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Neighbours car parked in front of mums house caused a break-in
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BobT36 said:"They failed to get into her house as she has clips on the door on the inside"
What sort of "clips"? Clearly they were pretty good.
Something like this Ithink but they have to be fitted securely.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sandiy-Pack-Sash-Jammer-Blocker/dp/B08ML9N52S/ref=sr_1_10?adgrpid=117431926493&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIg-qpg_rB_QIVluvtCh0e_gsGEAAYASAAEgIliPD_BwE&hvadid=498389970620&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006548&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2181829159417418365&hvtargid=kwd-1178782087089&hydadcr=24888_1723779&keywords=door+security+clips&qid=1677921871&sr=8-10
Even a good deadbolt locking action ie fully locked means they have to smash the door. However, like us, we do not deadlock the door at night just in case of an emergency hence the alarm being untilised
Anyone considering keeping keys in a bedroom as someone suggested here, DON'T. as an intruder that wants the car will come into the bedroom at times. Leave them out of sight of windows, lettboxes etc and we leave ours halfway up the stairs but are alarmed as well and had the keyless activation deactivated as well on one of the cars that has it
Thanks1 -
Can completely understand your mum being upset and nervous in the house now. On a cul-de-sac I used to live in there were two burglaries within a few months and it's really traumatic for those affected. In one of those cases a car was stolen as the keys were in the house.
Key advice: Make the house as uninviting to burglars as possible.
Get a burglar alarm if she doesn't already have one. On that cul-de-sac, the only two houses without alarms were the ones burgled. The police said burglars will target the least secure properties. Slightly different if they're targeting houses for specific cars, but an alarm is a deterrent. Doesn't have to be an expensive monitored one or anything.
CCTV (with stickers up to say it's there) will also be an excellent deterrent. Even a Ring doorbell or similar so they know there's video recording of the doorstep would help.2 -
deannagone said:other than advice to put an alarm in, I don't think any of the advice is actually going to help the OP's mum or the OP feel safer and more calm....I'm not convinced the advice to get an alarm is that good either.To be useful the alarm needs to be used. If the homeowner is worried about false alarms etc (particularly annoying the neighbours) then they won't necessarily turn it on. In which case the only deterrent effect will be whatever features of the alarm system are visible from the outside of the property.Visibility from the outside is the second potential cause for concern. When deciding to have an alarm system installed it is necessary to consider the norms of the neighbourhood. If nobody else in the street has an alarm, a big box stuck on the front of the house potentially screams "There's something in this house worth stealing!". An alarm won't necessarily stop someone breaking in (especially if not turned on), so a balance needs to be struck between keeping the property secure, and drawing attention to the property.Fundamentally the OP believes the property was targeted because of the car parked outside. Sticking a flashy alarm box on the front of the property may have exactly the same effect.Exodi said:
I think an alarm is by far the best option. I have one on my own house, and if a door is opened while the alarm is set, there is a large audible beeping giving you ~30 seconds to enter the code. If you don't enter it, the external siren goes off - which I've witnessed first hand and it is truely deafening, there's no way a burglar would continue to break in with that going off.For £10k cash I'm sure you'd find a burgler willing to take the risk. If they 'know' there was that amount of cash kept in the property and where it was then it would be relatively low risk to break in, check that location and then get away, long before anyone responds to the alarm. An alarm going off will deter a casual burgler from checking out a property on the off-chance there is something valuable inside, but for those that know there is something worth getting and an approximate location, then the noise won't necessarily stop them.0 -
I am so sorry your Mum experienced this. And sorry the car owning neighbour was so lacking in empathy for your Mum's distress. Has your Mum's road got Neighbourhood Watch?
I am a 65 year old widow and since my husband died, always relied on my dog to be my burgular alarm. Very sadly he passed last October at the age of 14. I have a bungalow and have considered getting a burgular alarm, but I'm nervous of how I'd react if it did go off. I am going to have a Ring doorbell. I've got window locks, don't display anything of value near the windows, and have just got a 'Pat Lock' for my patio doors. I've always been nervous because as a kid I watched from my bedroom window as my Dad tackled a burgular at our back door, the burgular hit my Dad on the head with the jemmy he was using to break in. Luckily my Dad recovered from the fractured skull but lost his sense of taste for nearly two years.£216 saved 24 October 20145 -
ThisIsWeird said:paul2louise said:Thanks for replies, Yes the car was not parked on her drive but outside the front of her house. Yes he was polite to ask to park there. She used to have 2 cars and her partner passed away so didnt need the space at the front so the neighbour asked could he parked there. I think he doesnt park his car outside his house because he is on a busier road and she lives on a cul de sac just off this road.Yes there are assumptions but the police spent over 2 hours with my mum and neighbour and explained to them that they had strong feeling that it was the gang they were chasing in the area who were stealing the Golf cars. They couldnt get enough details from the CCTV unfortunately as they were hooded and its was dark but there were several of them.It is perfectly reasonable, then, for your mum to suggest they no longer park there.It winds me up when people feel they have the right to stop people parking on the road outside their house. They don’t. If you want to park outside your own house buy a house with a drive. If you don’t want others parking on the road then buy a house with street parking restrictions.
