Leave the lights on?

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by agrumpycow

Fourwing's is a PCSO

indeed and the training is clearly working well

[Wild-Woman]

Just to add, it's a good idea to get a trustworthy neighbour to check each day whilst you are away,to make sure there are no letters or papers sticking out of your letter-box. This is such an obvious indicator to the fact that the property is empty.
Also, if you are happy,give them a key allowing them to come in and gather up your mail, and keeping it away the door.
We also have a shared driveway and when our neighbours are away, we straddle our cars across both so potential burglars don't know who's in and who's out. They do the same for us.
Lastly. don't advertise what you've bought recently by leaving out say a TV box or something like that. Where we used to live, a neighbour was broken into, lots of stuff stolen and when they replaced everything that the insurance had paid out for, they put the boxes out for collection and within a month, the very same thing happened again.

[agrumpycow]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

We also have a shared driveway and when our neighbours are away, we straddle our cars across both so potential burglars don't know who's in and who's out. They do the same for us.

That is one I agree with. Most houses in our street have a single driveway yet have more than one car
When we're away, even just overnight, our neighbour parks on of their cars on our drive.

[DebbieP]

I think a timer light switch would be the best idea, and/or leaving the radio on - radios don't use much energy and you could always get a wind up one! In my student houses I've been burgled twice, both times just after Christmas. Thats the most important time to make the house secure, just things like double locking the door (coat hanger through the letter box is how the police reckon they got in one time - the other they just kicked in the back door! It was a pretty shoddy door though!) can make a whole lot of difference. Also putting a house alarm up is meant to work, it doesn't need to be an actual working alarm, but it the burglers are going from house to house (which they often do) it maybe enough to put them off.

[shei111]

Originally Posted by DebbieP

I think a timer light switch would be the best idea, and/or leaving the radio on - radios don't use much energy and you could always get a wind up one! In my student houses I've been burgled twice, both times just after Christmas. Thats the most important time to make the house secure, just things like double locking the door (coat hanger through the letter box is how the police reckon they got in one time - the other they just kicked in the back door! It was a pretty shoddy door though!) can make a whole lot of difference. Also putting a house alarm up is meant to work, it doesn't need to be an actual working alarm, but it the burglers are going from house to house (which they often do) it maybe enough to put them off.

Its okay to leave a radio on but with all the double glazing we have these days you dont hear it on the outside,the volume would have to be up fairly to hear it. sheila

[Garden Carpet]

My neighbours were burgled at 8.30 am.... I wasnt... I have two dogs the llittle one is a good barker. At that time my neighbours didnt have a dog.. they now own a doberman! I suspect the thieves must have known the neighbours were at work. We are accessed by a dirt track at least a hundred yards long and there are only two houses.. so it seems the robbers had prior knowledge of the comings and goings next door.

Thanks to the previous tennant of my house I have re-inforced glass in my back (only) door (the hobnail boot marks from the display are still on it) and a steel panel in the lower part.... I dont have much concern about anyone breaking in my door.

I have never experienced a burglary and hope never to... it must be a horrible experience.

jaki

PS cant ask my neighbour to house sit as he practicaly accused me of having a hand in the burglary!!!!!

[Bwrack]

Years ago the local police were doing an anti burglar initiative in my area...they came in and gave the place the once over, and then advised how to make our house a bit more secure..afterwards during question time their consensus was, a dog presence made little
or no difference..if someone has the nerve or b...s to break into a house to steal desecrate or whatever,Fido wouldn't worry them too much.

[Phoebe]

A single dog would not be enough deterrent for a professional burglar. I have never been burgled but have always had at least two dogs who were left the run of the whole house. It's no use if they are locked in one room. I had four dogs a few years ago and am now down to two and they are the Jack Russells, there is no way a burglar would attempt to break in with these dogs. lol at least I hope not, as they would be leaving in a body bag!

[jacbaye]

We give a set of keys to our friends and have them come over every other day to pick up the mail and close/open curtains to make it look less like we are away. Hadn't though about timing lights, but saying that we've never been burgled (touching wood)...

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by agrumpycow

Fourwing's is a PCSO

Is that good, then?

Jim

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by jacbaye

We give a set of keys to our friends and have them come over every other day to pick up the mail and close/open curtains to make it look less like we are away. Hadn't though about timing lights, but saying that we've never been burgled (touching wood)...

