Breakins

Mullie

Looks like it was a big night for breakins in Greystones last night. We're up in Charlesland Court and the alarm went off at 3am, the backdoor handle is hanging off the door but thankfully they didn't get in.
So far I've heard from the locksmith, there were 3 more in the Charlesland area, 1 in Redford and the police had a callout to a car breakin in Killincarrig while they were at my place.
So lock up everyone!

Angel

Yeah, one of our cars was broken into on Sunday night.

Hi

weird that...the missus has been up a few nights in the last couple of weeks...she believes someone was trying to prize open the windows...was thinking of putting censor lights on the house.

Moobui

There has been quite a few break ins in Eden Gate too, some of them during the day when people are at work.

Huntthe

Mullie wrote: »

Looks like it was a big night for breakins in Greystones last night. We're up in Charlesland Court and the alarm went off at 3am, the backdoor handle is hanging off the door but thankfully they didn't get in.
So far I've heard from the locksmith, there were 3 more in the Charlesland area, 1 in Redford and the police had a callout to a car breakin in Killincarrig while they were at my place.
So lock up everyone!

Tis the Season.....

Those of you don't have an alarm should get one before they get in.

Welsh Wizard

Huntthe wrote: »

Tis the Season.....

Those of who don't have an alarm should get one before they get in.

But who is going to take notice of a house alarm now that so many go off for no reason...

Huntthe

Welsh Wizard wrote: »

But who is going to take notice of a house alarm now that so many go off for no reason...

They're useless stand alone, you need one connected to a Security firm or Eircom Phonewatch.

The Real B-man

Lots of Houses in Kilcoole getting burguld also 2 in my estate alone i got broken into two years ago and was in the house at the time and didnt hear them! if you have a alarm put it on when your in the house for piece of mind!

Huntthe

Statistically most burglaries occur when people are in the house !!!

Mullie

Huntthe wrote: »

Statistically most burglaries occur when people are in the house !!!

Exactly, and the other night, if our alarm hadn't gone off, I could have woken up with someone in the bedroom.
Fair enough, people (including myself) do ignore alarms during the day, but the true value is in the warning it gives you when you and ur loved ones are in the house.

sagat

A dog is by far the best alarm you can have. Very rare that somebody will break into a house if they think there's a dog inside.

MyPerfectCousin

sagat wrote: »

A dog is by far the best alarm you can have. Very rare that somebody will break into a house if they think there's a dog inside.

And even if it's a little dog who wouldn't intimidate anyone, it would at least be good for raising an early alarm.

The Bishop Basher

Mullie wrote: »

Exactly, and the other night, if our alarm hadn't gone off, I could have woken up with someone in the bedroom.
Fair enough, people (including myself) do ignore alarms during the day, but the true value is in the warning it gives you when you and ur loved ones are in the house.

Depends where you are. Round our way we all check out each others houses when alarms go off. Well all except for one house. They managed to alienate everyone so we let that one ring

Huntthe

Guys , forget about a dog as security, a bit of steak with a sleeping pill in it through the letter box or earlier in the day and than they're back in an hour, Shep is not the answer.

As regards there being value in alarm activating and telling you that that there is someone in the house , well I'd just prefer they didn't break in, in the first place personally.
If you have a monitored alarm, an alarm that someone is going to respond to if it activates , than burglars will leave you alone. Possibly only checking the odd time to see if it's on by tapping on the doors or windows...cheeky buggers, but that's what they do.

RayM

The spate of burglaries in Greystones and Kilcoole was actually mentioned on Liveline earlier today. A woman rang up and said that "even the council estates were being burgled" (seriously, she said that). Her Sony Vaio and Volvo cabriolet were taken.

Pablo Sanchez

Huntthe wrote: »

Guys , forget about a dog as security, a bit of steak with a sleeping pill in it through the letter box or earlier in the day and than they're back in an hour, Shep is not the answer.

.

Im not sure cartoon/movie break-ins are that big a concern:eek:

Huntthe

Pablo Sanchez wrote: »

Im not sure cartoon/movie break-ins are that big a concern:eek:

The thing about free advice is that people tend to ignore things they don't have to pay for.Feel free to disregard my advice, no skin off my nose. Putting the pooch to sleep is the oldest trick in the book and is a regular occurence.

Pablo Sanchez

Huntthe wrote: »

Putting the pooch to sleep is the oldest trick in the book and is a regular occurence.

Well i do remember something similar in 'Theres something about Mary'?

Eoin

I think we're drifting a little off topic here!

Pablo Sanchez

Eoin, correct as always:pac:

I was mearly trying to point out that the type of opportunistic thief looking for open windows or unlocked back doors is unlikely to put that much planning and smarts to come prepared with steak and doggy sleeping pills!

That said this time of year there is always a spike in break ins. Its christmas time for theives too and they need pressies under their tree as much as we do.

In fact a lot of insurance companies are aware that people have more merchandise than usual around christmas and this can be targeted so they are good enough to up your insurance by 5-10% for free and gratis.

