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"To make it harder for them" - Security ideas.

2

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 4,713 ✭✭✭Oscar_Madison


    Even if you have the confidence and ability to use it, you’d be surprised what side of the law you may find yourself on by the end of the night.



  • Registered Users Posts: 700 ✭✭✭Ljmscooter


    the machete was a joke,


    as we all know the main threat to householders is other family members



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,338 ✭✭✭cml387




  • Registered Users Posts: 34,275 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Sorry to hear that happened to you.

    That is a really good point about uPVC type doors that have all those locks that engage around the edge when you pull the handle up.

    If you've a handle on the outside of the door, chances are that pulling it down disengages the locks - as you said, you need to actually lock the door from the inside with a key after engaging the locks so the handle cant be pulled down from outside.

    A thief could just pull the handle down, disengage all the main locks (just leaving the one latch lock where the door handle is) - easily just kick the door open then.

    Important thing to note though, if you are doing this - don't leave the key on the inside of the door when you're leaving! I accidentally did this recently and ended up locked out. Had to get a locksmith.

    What I actually do now is at night, I engage the door locks from the inside by lifting the handle, lock the door with a key, leave the key in the doorlock (in case of fire & so it can't be easily picked) but I have the key on a chain that's connected to the wall.

    So if there's a key in the door, you can't actually leave the house until you take it out of the door as there's a chain blocking your path.

    Also means someone can't fish the key out of the lock through the letterbox.



  • Registered Users Posts: 15,628 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore




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    Hey, they didn’t know the alarm code. When my hall door is opened when the alarm is on, the alarm beeps and tells you to enter the code. This is what woke me.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,315 ✭✭✭hoodie6029


    South African friend said to me once ‘Cops aren’t going to get your stuff back, it’s up to you to protect it.’ That comment has stuck with me.

    I think that we are traditionally very trusting here in Ireland but I’m afraid those days are largely gone.

    My tips.

    Cover the windows of your shed or garage.

    Carraige bolts on your shed door bolts to prevent them being unscrewed. Torx head screws on hinges. Thieves less likely to be carrying that type of screwdriver. Locks on cabinets and bikes etc in the shed.

    Get a solid front door and a separate letter box if you can. No opportunity for fishing and less draughty as a bonus.

    Old cars, get a steering crook lock. Disconnect the battery. Don’t leave valuable hub caps or other pieces that can taken off.

    Cui bono?



  • Registered Users Posts: 18,838 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump



    Old cars, get a steering crook lock. Disconnect the battery. Don’t leave valuable hub caps or other pieces that can taken off.

    What I do is that every might I jack up all four wheels of the car and change the tyres around so that they are reversed.

    That way, if someone breaks into the car and tries to put it into reverse to make a speedy getaway, they will drive forward and hit the wall of the house.


    It's a bit of a hassle doing it every night, and then having to change them back the right way again every morning, but the car hasn't been stolen yet, so who's laughing now!





  • Registered Users Posts: 24,693 ✭✭✭✭Strumms


    The crook lock is a good idea…

    you are not going to remove that without taking some serious time and making serious noise.

    these are good if you have a manual..




  • Registered Users Posts: 3,315 ✭✭✭hoodie6029




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  • Registered Users Posts: 14,074 ✭✭✭✭elperello


    Family members tend not to break into your home because they are already in it.

    Machetes aren't that funny 🙂



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,037 ✭✭✭✭blade1


    Ask Padraig McNally to be your housemate.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,657 ✭✭✭NewbridgeIR


    Lock your door and set your alarm at night helps



  • Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    That is sorted. Thank you for your kind concern. And that was before and why the CCTV signs went up of course.. and of course the cats were not in the house.. As you know of course!!!!!!!Peace now please!

    It was interesting though. It took me a while to sort cameras out so at first the signs were just at the front..... and the intrusions at the back continued. They even wore a trail across the field..

    When I got organised with cameras at the back and put the signs up it stopped.

    Post edited by Graces7 on


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,027 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Actually both of them are very easy to bypass. The steering wheel bar types actually help the scumbags, because they can use them as a lever to break the built in steering lock. Though of course they offer some visual deterrent to the average opportunistic scumbag.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,913 ✭✭✭✭castletownman


    For years growing up, my father had 'designed' a z-shaped copper pipe that he used to shove through the letter box and wedge open the front door any time he forgot his keys (frosted glass on front door so could roughly guide the copper pipe). I found it ironic for a lad paranoid about making sure the place was locked and no window was left open when out, that he had a handy way of breaking in hiding in a bush.



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,235 ✭✭✭BrianD3


    I don't have much worth robbing apart from my savings and investments. Have several cars but most are bangers, even the newest one is 14 years old. The cars do have catalytic converters though. Also I have a nice Honda mower which would probably fetch 1000 quid on Done Steal.

    I think having spare cars around the house might deter some scum as it looks like the house is occupied even when you are out.

    IMO scum are looking for cash, jewellery, guns, home heating oil, power tools and catalytic converters. Hard to do much about some of that, an outside oil tank cannot be locked, they will just drill a hole in it. A cat can be removed quickly, if the car is securely locked in a garage then that will deter it but many people don't have a garage. Jewellery - each to their own but nobody needs to own it. Cash - might not be a bad idea to leave a bit of it lying about easily found to satisfy the scum,, might stop them pulling the house apart looking for something.