I've only been burgled once, and that was when i was away and my neighbour had the keys and was going in to close the curtains and put the lights on in the evening ... he was in a rush in the morning and only locked one of the locks on my back door, instead of the normal two as the door had swelled slightly after days of heavy rain and it was a bit tricky to lock ... And the burglars smashed down the door.

So now I carefully lock up when I go out/away, and no one is ever given a key to look after things.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

he was in a rush in the morning and only locked one of the locks on my back door, instead of the normal two as the door had swelled slightly after days of heavy rain and it was a bit tricky to lock ... And the burglars smashed down the door.

I would think that if they smashed the door down with one lock, they'd smash it down with two. It'd just take about 10 seconds longer!

Jim

[ron1863]

I agree with Roger, a yappie dog is the best deterrent. Our Yorkie barks when anyone comes down the path, mind you our last dog, an Irish Setter would have greeted the burglars and left with them.

[James M]

My mum and dad do this when they go out, but we try and offset the amount used by lets say for example not using the computer that day when we normally would.

[Paul mabbott]

Yes, I think you need the deterrent to be real for it to work. We has a sign once, jokingly saying, 'Beware of the rabbit'. Not that we allowed it to roam the house but anyone trying to steal it would get a shock!

The best, real notice I saw was, 'Beware of the snakes.' The chap had an enormous collection of snales (half his house and most of his garden) with caged snakes but also a large constrictor which wandered freely (except for when he was sleeping, I think) ....

[Cellarman]

So, you leave a light on when you're out and it may indeed prevent a burglary. Okay, it's wasting energy, but how much energy will be wasted in having to replace all the electical gadgets that will be pinched if the burglars get in? Frankly, I'm happy to waste a bit of energy to protect my home, especially since most burglaries don't just result in stolen items but with vandalism and worse.

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by Cellarman

So, you leave a light on when you're out and it may indeed prevent a burglary. Okay, it's wasting energy, but how much energy will be wasted in having to replace all the electical gadgets that will be pinched if the burglars get in? Frankly, I'm happy to waste a bit of energy to protect my home, especially since most burglaries don't just result in stolen items but with vandalism and worse.

In my case, if the burglar(s) had bothered to look through the window they'd have spotted that my tv was black and white, and the hifi didn't have a cd player, so not worth the effort .... they ended up just making a mess of the door, took the hifi which had a broken cassette player (serves them right!) ... and took my cycling cape to hide it in. The cycling cape was a special one from Germany, and the one thing I couldn't replace ... My two bikes were locked together, so they didn't take those, thank goodness ...

I used to leave my lights on, one on a timer, and another on random on a light level sensor, but I don't do these days. Instead I've just made sure my locks and doors are better quality and better fitted than my neighbours' ...

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

.......... Instead I've just made sure my locks and doors are better quality and better fitted than my neighbours' ...

That does seem to be the best way to deal with the threat! Most burglaries in ordinary homes are casual and amateur - not professional and high-tec. Most burglars will move on if they find well locked doors and windows ...

[Fourwings]

Originally Posted by Phoebe

A single dog would not be enough deterrent for a professional burglar.

Depends on the type of dog really. They are brilliant deterrants.

This is my little baby called Sky, dog number 3 to be exact, the image was taken by my daughter in April when Sky was just 6 months old.

Looking at this image now she has at least doubled in size, I have never had a GSD before and she is very different to any other dog I have ever had, devoted to me, happy to be with her close family, but totally lacking in any sort of polite social skills when meeting anyone else unfortunately

We dont get as many vistors as we used to and you can possibly see why when you see her standing on her back legs looking out of the window, lips curled, showing every tooth in her head and growling.

In my opinion far better than any alarm system!

[glsammy]

She's a beauty Steve. I had a GSD dog along time ago now and should I ever have another dog I can't imagine having any other bread. The only reason I've never had another is purely down to my cowardly behaviour when it came time to lose him. I still regard that day as the worst day in my life.
One point I will make, our dog was just like yours to anyone calling at the house. Jumping at the window, teeth bared, very impressive. However, one one occasion one of my employees called around and I'd left the door unlocked with the dog inside. I was in the rear garden. He had no fear of our dog and came straight into the house. Our dog never raised a murmur! He had met the dog many times before so I hung onto that as the reason for his behaviour.

[valleyforge]

Here's a technological solution for you all to consider ... costs less than £30 and next-to-nothing to run:

Fake TV at Gizoo