Break ins around Ballinlough / Templehill

beer enigma

Just a heads up that several houses were broken into over the weekend - including ours in Ardmahon.

First weekend that we've been away for ages so I'm presuming they've been watching.

Tried to force their way in through back patio doors but because of high security locking just managed to bend the frame so smashed the glass instead.

Had automatic lighting on & somehow they bypassed the alarm.

Neighbours reported seeing a dark grey van, either large VW or a Merc Sprinter driving slowly on Friday - one occupant wearing a black jumper.

Gardaí say its been a busy weekend.

Douglas Eegit

Thanks for this. Interesting how they didn't set off the alarm - I would get it looked into
I'll let the parents know later.

Milly33

Thank you for the heads up and sorry to hear your place was broken into.. Did they take much from ye...

Jes I was thinking at the weekend our loverly neighbours have been very active lately of course im not saying it was them but jes there seemed to be a hype about them this weekend..

Going to keep an eye out for the van.... Hopefully they will catch them

beer enigma

We were lucky, small bit of cash thats all, it was mainly the damage they caused trying to get in - bent the doorframe of the pvc doors and when they wouldn't give, took something heavy to the toughened glass.

Inside turned over but look nobody was in, nobody got hurt and nothing sentimental lost so trying to stay positive.

Gards were brilliant, fair play to them & when Zurich told us they had no glazers in Cork ! (Emergency cover my ass), one of the scene of crime guys made a call and had someone on the scene within the hour to secure the place.

We're hoovered and cleaned, before the kids get home - what more can you do.

Grads reckon a Dublin crowd were operating in the area over the weekend but I'd still keep an eye for a grey van as appears to be a second sighting near one of the other properties.

TheChizler

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I'm only around the corner with not-very-secure windows and no alarm so on edge now!

beer enigma

TheChizler wrote: »

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I'm only around the corner with not-very-secure windows and no alarm so on edge now!

To be honest I think the best deterrent is neighbours keeping an eye out for each other and basics such as lights on when your out and maybe the neighbours spare car parked in your driveway when you're not there.

We have toughened glass with 5 point locks on all of the patio doors and a full alarm. Unfortunately both neighbours were away at the same time as ourselves and they must have been watching.

They managed to over ride the alarm, guards have asked us not to say how, and when the locks stopped them just hit the glass with a sledgehammer judging by the door marks.

Only thing I am going to install is a wireless cctv unit, guards reckon even if you don't have one, but have a sticker in the window that's a huge deterrent as the guys won't take a chance of being caught on camera

Milly33

Buggers.. Glad as you say though that nothing major was taken and that your kids didn't come home to it....

Agree with the neighbours keeping an eye out for eachother. Not better way...

A Dublin gang will take note now of that..

Was it the guards down in Mahon you were dealing with? They are loverly in fairness to them, I called in a few weeks ago to report some chap who was walking around one of the parks as he looked like he was taken licence plate numbers or eyeing up cars.. I apologised saying twas a few hours ago it happened and she was saying look if you see anything suspicious just to call them that they would never ignore anythingg

Léan

Not sure if it's related, but on my walk home Friday night/Saturday morning (4.am) there was a very suspicious red transit van going in and back out of all the parks on the main Douglas road (i didn't get the reg). It started at around Bellair going the whole way down the Douglas road, pulling in and driving back out. A man was hopping out of the van and looked like he was casing places. He clocked me looking and shouted "don't worry love, we've doing deliveries", but they clearly were not.

I got spooked and quickened my pace to get to my house (i was alone).

I've reported it to the guards, might be nothing, could be something. Raging i didn't get the reg.

pwurple

Thanks for the info, sorry you got hit by these guys.

beer enigma

Léan wrote: »

Not sure if it's related, but on my walk home Friday night/Saturday morning (4.am) there was a very suspicious red transit van going in and back out of all the parks on the main Douglas road (i didn't get the reg). It started at around Bellair going the whole way down the Douglas road, pulling in and driving back out. A man was hopping out of the van and looked like he was casing places. He clocked me looking and shouted "don't worry love, we've doing deliveries", but they clearly were not.

I got spooked and quickened my pace to get to my house (i was alone).

I've reported it to the guards, might be nothing, could be something. Raging i didn't get the reg.

There is a guy who does a milk round using a red van around that time, so hopefully he was innocent, but well spotted anyway.

Milly33

No no this was a well dodge looking character.. He had no van or car with him.

beer enigma

Look just a quick thanks to all on here, I only posted as a heads up to be vigilant especially with this van in the frame, but have to say that I've had huge support both here and via PMs so thanks to all.

We're secured thanks to the Glaziers, if anyone wants a recommendation, PM me as I can't speak highly enough of them, they arrived within an hour, helped clean up and help secure us.

Thanks also to any Gards who may be viewing, uniform from Blackrock, Detectives from Douglas & soco from Anglesea street, fair play lads

Milly33

Nice of you to say... Have the eyes peeled watching around for anything

bladebrew

Léan wrote: »

Not sure if it's related, but on my walk home Friday night/Saturday morning (4.am) there was a very suspicious red transit van

I've reported it to the guards, might be nothing, could be something. Raging i didn't get the reg.

