# Prowlers *** Arrests made ****



## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

Thought I heard something outside during the night but ignored it. Got up this morning and things had been moved and one of the workshop doors was open. Top gate onto the lane was also open. Nothing was missing. Dismissed it as could have left the workshop door unlocked by accident.
Later today the milkman called round to say that at 5am this morning, he had seen two men driving out of our gate in a fast black car :x A couple of our neighbours have had visitors too and things gone missing. 
Jenny


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## mighTy Tee (Jul 10, 2002)

Unfortunately the only thing you can do is set up security lights and security cameras (either IP cameras or CCTV) and hope they smile for the camera 

Personally I use IP cameras


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## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

Have security lights everywhere. 
It gets worse ! Our lodger has just come home and his bike is missing. Just found the lock at the top of the drive. It was in the workshop locked up.
Bastards


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## SalsredTT (Jan 8, 2011)

We had a bike dumped at work today ......... not that far from you.


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## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

SalsredTT said:


> We had a bike dumped at work today ......... not that far from you.


Do you know what sort of bike it is?


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## SalsredTT (Jan 8, 2011)

Naw - no bike person me, but it had weird handlebars. Sort of like upside down elbows.


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## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

SalsredTT said:


> Naw - no bike person me, but it had weird handlebars. Sort of like upside down elbows.


Not sure, he is not here. Has sort of dropped handle bars from my memory. Where abouts was it dumped?


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## SalsredTT (Jan 8, 2011)

It's black and silver - noticed that much


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## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

Thieves......urgh.......nasty excuses for people......urgh

J
xx


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## Otley (May 15, 2013)

Did the bike turn out to be your lodgers Jenny? 
Any leads on who it might have been or what they were after?


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## SalsredTT (Jan 8, 2011)

Bike was gone today so either the owner came back, or it has been stolen again. It wasn;t secured to anything yesterday so who knows.


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

SalsredTT said:


> Naw - no bike person me, but it had weird handlebars. Sort of like upside down elbows.


 Tri/Aero bars?


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## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

Otley said:


> Did the bike turn out to be your lodgers Jenny?
> Any leads on who it might have been or what they were after?


My lodger is in Germany on business till the end of the wk so cant get to talk to him. No sign of the bike though. 
There has been a spate of thefts and break ins on the farms round here. Never had any problems at our place before as we are a long way off the road and very secluded. I always thought it would take a brave person to come down here in the dark at night but obviously I was wrong. 
There are marks on the house door as if someone has tried to get in too :-( 
Its given me the creeps thinking there was someone out there trying to get in. 
Shot gun is ready if they come back
Jenny


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## SalsredTT (Jan 8, 2011)

Thanks Skee - thats the kind of thing.

Sounds like a plan Jenny - horrible to feel vulnerable in your own home.

Know anyone with a couple of GSD's you could borrow for a few nights?? Great deterent are dogs.


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## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

SalsredTT said:


> Thanks Skee - thats the kind of thing.
> 
> Sounds like a plan Jenny - horrible to feel vulnerable in your own home.
> 
> Know anyone with a couple of GSD's you could borrow for a few nights?? Great deterent are dogs.


I have two dogs but they never made a sound. I am looking at getting some security cameras
Jenny
x


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## Otley (May 15, 2013)

Jeez, scary stuff, especially being secluded. Is there someone that can keep an eye out? For goodness sake go easy with the shooter! Last resort eh?


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## SalsredTT (Jan 8, 2011)

Jenny H said:


> SalsredTT said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks Skee - thats the kind of thing.
> ...


If you need any help with that, shout - hubby and his friend install systems and can certainly give advise.

Amazing the dogs didn't hear though.


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## brian1978 (Jul 10, 2013)

Jenny H said:


> Have security lights everywhere.
> It gets worse ! Our lodger has just come home and his bike is missing. Just found the lock at the top of the drive. It was in the workshop locked up.
> Bastards


Lights make no difference in deterring crime, if your neighbours light came on do you rush to the windows or think nothing of it...

