Workshop Break in

"I personally think a balance needs to be struck when securing a workshop. You want to make sure it is secure so a passing tea leaf doesn't make easy work of your locks and is in you workshop in a matter of seconds but likewise you don't want it secured like Fort Knox and make the thief think it is "really worth his while" to get in because anything with this much security must be good! "

And, frankly, if you make it too much of a pain in the Ass you will inevitably, over time, stop carrying out some of the locking and securing procedures.

It is inevitable.

graham.

A big dog helps!!

Mark P.

I have recently received a knock on the door from the police, there have been several break ins so they've been warning everyone and handing out advice.- The police now have a database that you can register any/all serial numbers, from your phone, to you satnav, your TV, radio, tools, anything, even make your own serial numbers. This way if they ever find something or recover stolen goods, they can check the database, meaning you could get your stuff back, and it means you can also then ........

search the regular sites, craigslist, gumtree, ebay for a similar item in your proximity and ask to go and view it - is it yours can you identify it ??. (If you can't identify but you know it's yours...... make other arrangements )

So if you dont already, I'd start keeping serial numbers of all valuable stuff and mark them somewhere hidden "ish" with your own numbers if they don't have any or are not permanent enough! then if you view an item, and it is yours, keep your poker face on, and leave, drive around the corner, and call the police.

I'll get that database website link when I'm home tonight and post it here.

Just "Googled" this could be the link they gave me, they also gave me stickers advertising that everything was "registered" - not sure I'll use these, as the thief's would then know to remove the serial numbers!

**LINK**

Edited By Russell Bates on 03/01/2014 15:50:59

The National Mobile Phone theft register and the national crime unit for mobile phones is headed up by one (ONE) Detective Constable who is a terrific guy actually and he is fighting the whole thing, with essentially, no budget!

When he can get an operation going he enlists the help of others in Police forces around the country and frankly, the guy is one of those people who genuinely should receive a New Years honour. It is a formidable task the man has. If you had any idea how many mobile phones just one of the well known "we buy any phone" organisations gets sent every week and has to put to one side because they are on the stolen register you would be stunned. In fact, you would think I was making it up.

I cannot emphasise how important it is to register as many of your electronic belongings as possible on the register. It is getting to the point where I believe Insurance companies will require it, it would go some way to stop fraudulent claims too and in turn slow the constant rise in premiums for the rest of us.

What you need to do is get the Police to come round and mark up all your gear with "Smartwater". It is almost like everything has a DNA fingerprint registered to yourself. Call your local Crime Prevention officer.

graham.

These are very good **LINK**

Three are better though the Westie loves Postmen. Can't seem to manage a whole one though

graham.

Yes, we used to have a neighbour with a big dog, trouble is it used to bark rather a lot, morning noon and night, f*****g thing !.So living next door to someone with 3 must be lovely.Dont get me wrong, I like dogs, but not the ones whos owners couldnt control or give a damn. Sorry for the rant.

If I stand on a milk crate on my patio and crane my neck - I can just make out my neighbours.

And do not EVER group me with the FWits who quite simply should never be allowed ANY animal. I would be obliged.
And for the record, when the big ones bark I am bringing the shotgun. It is the little fella that is the noisy little git but I know when someone is at the bottom of the lane before they know where they are no matter what time it is.

graham.

Somebody once told me that "you keep a small dog to wake the big one who does the work".

We got burgled a few years ago while we had gone out with the dog for about an hour, nothing is foolproof!

Works for me!

My idea of "taking the dogs out" is to open the front door. But as you say nothing is foolproof. I am guilty of leaving outside doors unlocked - sheer forgetfulness - on more than one occasion

When the missus is away though, irrespective of the weather, I leave the back door into the yard open and then all the doors into the house open. This way if one of them wants to wee in the middle of the night they can just get on with it and not wake me up When the lady of the house is in residence though we all have to follow the rules!

(which involves a LOT of bolts and locks)

graham.

How about a couple of geese, they make good watch dogs and if they annoy the neighbours to much you can always eat them. The geese not the thieves!

Or from **LINK**

** How to Rid Your Yard of Cats [411]

The following is a description of a device I built at my home in
Brooklyn, which not only gave us relief from the

[Illustration: Electric Apparatus for Driving Away Cats]

nightly feline concerts, but also furnished much amusement to my
friends.

I first ran two bare copper wires along the top of the fence about
1 in. apart, fastening them down with small staples, care being
taken that they did not touch. To the ends of these wires I
fastened ordinary insulated bell wire, running them to the house
and connecting them to the upper binding-posts of an induction
coil; I then ran a wire from the lower binding-post of my coil
through the batteries back to the other lower binding-post of
coil, breaking the circuit by putting in an ordinary switch. The
more batteries used, the stronger the current. The switch should
always be left open, as it uses up the current very rapidly.

When "tabby" is well on the wires I close the switch and she goes
the length of the fence in bounds, often coming back to see what
the trouble is, thus receiving another shock.
--Contributed by Charles L. Pultz.

Might be one of the no's though.

This break in happened last week, not only tools were taking but also 3 hand build coal fired loco's which were a 35 year labor of love. You can see a picture of them on this website, http://www.nicospilt.com/index3.html , its the first item under the heading "nieuw" , which comes after "start" on the right topside of the page. Asked is the obvious that if someone comes across them to inform the police. Niko.

Edited By speelwerk on 09/01/2014 22:35:04

I also installed alarms for a while and we always put a bell or sounder on the inside, very effective, it might not raise the neighbours, but it reminds the visitor that they are not welcome.

Only a light hearted suggestion, but might contain some ideas....... If I was going to protect a shed , the following, all fitted inside the shed of course : C02 extinguisher to make plenty of 'smoke' , 2 very bright strobe lights , preferably flashing at different rates and finally a set of truck air horns fixed up to a pub C02 gas bottle should make about 130db. All these triggered by whatever alarm device you choose , floor pressure pad, PIR, what ever you want. Something along these lines would be extremely disorienting and make the intruder want to get out as soon as possible. Makes me smile anyway