What deters the thief?

[suffolksmallholder]

A very successful business man still keeps a dog (German shepherd) running loose behind his business premesis. A fantastic Garden Centre/Lawnmower emporium. (Unusual today in the wake of the multi-national chain-store type folk visit on week-ends) This dog is not kept in a cruel manner as far as I can see but it certainly is not at all socialised......Except to the owner.
The previous dog, doing the same job to the present incumbant, bit an intruder quite badly on the leg. There was a big Police hoo-ha with threats of destruction, fines & legal unpleasantness over the course of the next twelve month period before the actual court case, which as anyone knows is very stressful. The dog was exonerated along with the owner on the actual day mind. So YES to keeping a dog but look into the legalities of a mad one running loose beforehand.
On the same thought process. We had a German Shepherd to do similar on the dairy farm for a very short time, when we were children aged about six & eight. On the day it arrived my younger brother & I went to see this new dog. It growled fiercly at me so I kept my distance. My brother being two years younger had more of an 'oh-it-wont-bite-me' attitude and approached it a little closer, within the length of its chain. The bl88dy thing leapt at him, bowled him over in the mud & savaged his face (the scars are still there today aged 56!) The Cowman on hearing the screams appeared and dragged the animal off by this chain saving my brother from further harm. Dog dissappeared from that moment & I found out when I was much older that it had been taken to the vet.
SS

 

[Dry Rot]

Heard something on radio where they were interviewing thieves in a prison, asking "what would have deterred you? " They all said the same thing - nothing else except dogs.
(Not about farms particularly).

Couldn't agree more, except that they should be TRAINED dogs! Don't over socialise and do teach them to be suspicious of strangers (get someone to start them barking, then run away so they feel they've won). Also, essential to teach obedience to "Leave!", "Come Here", "Down", etc.

Mine will warn me as soon as a vehicle comes off the tarmacked public road onto my gravelled track, and that is 300 metres away. Also, different barks that mean different things. Friendly bark for postie and delivery drivers. They are very smart and are quickly alerted to anything unusual or suspicious. One, kept in the house, will go to the door and bark softly if there is a fox, then off like an express train when the door is opened. I don't know how she knows, but she does. Anything strange about at night and I just open up the kennel gates -- all four of them! Of course, that could be done remotely, like a garage door, but I've never felt the need.

 

[TBWS]

I have a bit of experience in this sort of thing.

CCTV is not much of a deterrent. If the cameras can be seen the burglars will simply hide their faces or take routes away from the cameras. Hidden CCTV can be effective but only after the horse has bolted as it were.

Its all about making their lives as difficult as possible. An alarm is a very effective bit of kit but only if it can be heard or acted upon swiftly. There are systems that large companies like National grid etc use which has alarms coupled with CCTV and they are able to talk over tannoys to tell them to leave and that they are being watched.

The device referred to above by Nearly is a smoke cloak. They effectively fill a room with really thick smoke so it is impossible to see what you are doing. They are normally used with an alarm and stops the burglar from being able to use their finite amount of time effectively.

An alarm that makes such a loud noise that is unbearable to be near is probably the most effective.

 

[Willie adie]

f**k it. Half a dozen limousine hiefers on patrol

 

[Grassman]

I was walking past a betting shop and a sign mentioned 'smokeblast' security system.
Is this like a smoke gas bomb that will release in the shed / workshop if anyone gets in?
Can you buy tear gas grenades online?

But the idea is to keep them out of the sheds, I know.

My nephew has a smokescreen fitted in his business premises. It sets off when activated and fills the premises with smoke in seconds.
I still think beam alarms are one of the best options. But not just one. Have numerous that turn on lights and loud master blasters.
Cctv is poor at night and not much of a deterrent. Being able to watch scroates walk off with your goods is no deterrent. Make lots or noise and light and 'prevent the theft in the first place!

 

[Breakthru]

Mains electric fence unit. Insulate the gate hasp and connect to the padlock plus to various door handles on sheds etc. 2000 volts at a mile is probably 5 at 100 yds.
Also noisy alarm system. Motorbike magazines used to advertise "mines", basically a box with a blank shotgun cartridge inside. Connect to door with string and when opened, boom. Seems much louder at night. You also tend to alter how quickly you approach your own shed doors if you value your hearing.

