Enough is Enough

G

gooram

We've just had our 5th break and enter in as many years, 2 in the last month.

I suppose you could say the area is not as affluent as some, doesn't matter really for whatever reason our house is a target. We are guarenteed to be out from 8am till 6pm, clearly the neighbours are not home, deaf or too scared to investigate. We've lost in the past, 2 mountain bikes, wallets, mobile phones, cash, jewellery, spare car keys, and this time just alcohol. We assume these were the same people that took our spare keys, and they were coming back for the car since the door into our garage was kicked in.

Coming home to smashed windows and a house turned inside out is really unsettling, especially for our poor little putties.

Anyway, we admit defeat and have decided to get the f*&@k out of dodge. We're going to sell up and move on... drastic we know, but it's not worth it. I don't have the time to lie in wait under the bed with a cricket bat. We should get a good price and this is a good excuse to move on up... or over.
 
All the best; it is a terrible thing to come home to. We lived in an affluent district, and had three attempt breaks and two successful ones over a 10 year period. Our last one was the week after we had sold our house at auction - they obviously came through an open inspection and cased the house because the things they stole were hard to find.
 
Gooram, what suburb are you in out of interest?

We were broken into a couple years back- its such a stressfull sinking feeling when you arrive home to find it all a mess.
And then comes the hassle of it all that follows on for weeks/months.
 
I can understand how you feel after a break-in. It is so prevalent nowadays. I have had 3 break-ins over about 25 years. :( I suppose this is considered a good outcome? The best stretch of no break ins occurred when I was dirt poor or when I was living near retired oldies. I consider security alarms, insurance and inventory details of valuables a must have in my residential properties.

It's a reasonable decision to leave the place after a break-in. I had the feeling of being violated in the home sanctity after a break-in.

F
 
I know this will not help you, but I can tell you a funny story about friends of my parents who were contacted at the coast by their neighbours after they were broken into.

When the police came,they door knocked the neighbours, discovered the neighbours house had also been ransacked while they were at the coast. The broken-into neighbours knew where they were staying, as they stayed there every year, and got in touch with them to say they had also been ransacked and to come home.

When they got home, they had to sheepishly admit that what the police had seen through the windows and thought was the result of being ransacked was, actually...... how they left the house to go on holidays :eek:

I think of it every time we go for a holiday and try to leave the place looking neat :D

True story.

Wylie
 
Maybe leaving it in a mess might ensure you don't get ransacked as potential robbers could take one look and say to themselves "Darn, this place has already been done - let's try next door"!
 
Rixter said:
Gooram, what suburb are you in out of interest?

We were broken into a couple years back- its such a stressfull sinking feeling when you arrive home to find it all a mess.
And then comes the hassle of it all that follows on for weeks/months.
Click to expand...

We're in Bayswater, a small pocket by the river right next to Ashfield. It's a great spot when you're not getting ransacked.
 
Francesco said:
I can understand how you feel after a break-in. It is so prevalent nowadays. I have had 3 break-ins over about 25 years. :( I suppose this is considered a good outcome? The best stretch of no break ins occurred when I was dirt poor or when I was living near retired oldies. I consider security alarms, insurance and inventory details of valuables a must have in my residential properties.

It's a reasonable decision to leave the place after a break-in. I had the feeling of being violated in the home sanctity after a break-in.

F
Click to expand...

Yeah the question is where do you go? No where is safe, and you're right, the key is not to be vulnerable to break-ins. Even with an alarm, it won't stop people trying, so you'll at least be up for a new window. What's next, security grills on every window? What about the fixed panes? Bars on windows? Forget that. If someone really want to get in, there's always the manhole... unless you've got a tin roof of course.

I think also a factor is our small block creates good coverage for people moving around and inside the house, not much space between the fence and the walls of the house.
 
not good gooram.
Every suburb has its down sides. Its going to cost a few grand to sell up and buy else where. Sounds like you dont like the security grills on windows, why not look around at some other options now on the market for security of your home.
Your in a nice location there, dont walk away to quickly.
cheers yadreamin
 
tiger said:
How do security grills work as far as fire safety goes? Are they easily removable from the inside?
Click to expand...

No. But you can get hinged ones and you would then need to keep a key handy, but not within reach from the outside.

We have security grills on some windows but not on others. We leave the grill windows open all summer.

Because of the fire issue, we are looking into replacing the bedroom grills with decorator looking metal louvres which will let in the breeze but keep out the robbers. They look great in timber too but I suspect powder coated aluminium will be better security.

My parents have a full semi recessed patio made of this and it is classy looking and good security.


Wylie
 
We have been broken into a number of times also. But it wasn't by any human. It was our family border collie dog during storms. We have sliding doors with security doors. If the inside door is open (ie the glass door) our dog gets so frightened that she has ripped the bottom out of the security door and bent it in such a way that she can get into the house. On one occasion she also ripped the timber away from our main door security screen (the wooden door was open) and let herself in. We have repaired the security doors a number of times now. So if they can't keep out a dog, what chance do we have if someone really wanted to access the house.
 
