kanecullen89
Registered User
Hi All,
I've decided to create a post designed around the prevention of car key burglaries. Some of you may know what I do for a living but I come across these often in the Northants area and I know its a nationwide problem.
I don't mean to patronise anyone with the advice that I give but hope that if someone thinks that one of the points could be a good idea, puts it into practice and that prevents someone loosing their pride and joy then i'll be a happy man.
My inspiration came from recently being deployed to an attempt burglary (offenders were disturbed by a dog) where the offenders had completely removed the conservatory door to gain access to the property (victims were in bed) and took a handbag before being disturbed. They were hoping that inside the handbag were the keys to a brand new white Audi A5 which had been delivered to the house the previous day!!
Audi's are without doubt the thieves vehicle of choice at the moment and are being stolen daily via car key burglaries for use in crime or to order.
The following ideas may help to prevent this:
If anyone else has any good ideas feel free to add to post.
Kane
I've decided to create a post designed around the prevention of car key burglaries. Some of you may know what I do for a living but I come across these often in the Northants area and I know its a nationwide problem.
I don't mean to patronise anyone with the advice that I give but hope that if someone thinks that one of the points could be a good idea, puts it into practice and that prevents someone loosing their pride and joy then i'll be a happy man.
My inspiration came from recently being deployed to an attempt burglary (offenders were disturbed by a dog) where the offenders had completely removed the conservatory door to gain access to the property (victims were in bed) and took a handbag before being disturbed. They were hoping that inside the handbag were the keys to a brand new white Audi A5 which had been delivered to the house the previous day!!
Audi's are without doubt the thieves vehicle of choice at the moment and are being stolen daily via car key burglaries for use in crime or to order.
The following ideas may help to prevent this:
- Never keeps Keys on display from the outside (shut curtains)
- Hide main vehicle key inside the house and put spare in a wall mounted safe if possible (about £30 from amazon, lowers home insurance premiums too)
- Ensure you keep windows and doors locked and keep keys away from the door and not in the lock.
- Buy the best and most heavy duty locks possible.
- Try to make access to rear of house as difficult as possible, large gates, fences and bolt locks from inside help.
- Ensure that sheds, garages and outbuildings are always fully locked and secure and use large heavy duty padlocks (burglars will use tools in your shed to break in to your house).
- Never leave tools or ladders lying around outside.
- Sounds silly but lock your car and do not keep spare key in the car (have seen it before!!)
- Any forms of deterrents to put burglars off will help: Home alarm, CCTV, Dogs are all good.
- Be a nosey neighbour and convince your neighbours to be nosey (neighbourhood watch). They will call police if they see anything suspicious.
- Fit additional locks to windows and doors especially sliding patio doors and conservatory doors with external hinges.
- Call police if you see anything suspicious at all and take vehicle registrations of suspect vehicles.
- Don't keep a key under a matt or pot!! Leave a key with a trusted neighbour instead.
- If you are going to be out of the house, use light timers and timers on radios. Another good device is a light that emulates the lights from a television screen from outside. Make the burglars think you are in, they will be less likely to attempt a burglary.
- External security lighting to light up the offender.
- Consider prickly shrubs and hedges.
- Smartwater and the accompanying signage are a good deterrent.
- Apply Anti-Climb paint to the top of fences and walls.
- Do not leave you back door open when you go out so that the dog can roam in and out. Burglars want our nice cars and will risk a fight with a dog to get the keys!
- Keep wheelie bins away from house and chained to something. They will use the bin to climb over things and on to flat roofs.
- Purchase and fit a driveway post with a heavy duty pad lock and keep keys very hidden (not with car key!!). Will prevent your car being driven away even with keys and will make it a lot harder and more time consuming for some to tow the car away (enough time for the nosey neighbours to call the police).
If anyone else has any good ideas feel free to add to post.
Kane