Huntthe

Pablo Sanchez wrote: »

Eoin, correct as always:pac:

I was mearly trying to point out that the type of opportunistic thief looking for open windows or unlocked back doors is unlikely to put that much planning and smarts to come prepared with steak and doggy sleeping pills!

Opportunistic is stealing a hand bag from a car or a wallet from a coat, guys who break into peoples homes are not just chancing their arm.

steve-hosting36

We were burgled a little while back (Eden Gate) - feckers prised open the kitchen window and were in - we have an Eircom phonewatch alarm, but they simply pulled the phone cables out of the junction box at the side of the house!

Since then the junction box has a steel plate on it, the alarm has a GSM backup modem, the house is surrounded by sensor lights and CCTV with offsite recording and every window and door has security locks fitted....

Since the new junction opened, it's been open season in the area

Huntthe

Wow must have cost a fortune, would the steel plate or the switch to GSM not have been enough ?

fishdog

We were burgled a little while back (Eden Gate)

Sorry to hear that! Nothing worse!

we have an Eircom phonewatch alarm, but they simply pulled the phone cables out of the junction box at the side of the house!

This is very common now and it seems to be well known that the wireless Eircom alarms are easier to get around than most other alarm systems.
(I installed many alarm systems in the past, not any more).

Since then the junction box has a steel plate on it, the alarm has a GSM backup modem

The steel plate is a waste of time because the box is only made of plastic! Just cosmetic.

The GSM module is very good idea.

Wow must have cost a fortune

The CCTV has come down in price alot and is easy to install. Many people install it themselves now. Maplins sell easy to install IP cameras for small money now (each camera can have an IP address).

Stinel make qood quality sensor lights (5 year warrenty) for about €60 each.

In the past I was often called to install an alarm in a house that had just been broken into. All of these houses had one thing in common, no dog!!

steve-hosting36

What fishdog said - the cctv and sensor lights were not that expensive, the security locks were dear, but worth it for the peace of mind. As for the steel plate - it covers the eircom junction box (which is plastic) entirely, and is bolted into the wall above and below the box. Barring actually getting a dog, we felt these measures sufficient to ensure the scumbags 'keep walking'.

Huntthe

Excuse me for being stupid but does your phoneline come from the ground. My phoneline comes to the house from a pole and at a height.The only way to reach the phoneline is on a ladder.

ciaran67

Remember, its usually down to just a few people doing these burglaries.

Eoin

Huntthe wrote: »

Excuse me for being stupid but does your phoneline come from the ground. My phoneline comes to the house from a pole and at a height.The only way to reach the phoneline is on a ladder.

I am pretty sure that the phone lines in Charlesland go in through the ground from DP boxes that are outside every few houses. Also, the alarm box itself probably connects to the phone line through a standard RJ11 phone cable into the house, so you can probably snip it at the box. fishdog can probably correct me on this though.

delly

No alarm system is foolproof and every house has a chance of being burgled, but what stops somebody targeting your house is how easy you make it for a burglar; i.e. having as many deterrents as possible.

First off regardless of how much value you place on an alarm alerting your neighbours, the fact is that 2 out of 3 houses that are broken into don't have alarms so they are worth having. Keeping side-gates padlocked, having sensor lights and ensuring windows are closed are simple things that can make a burglar think twice and move onto the next home.

FirstIn

My two pence worth:

I am in a 2 bed townhouse,

I have an alarm in the house, not a monitored one but useful nonetheless.

To augment this I am planning on adding a standard sliding bolt type lock to the top of the back doors. It does mean the back doors can never be opened from the outside which in fairness this should never be needed.

Then I am going to put two ip wireless cameras in, one in the porch and one above the cupboards in the kitchen pointing at the back doors. A little project for the Christmas time, anyone else have ip cameras in their home for security reasons. I have a few questions re storing the images etc.

fishdog

No alarm system is foolproof and every house has a chance of being burgled, but what stops somebody targeting your house is how easy you make it for a burglar; i.e. having as many deterrents as possible

I could not agree more.

It is possible to get around any security, but why bother?? Most burglers will simply move on to a softer target.

the security locks were dear, but worth it for the peace of mind

Garrison make a great lock barrel upgrade that are designed to fit into the doors that are used in Charlesland and Eden Gate etc. They are not too expensive and take only minutes to fit (easy to do yourself). Brown Brothers sell them.

Also if you want bolts for back/sde doors etc. try "Interlock" in Cabinteely. Bolts dont have to look ugly.

am pretty sure that the phone lines in Charlesland go in through the ground

They all do in Charlesland.

As for the steel plate - it covers the eircom junction box

Yes, but once you have a GSM module the phone line is no longer required.

we felt these measures sufficient to ensure the scumbags 'keep walking'.

I would think you are correct and I wish you the best of luck.

BTW I would advise that you do not take the small discount for having an alarm that is offered by the insurance companies. This is because if you forget to arm your alarm and you are broken into the policy is null and void (and yes they can check)