In fact a "security" light might actually be helpful to a burglar, if you were going to break into a garage would you rather fumble about with a torch or try to do it in total darkness or have it all nicely lit up for you? :wink:


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## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

Difficult one Brian. We dont have any neighbours or the benefit of street lights so need the security lights to find the house lol. Usually they wake me up if they come on but this time they didnt :-( 
It is usually a fox or other animal that sets them off
Jenny


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## brian1978 (Jul 10, 2013)

Jenny H said:


> Difficult one Brian. We dont have any neighbours or the benefit of street lights so need the security lights to find the house lol. Usually they wake me up if they come on but this time they didnt :-(
> It is usually a fox or other animal that sets them off
> Jenny


My exact point... They go off and your unconscious brain thinks... another bloody fox.

It's like car alarms, nobody cares. :?


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## Gazzer (Jun 12, 2010)

Jenny H said:


> Difficult one Brian. We dont have any neighbours or the benefit of street lights so need the security lights to find the house lol. Usually they wake me up if they come on but this time they didnt :-(
> It is usually a fox or other animal that sets them off
> Jenny


Jenny i hope you have a big hubby at home or some bad boy dogs protecting you hun, if not then u need a direct line to cops adding in for protection


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## Pugwash69 (Jun 12, 2012)

From an article I read recently, the biggest deterrents to thieves included dogs and CCTV. They reckon alarm systems mean nothing as most people fail to use them, or they are very old systems.
I bought software called BlueIris - it supports LOTS of types of cameras from my old analogue ones with WDM drivers as well as a couple of IP cameras. It's not expensive software, supports something like 64 cameras and runs on Windows. Mine is on an old twin core Intel processor @ 2Ghz and 2GB of RAM running Windows XP. I installed VNC-Server so I can view them on my desktop or laptop, and there's a web interface for viewing on mobiles and browsers - Handy if you sit up in bed at night and have your phone to hand to see it's just the milkman at 5am.


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## Fizzleh (Jan 22, 2014)

Might be worth searching gumtree/ebay for the items stolen. 
Sometimes they are stupid enough to list all the stolen items from one account.


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## brian1978 (Jul 10, 2013)

Pugwash69 said:


> From an article I read recently, the biggest deterrents to thieves included dogs and CCTV. They reckon alarm systems mean nothing as most people fail to use them, or they are very old systems.
> I bought software called BlueIris - it supports LOTS of types of cameras from my old analogue ones with WDM drivers as well as a couple of IP cameras. It's not expensive software, supports something like 64 cameras and runs on Windows. Mine is on an old twin core Intel processor @ 2Ghz and 2GB of RAM running Windows XP. I installed VNC-Server so I can view them on my desktop or laptop, and there's a web interface for viewing on mobiles and browsers - Handy if you sit up in bed at night and have your phone to hand to see it's just the milkman at 5am.


How many cameras do you have on your house :lol:


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## Pugwash69 (Jun 12, 2012)

Only 5 at the moment. 8)


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## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

The prowlers were around again during Sunday night /Monday morning on a neighbouring farm. Their dogs heard them and photographs were taken of the two men. The police don't seem to be interested because nothing was taken this time. 

Jenny


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## A3DFU (May 7, 2002)

Jenny H said:


> The police don't seem to be interested because nothing was taken this time.
> 
> Jenny


Marvellous; NOT!!!
Are the police waiting for someone being hurt? As Gary said: big hubs and some guard dogs and/or a direct line to the police.

Be safe x


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## J•RED (Feb 10, 2013)

I know of some neighbouring farms that have used these to good effect..  
http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?mai ... ts_id=2964


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## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

J•RED said:


> I know of some neighbouring farms that have used these to good effect..
> http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?mai ... ts_id=2964


They look very good but my dogs would set them off. May be worth putting a couple inside some of the farm buildings though. Thanks for the idea 
Jenny
x


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## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

Well... two men have been arrested and another is still hiding somewhere.
One of them is someone from the village who is always in trouble for drugs etc, the other two are not from round here.
I thought it was somebody that had been here before. 
Dont suppose the bike will come back
Jenny
x


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## A3DFU (May 7, 2002)

Good to know that some of the culprits have been taken off the streets. Lets hope No 3 will be caught too!


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## Otley (May 15, 2013)

Do the police know the identity of the guy still at large? Is it the local chap or the outsider?
I hope you feel a bit easier knowing they're not still out and about.
You never know, the bike might turn up once they spill what's been happening.