    A dog may be a deterrent but I keep hearing about travellers robbing dogs so it may draw in burglars rather than deter them.



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 16,164 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manic Moran


    Signs similar to this are not unheard of around here, though there are arguments for and against. Another common one is "We don't call 911"

    Of course, we legitimately can shoot burglars in Texas, so it's questionable whether such a sign would have similar effect in Ireland...

    Problem with dogs is that they are a major lifestyle change. Very effective if you happen to want a dog (and the work to keep them). Not for everyone. Besides, my wife is allergic to anything bigger than a Yorkie.



  • Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 7,274 Mod ✭✭✭✭Raichu


    My main thing against using signs like that are the part where it could go from being a deterrent to a petty criminal to a heads up to someone who’s willing to use a weapon themselves in the face of resistance.

    Basically you’re telling any would be burglar to arm themselves first whereas without it there’s potentially a higher chance of actually having the upper hand owning a firearm this way you’ve just warned them you have and will use one so they may go that route themselves.

    I don’t know if it would actually make a blind bit of difference that way though. I don’t think these warning signs really do much to deter most people unless they’re particularly skittish about getting caught.



  • Registered Users Posts: 24,693 ✭✭✭✭Strumms


    Better have something that requires time and effort to bypass, then nothing . Easy ? Not really, not if you have a good one, breaking the steering lock could render the steering unusable.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 12,037 ✭✭✭✭blade1


    Heard a story where someone had several large dogs in their yard protecting it.

    Burglars just threw a bitch in heat over the fence and got on with the robbing hassle free.



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭touts


    1. Alarm. A Ring alarm is quite cheap and you can add to it including outdoor sensors for sheds etc. It isn't monitored but alerts my phone and my wife's phone if it goes off. Make sure to change the alert from a low notification ping to a long loud ring and it is the same as some lad in a call center in Vietnam phoning you to tell you that the alarm is going off in your house. And the system comes with window stickers for a reason. Put them up and let the opportunist thief know you have an alarm. If they only find out after they break in your door then you have an expensive bill to fix the door.

    2. CCTV cameras. Again we use ring doorbell camera for front of house and floodlight camera for back. That way they tie in with the alarm system. Our back one is set to cover the back door, shed and oiltank. And again put up the stickers. You want the opportunist thief to know you have a camera before they start robbing your house not when they are on trial after robbing your house.

    4. Spotlights. Even if you have a wired one you will probably have one or two dark areas in the garden. In those areas those JML solar powered spotlights are a great cheap way to light those areas.

    3. If you live in an estate fit a side gate to block access to your back garden. I'm always amazed at how many houses don't do this. Most burglaries are opportunist lads walking around looking for easy targets.

    4. If you have patio doors the locks are rubbish. Fit additional ones. Also if they are french doors as ours are and it isn't the main access to the garden then in winter when you aren't using the patio move a couple of heavy plant pots in front of the door. Just makes it a bit more awkward for an opportunist thief.

    5. Lock your front door even when you are in during the day. A lot of robberies are lads just checking doors and running in if one is open. They are in and out in seconds. If you do lock your doors make sure to bring the keys up stairs at night. I've seen advice saying leave your keys downstairs at night so the thief doesn't have to come upstairs and kill you to get your car. That's not going to happen unless you have a car that is extremely valuable.

    6. Lock your shed. And if it has a window fit some of that frosted film you can get to block the view in. If you have bikes in the shed then fit a U bolt to the wall/floor of the shed and lock your bikes to it. Even if it is a wooden shed the time and effort to break the lock will make the opportunist thief leave.

    7. Don't show off. If you have valuables don't leave them on easy display. And if you get an expensive new TV or Laptop or whatever then take the time to cut up the box a bit so it fits in your recycling bin. When I go for a walk in the evenings before bin collection I am surprised at the cardboard boxes people leave outside their house beside the recycling bin. Oh Jimmy got his son a new PS5. Mary got a new iPad pro. The Ryan's got a new 70 inch home cinema set. It's a shopping list for thieves.



  • Registered Users Posts: 13,144 ✭✭✭✭cj maxx


    Any tips for a good make of camera and lighting? Cheers



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,811 ✭✭✭Padre_Pio


    Smells like an urban myth. A few steaks will do the same thing.



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,027 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    These are good, if more than a little awkward.

    The standard and cheaper bar types aren't. Visual deterrent certainly and better than nothing but piss easy to bypass.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,037 ✭✭✭✭blade1




  • Registered Users Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    I went for the Nest system myself as at the time of purchase, it was the only system doing continuous recording- everything else was only event based. It's a fine system but it needs a strong connection to your internet. If I was doing it all over again in a new house, I'd look at one of the many good wired systems that use POE (power over ethernet), which is just one ethernet cable that provides power and carries the signal back to the receiver.

    In terms of lighting, I just went with a standard LED floodlight from Philips:

    https://ledvista.ie/product/philips-ledinaire-floodlight-bvp154-led52-840-psu-50w-vwb-mdu-ce/



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,628 ✭✭✭The J Stands for Jay


    I've a simple way to defeat that: I don't have a letterbox.



  • Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 7,274 Mod ✭✭✭✭Raichu


    Prob absolute nonsense that but still funny to imagine some lads driving around in a transit van with a dog in heat in the back just in case they need to distract a male dog 😂



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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭touts


    They open the back door of the van to get out and immediately every Pitbull, Doberman, and Alsatian within a 10 mile radius jumps them.



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