing really is not to leave the house unattended overnight and during the day I would leave the radio on.
If I was on my own I'd also get a dog, a big one.

So your advice is to become a recluse and never go on holiday... ever?


Sorry but this just isn't practical.


Removing a UPVC window, if it has been properly installed is not a simple task!


Sorry but this is largely scaremongering and I am sure it isn't what pinkteapot needs to hear right now.

pinkteapot

It's OK, I know that if someone's determined to get in then they will find a way. Mum with her insurance underwriter experience says our area's not high net worth enough to be attracting the really hardcore professional burglars. I just hope the alarm is a bit of a deterrent. It is noticeable that they hit one of the few houses on the street without one.

Our windows were only put in four years ago so should be relatively secure.

dandelionclock30

Not scaremongering at all, I've done plenty of work with offenders to know this is correct.If it was that hard nobody would be getting done would they.Burglaries and shoplifting are at an all time high.
I'd go on holiday but I wouldnt leave my property unoccupied.

purpleshoes_2

Sometimes you have no option. I have no one who can stay over at mine if I'm away. I live in a pretty rough area and there is crime. I'm in a secure entry block and my front door is secure, in saying that I'm sure there are people who would know how to force it, but the local council put CCTV above every door in the blocks of flats, inside the blocks. They said it's cut crime by around 70 per cent. I only go away for two weeks in a year and a few days at Christmas and new year. Some people get burgled when they are at home, I think sometimes you need to take your chances.

A CCTV camera and one of those sensors that light goes on when someone walks to the front door might be an option.

pinkteapot

It has made me ponder CCTV but it's not cheap and our house already has too many wires around it. It's not common in our area at all. When we were looking for houses, one listing said the house had CCTV and it actually put me off slightly as I assumed they'd been burgled in the past!

In a newspaper article about the burglaries there's a CCTV image of the burglars, so it presumably didn't put them off that house.

fivetide

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

Not scaremongering at all, I've done plenty of work with offenders to know this is correct.If it was that hard nobody would be getting done would they.Burglaries and shoplifting are at an all time high.
I'd go on holiday but I wouldnt leave my property unoccupied.

Really?


Shoplifting is up as a "economic hardship" crime but burglary is down again and other types of household theft are down 25%


http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/24/crime-rate-england-wales-falls-lowest-level-33-years


Scaremongering.