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## Pugwash69 (Jun 12, 2012)

Maybe they could watch some american cops shows for advice on leaning on the weaker of the two? (I watch too many cop shows)


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## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

Otley said:


> Do the police know the identity of the guy still at large? Is it the local chap or the outsider?
> I hope you feel a bit easier knowing they're not still out and about.
> You never know, the bike might turn up once they spill what's been happening.


The two "others" are Eastern Europeans and they are known to the police, just a matter of time till he is picked up. Probably get their backsides smacked and let go again. Won't hold my breath waiting for the bike to come back
Jenny


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## brian1978 (Jul 10, 2013)

Jenny H said:


> Otley said:
> 
> 
> > Do the police know the identity of the guy still at large? Is it the local chap or the outsider?
> ...


I was going to say I wonder how hard the slap on the wrists will be. :roll:


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## crono35 (Dec 27, 2013)

brian1978 said:


> Jenny H said:
> 
> 
> > Have security lights everywhere.
> ...


A light in a secluded spot is a bad idea (backyard, away from the street) but a light that's easily visible from the street is actually a very good deterrent. Nobody wants to spend time in a lit front door trying to break in.

I've read that, in order of effectiveness, a dog is the number one thing that keeps intruders out, followed by people being at home, followed by lights/security system. Most robbers are looking for a quick in/out scenario; anyone who is willing to deal with people at home are potentially much more dangerous.

Personally, we keep a small (but loud) dog, have IP cameras inside and out as well as all doors/sliding doors attached to an alarm system, and have reinforced all outside doors. If all those things fail we have a 10/22 (only gun my wife will allow in the house) as backup. The key is to have your bedroom door secured at night and have a way to detect intruders early to give yourself time to prepare.


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## HeroicBroccoli (Jan 19, 2015)

In terms of home security, this is actually a bit of a hobby of mine, due to circumstances I won't go into I suddenly became the owner of a few properties around the UK, one of which being a secluded house in the countryside, it's my favourite but I don't spend 100% of my time there and after two break ins where the first time the house was burgled and the second time it was used for a party (don't leave houses empty for months) I got quite into home security.

I have two completely black German Shepards which really do the trick but that only really works in the house, did you know installing trip wires rigged to a flare and alarm is legal... just saying, you should see the look on someone's face when they set it off!

I find flares with a parashoot for extra long burn time/light to be the most effective.


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## Ben5029 (Sep 26, 2014)

HeroicBroccoli said:


> In terms of home security, this is actually a bit of a hobby of mine, due to circumstances I won't go into I suddenly became the owner of a few properties around the UK, one of which being a secluded house in the countryside, it's my favourite but I don't spend 100% of my time there and after two break ins where the first time the house was burgled and the second time it was used for a party (don't leave houses empty for months) I got quite into home security.
> 
> I have two completely black German Shepards which really do the trick but that only really works in the house, did you know installing trip wires rigged to a flare and alarm is legal... just saying, you should see the look on someone's face when they set it off!
> 
> I find flares with a parashoot for extra long burn time/light to be the most effective.


Now that's what I call home security, German Shepards and pyrotechnics :twisted:


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## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

Ben5029 said:


> HeroicBroccoli said:
> 
> 
> > In terms of home security, this is actually a bit of a hobby of mine, due to circumstances I won't go into I suddenly became the owner of a few properties around the UK, one of which being a secluded house in the countryside, it's my favourite but I don't spend 100% of my time there and after two break ins where the first time the house was burgled and the second time it was used for a party (don't leave houses empty for months) I got quite into home security.
> ...


I can just imagine Dave setting off the trip wires on his way home from the pub   
Jenny
x


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## ReTTro fit (Nov 9, 2014)

I fit cameras and alarms for a living and I can 100% agree the BEST device is a bloody great dog !! Lol

On iPhone using Tapacrap


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## RSSTT (May 30, 2014)

I just sit on a rockig chair on my porch with a shotgun to hand 8)

On a more serious note, it's not fun when you know that a person or people have been creeping around your property.

In secluded areas either a decent CCTV system, or a dog (two black german shepards would do!!) are a must I think.

One of my cousins was home alone and showering when someone broke into her house, took the TV, picked the car keys up, and stole the pair. Ended up moving home as she didn't feel safe anymore. They were never caught either


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