Some of the suggestions on this thread are good but asking someone not to park there isn’t.
From a very selfish point of view it’s probably better for the car owner to not park outside their own house. If there’s a gang targeting that type of car it’s far less likely to get stolen if it’s somewhere else.EssexHebridean said:paul2louise said:MorningcoffeeIV said:She should probably not let him park there again, if it's her space/driveway.
Maybe consider some CCTV if burglary is common in the area.
She may be able to claim on her home insurance, but the excess may not make it worthwhile.
For the record they don’t even necessarily need to break in anymore. A neighbour of my father in law had their fairly expensive car stolen by criminals with a scanner. They scanned from the outside of the house until they found the frequency from the key, that opened the car door and they were able to drive it away.1 -
diystarter7 said:Hi OP
Please ignore the very risky advice of keeping keys in the room you sleep in as I've seen tv shows and met a few people years ago where the intruder had to come to the bedroom to get the keys and also entered kids rooms looking for keys.
Have them on the stairs, out of sight of the letterbox/windows etc etcand if anyone is unfortunate enough to have an intruder that wants to take the car, they will pick them up on the stairs and go away. Some may disagree but most people would not want to see an intruder in their bedroom and if they want the car, they will come in to get keys. Having a good deterrent, stickers advertising your alarms etc will turn away 99% of crims
As per my post, keep them out of sight from windows, letterboxes etc but the last thing I'd want is waking up to an intruder standing next to my bed.
When people are asleep, break-ins are rare but do happen. Cars with keyless starts, these days they crooks dont come inside, but keep keeps in a safety, antitheft box/pouch etc and out of sight
When were broken into years ago as per my previous post it was about 4, 43.0 as light outside and warm, thank God for the alarm and since that day, we've left the keys on the side of the stairs halfway up out of sight where they can be seen from the outside or via the letterbox etc
As I said before, consult the crime prevention officer for peace of mind and tips
An alarm will keep most away and when it goes off the alarm will drive almost 100% of the crims away so a good alarm that is utilised is the way forward. We never go to bed without turning the alarm on even though we live in a pretty safe area,, right at the top of the close. If you have an alarm, use it is what I say or get one.
As I said and I retiterate the OP/family are victims, next door is a bystander and the crims have appeared to got away with it, The only person/s you can blame is those that tried to break in
Thanks..2 -
goater78 said:diystarter7 said:Hi OP
Please ignore the very risky advice of keeping keys in the room you sleep in as I've seen tv shows and met a few people years ago where the intruder had to come to the bedroom to get the keys and also entered kids rooms looking for keys.
Have them on the stairs, out of sight of the letterbox/windows etc etcand if anyone is unfortunate enough to have an intruder that wants to take the car, they will pick them up on the stairs and go away. Some may disagree but most people would not want to see an intruder in their bedroom and if they want the car, they will come in to get keys. Having a good deterrent, stickers advertising your alarms etc will turn away 99% of crims
As per my post, keep them out of sight from windows, letterboxes etc but the last thing I'd want is waking up to an intruder standing next to my bed.
When people are asleep, break-ins are rare but do happen. Cars with keyless starts, these days they crooks dont come inside, but keep keeps in a safety, antitheft box/pouch etc and out of sight
When were broken into years ago as per my previous post it was about 4, 43.0 as light outside and warm, thank God for the alarm and since that day, we've left the keys on the side of the stairs halfway up out of sight where they can be seen from the outside or via the letterbox etc
As I said before, consult the crime prevention officer for peace of mind and tips
An alarm will keep most away and when it goes off the alarm will drive almost 100% of the crims away so a good alarm that is utilised is the way forward. We never go to bed without turning the alarm on even though we live in a pretty safe area,, right at the top of the close. If you have an alarm, use it is what I say or get one.