Know how you feel gooram. Hope it works out.

Even with an alarm, it won't stop people trying, so you'll at least be up for a new window.
Click to expand...

If you put stickers everywhere then they know there is an alarm and are much less likely to bother trying.

Alarms are very effective I believe second behind a very large mean dog. It is worth spending $1000 on an alarm vs moving costs and see what happens. If you get the alarm monitored, even if they break in again they are limited in what they can take (they know they have only a short time before a patrol will arrive).
 
Glucose said:
Maybe leaving it in a mess might ensure you don't get ransacked as potential robbers could take one look and say to themselves "Darn, this place has already been done - let's try next door"!
Click to expand...

One of my mates leaves old mobile phones, keys and other such "valuable" items scattered in easy view.

We live in a very ordinary street and have done better than average on B&E events and there are two things spring to mind on why: There is no time of day when it can be assumed that no-one is home, same for nieghbours, and we all have dogs.

We did have one last summer though. A girl (I don't know if she was alone) climbed in a rear window which was open (summer). She actually climbed over a couple of cartons of XXXX and one of wine LOL. Must have gone into the bathroom area because the bead curtain was tied back and then headed for a bloody big book shelf where she found an old digital camera and Mrs T's spare car keys. Bingo!

Must have pushed the car into the street before starting it because it is parked directly under our bed but, in the end, only drove a couple of blocks and abandoned it, still with a full tank. Wonder why?

Well it is a top of the range Honda Accord with electric seats etc and (I'm assuming a long legged male companion here) the driver couldn't get the seat back from the steering wheel. Besides, no self respecting hoon drives a Honda. :D

When the cops were checking things out they asked about the dog... where was she at the time? In the air conditioning in our bedroom, where else!
 
My sympathies to you Gooram, I was broken into not long ago when I lived alone in Slacks Creek (near Woodridge) also a dodgy suburb, so I sort of know what you must feel like. The thing is, I was only broken into once in four years of living there, and only because I left the sliding security screen propped open so the cats could get in and out, so really it was my own stupid fault.

When I moved into the house, it had a low farm type gate and no security screens on any windows except for the main bedroom and the lady who lived there had been broken into many times. I put security screens on all windows and got a high timber gate installed which I locked with a chain and padlock whenever I went out. Also, I never had any valuable or expensive looking stuff visible from the windows - 15 y/o TV, video recorder and ancient computer was all, so there was no real reason for anyone to break in. Although every house is a target, I think that the harder you make it for anyone to break in, the more likely they will leave your house alone as it is mostly kids wanting to be quickly in and out as fast as possible, according to the police anyway.

I personally wouldn't feel safe in any suburb if my house didn't have bars or security grille/mesh on all ground floor windows and I don't care if it is like living in Fort Knox because it is my personal safety at stake, not just possessions.
 
I live in Sydney's West...

gooram said:
What's next, security grills on every window?
Click to expand...

Check

gooram said:
What about the fixed panes? Bars on windows?
Click to expand...

Check

gooram said:
If someone really want to get in, there's always the manhole... unless you've got a tin roof of course.
Click to expand...

Or tin sheeting and steel re-inforcing your roof tiles. Check.


Plus security shutters on every sliding door and window, Rottweiler warning signs all over the front gate (I have a black cat!), back to base alarm, deadlocks, window locks, and Bindi's all over the front and back lawn, as drug addicted dero's tend to walk around barefoot a lot.
 
If you are motivated to part with the $10k+ in moving costs (stamp duty, removalists, etc), I suggest you seriously investigate installing a video surveillance system for your home. You should be able to get somethign for less than $5k that can be connected to a desktop computer hidden in a cupboard. They can even send images to a website these days.

Some basic info here.
http://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/crimePrevention/video/default.htm

If they are breaking in during the day, then you'll have enough light. But I think motion sensor lighting is also a good deterrent.

My guess is the thieves are very local, or the relatives or their non local friends. They obviously have to know you are away for long periods during the day. I'd suggest you get out on Sat mornings and week nights for walks, and keep your eyes out for shady types. Someone flogged a couple of things (whipper snipper) out of my garage once while I was mowing the lawn down the back. I went and knocked on every door in my street and the neighbouring streets, and told about the theft, and asked if they'd ever been burgled. I wasn't that interested in whether they had been burgled, just wanted to leave a clear impression that I wasn't taking it lying down...

Further, you want to get a neighbourhood watch setup going. So many people don't know their neighbours and it is just so crazy to live like this. Most people are honest and fearful of theft. But at the end of the day, there are too few people who initiate a bit of community spirit....why don't you be the initiator.
 
P.S. if you are going to put a surveillance system in, I recommend putting in several dummy cams that are partially concealed, as in reasonably easily discovered.....and disguise the real cameras properly.....
 
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