I saw that van aswell, it was a small Ford transit connect? he was off the well road, doing a u turn in a park for no reason I could see, he drove out of one park and turned into another park to turn around,
I slowed down to have a look then swung the car around to see where he went but he was gone!
I thought I was being paranoid but it looked seriously dodgy,

Léan

bladebrew wrote: »

I saw that van aswell, it was a small Ford transit connect? he was off the well road, doing a u turn in a park for no reason I could see, he drove out of one park and turned into another park to turn around,
I slowed down to have a look then swung the car around to see where he went but he was gone!
I thought I was being paranoid but it looked seriously dodgy,

Yes!! He was doing exactly the same when i saw him. I thought i was being paranoid too. The van even followed me into my park, he stopped at a house before mine, got out, walked up the drive (was not carrying anything re deliveries) and then walked back down into the car, did a u-turn and back out onto the Douglas rd again.

*Edit*

There were also two people in the van i'm pretty sure? One driving and the other going in and out of the car.

baldtooyoung

Léan wrote: »

Yes!! He was doing exactly the same when i saw him. I thought i was being paranoid too. The van even followed me into my park, he stopped at a house before mine, got out, walked up the drive (was not carrying anything re deliveries) and then walked back down into the car, did a u-turn and back out onto the Douglas rd again.

*Edit*

There were also two people in the van i'm pretty sure? One driving and the other going in and out of the car.

I think I know the van.'red transit' pricked my ears up.
I'm down a cul de sac off blackrock road and about this time last year a red transit was driving up and down.very suspicious so I went out and asked him what was he looking for?he said he was looking at gutters to see if he could get work and had work around blackrock.

I rang the garda and told them and they said the know them.if I remember it was a galway or waterford reg transit.
Driver looked short,stocky and black hair and with a skinny bald fella.

Shifty looking characters.it was about 2 o clock in the day when I saw them.

Milly33

Very suspicious stuff... Went for a walk last night and was keeping my eyes peeled for anything suspicious around the place.

ofcork

Apparently there was an old man on red this morning in blackrock who was broken into at the weekend as well.

kub

To one and all, there is a section here on boards about home security. I would encourage anyone reading this thread to have a look here and if you have any quires please let us know.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1366

Granted a lot of it is Dublin but at least one of us is based in Cork

Missyelliot2

My parents, (who are not living in Cork), have a neighbourhood watch scheme going in their estate. It's really great. They get texts almost daily alerting them to suspicious (mostly) vans in their neighbourhood - it also gives reg numbers, make, model and colour. It really puts them at ease. I am also so happy about it, as I feel they won't answer the door if they know about anything 'off' in the estate. Makes me sick and so angry though, that these scum are just waiting to pounce and destroy homes - because that is what they do.
Andip.....thank you for bringing it to the attention of all- I hope you are all ok- no matter what was/wasn't taken- it's a horrible thing to happen to you.

I think the only way to combat this, is boards/alerts/neighbourhood watch like this.....I really feel for the Guards too - they know who these toe rags are, do their best to apprehend them (while offering victim support) - and these absolute scum are giving a middle finger to us all!

kub

Missyelliot2 wrote: »

My parents, (who are not living in Cork), have a neighbourhood watch scheme going in their estate. It's really great. They get texts almost daily alerting them to suspicious (mostly) vans in their neighbourhood - it also gives reg numbers, make, model and colour. It really puts them at ease. I am also so happy about it, as I feel they won't answer the door if they know about anything 'off' in the estate. Makes me sick and so angry though, that these scum are just waiting to pounce and destroy homes - because that is what they do.
Andip.....thank you for bringing it to the attention of all- I hope you are all ok- no matter what was/wasn't taken- it's a horrible thing to happen to you.

I think the only way to combat this, is boards/alerts/neighbourhood watch like this.....I really feel for the Guards too - they know who these toe rags are, do their best to apprehend them (while offering victim support) - and these absolute scum are giving a middle finger to us all!

Excellent post, personally i have pushing on 25 years experience in the home security side of things and i agree with all you have said above. Things would be a lot better if these intruders / scum of the earth were given suitable sentences for their crimes.
Unfortunately there are too many vested interests in the legal profession for this to ever happen, many a defence lawyer relies on these animals to keep offending so they can continue to stay in business at the tax payers expense.
As i am sure you can imagine, I have clients out there who's whole lives have been ruined by these 'people'.

Within the last 2 years there was a break in to a house here on the southside of the city. Two elderly gentle little old ladies live there, one of them used to collect jewellery all her life.
The toe rags broke in, thankfully neither of them were home at the time, but the scum bags took the lot of this poor womans jewellery. The Gardai told her that hopefully they would recover it, but as i reckoned they never did. probably melted it down and sold it on for their years supply of fixes.

That is just one story where these thugs have ruined someones life, she has lost all trust she had in people and is now paranoid.

Missyelliot2

As kub stated, there are so many crimes against all folk - they feel scared

bladebrew

Léan wrote: »

*Edit*

There were also two people in the van i'm pretty sure? One driving and the other going in and out of the car.

The van was at an angle when I drove past so I could only see the driver, I didn't see him getting out either, by the time I turned around he was gone, I am normally driving home at 4-5am and I have never seen him around before,
Looked odd though, I'm glad it wasn't just me thinking it was dodgy!