As I said and I retiterate the OP/family are victims, next door is a bystander and the crims have appeared to got away with it, The only person/s you can blame is those that tried to break in
Thanks..
Thank you.
The poster that posted about keeping them in your room is a massive no, no.
We always leave them on the stairs, all three cars and have the night alarm on - keys as per prvious posts out of sight via windows and letterbox, etc
When we go away, alarms on etc and cars on the drive if going outside uk - we leave a note on the stairs all keys have been removed from the property - we trun on alam and automatic lights to make it look as though we are in.
So, in order to avoid an intruder that is hell bent on taking your car, leave the keys half way of the stairs so they don't enter your bedrooms. Put them in a sfety pocuh if keyless but the one car we have with keyless features, they have been disabled.
Thnaks
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Exodi said:diystarter7 said:JReacher1 said:There isn’t actually any proof that they tried to break into the house to steal the car parked outside. It’s just speculation.Sounds like your mum has good security if they didn’t get in. Maybe look at putting a camera on the door as well.
The only thing I'd add is an alarm as per my initial post here.
Alarms keep crims away from your bedside and the last thing you want is to see this type of vermin in your property especially if you/family are inside.
Thanks
Unfortunately the cameras were essentially useless the second time as they came wearing caps and scarves over their faces. Plus as most cameras are installed high up (so they can't be easily tampered with) this counterproductively means that it's very hard to see somebodies face if they are wearing a cap. The sad reality is, most people don't break into peoples houses wearing a vest and shorts.
I think an alarm is by far the best option. I have one on my own house, and if a door is opened while the alarm is set, there is a large audible beeping giving you ~30 seconds to enter the code. If you don't enter it, the external siren goes off - which I've witnessed first hand and it is truely deafening, there's no way a burglar would continue to break in with that going off.
I set mine when I go to bed or when I go out.+1 on the alarm.Also with Yale smart alarms (not expensive, alarm plus a couple of remotes about £120) when you set using the remote it has to be turned off with a remote or it gives instant alarm when any door opened, including access route. You just take keys to bed and set using the remote. If you know someone is coming with keys set on keypad and give them the pin. Great system.Mr Generous - Landlord for more than 10 years. Generous? - Possibly but sarcastic more likely.1 -
I think the alarm is good idea, breaking the light shows they were bothered about being seen so an alarm should have the same affect. They may think the car is now just in the garage so alarm and secure that better.
How did they break the light? 2 new ones higher up should be a good move.
And a camera with alerts to your phone may be an idea.2 -
youth_leader said:I am so sorry your Mum experienced this. And sorry the car owning neighbour was so lacking in empathy for your Mum's distress. Has your Mum's road got Neighbourhood Watch?
I am a 65 year old widow and since my husband died, always relied on my dog to be my burgular alarm. Very sadly he passed last October at the age of 14. I have a bungalow and have considered getting a burgular alarm, but I'm nervous of how I'd react if it did go off. I am going to have a Ring doorbell. I've got window locks, don't display anything of value near the windows, and have just got a 'Pat Lock' for my patio doors. I've always been nervous because as a kid I watched from my bedroom window as my Dad tackled a burgular at our back door, the burgular hit my Dad on the head with the jemmy he was using to break in. Luckily my Dad recovered from the fractured skull but lost his sense of taste for nearly two years.
Sorry about your past experiences
If you have a car, etc, please ignore the advice about keeping keys in the bedroom. Keep them out of sight from windows/letterboxes etc but i sight of an intruder that can pick up and go away without entering any bedrooms.
I find the the contact breaker alarm units are the best as they rarely do a false alarm.
Have an infrared senso possibly i your hall area. You can still set on night mode when at home
NB: Have a panic alarm by the bedside
Facts indicate that almost 100% of intruders will run once the larm has been set off, so you are safe
If you are still worried, ask for the local crime prevention officer to visit you and give you tips and reassurance etc.
It's often when the crook goes into a bedroom the problems start etc, so an alarm is good. Failing an alarm or forgetting to turn it on, most crooks will take the car and not disturb anyone if they can see the keys. However, a good alarm is best.
People deadloc their doors at night and the crooks have to make a lot of noise to get through that. It's when its not deadlocked it is easy so you can use clips if you dont feel safe deadlocking etc.
To reassure you, break in to a home while people are there is rare and even rarer is the confrantations.
Get stickers up on all main enrt and vulnerable areas of the house and an alarm, you will be good, trust me. Dont forget the panic button and keep phone close by. Securty floodlights are a good edition.
Thnaks
1
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