 

[ThatsSomeSheep]

I have one of those long heavy Maglite torches.

TSS

 

[Steph-a-knee]

The best deterent we ever had was an Anglo Nubian billy goat who would knock seven bells out of anyone who came snooping around at night. Probably be done for keeping a dangerous animal now but in the nine years we had him we never had anything go missing.

 

[Dry Rot]

The best deterent we ever had was an Anglo Nubian billy goat who would knock seven bells out of anyone who came snooping around at night. Probably be done for keeping a dangerous animal now but in the nine years we had him we never had anything go missing.

Driving home in rural Ireland, I had the job of waking the level crossing gate keeper on a country road. (Not mechanised back then). As I approached his house in almost complete darkness, a large black dog rose from his front door mat. Just as I was about to need a change of underwear, the brute bleated and wandered off into the night. After that, opening both gates myself was a dawdle. Who says guard dogs aren't scary? I agree, goats are bad enough.

 

[Pilatus]

The humorus posts are good fun, BUT, being broken into and all your hard earned kit being stolen is no fun at all. Sorry to be a miserable old sod ,but having had the shed I rent broken in to three times and our house once ,scum going through one's personal posessions is no joke.

 

[PSQ]

Large calibre firearms and freshly dug empty holes

A neighbour once told me that the best place to hide a body is deep under a muck heap, as "it won't be found by sniffer dogs". Anyone else would have had a glint in the eye saying something like this, but he was deadly serious. He also has (for an arable farmer) the biggest heap of bought in hen shite in the county...

Same gent tells the story of his 'home alone' mother, confronting a burglar in the doorway of the farm workshop at 10pm. It was only after screaming at the burglar while levelling a loaded shotgun at his head, did she realise that her husband had told a friend down the pub to 'help himself' to the loan of a Stilson wrench...

Back on thread, the cheapest form of alarm is an 'alarm mine' http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2964
- you can buy 4 of them and a bag of short 12 bore blanks for a little over £50. A little bit of thought into where you put them, and 'jobs a good un'.
I particularly favour a loop of thin braided steel wire, loosely hung over the tow ball of the quad, backed up to a stanchion with an alarm mine discretely attached; and a similar wire connecting the handle of the workshop tool chest at one end, to a firmly anchored 'alarm mine' at the other

 

[Clive]

Automatic gates is number 1 deterrent

Crime prevention told me this a few years ago when we were having a lot of trouble and sinse fitting we have had no problems

Criminals are always looking for the escape route, even if a gate lets them in they don't know if it will let them out again

CCTV is a waste of money, you just get to watch yourself being robed ! In my experience police will not use the footage even when it clearly identified the thief

 

[Grouse]

CCTV is well worth having if you get the type which is linked to your mobile phone to view the cameras and to also receive SMS text messages when the movement sensors are activated.

You can then do something about the robbing basturds while they are there and on the job

 

[Clive]

CCTV is well worth having if you get the type which is linked to your mobile phone to view the cameras and to also receive SMS text messages when the movement sensors are activated.

You can then do something about the robbing basturds while they are there and on the job

I have such a system - it's like the little boy that cried wolf - ie soon ignored when yet another fox or late home truck / tractor wakes you up

 

[Grouse]

You can adjust the sensitivity to prevent animals triggering the system.

No cure for late night tractor drivers though... I would prefer to know when they are in the yard / nocking off though.

 

[mushnt grummmble]

Automatic gates is number 1 deterrent



CCTV is a waste of money, you just get to watch yourself being robed ! In my experience police will not use the footage even when it clearly identified the thief

ahh but you have a nice pic of the scroat so can do a bit "personal protection"

 

[Dukes Fit]

Automatic gates is number 1 deterrent

Crime prevention told me this a few years ago when we were having a lot of trouble and sinse fitting we have had no problems

Criminals are always looking for the escape route, even if a gate lets them in they don't know if it will let them out again

CCTV is a waste of money, you just get to watch yourself being robed ! In my experience police will not use the footage even when it clearly identified the thief

I like automatic gates and it's what I'm putting up at my house. My thinking is if a gate is shut and chained then the chances are nobody is there, especially if it's left open for normal day to day comings and goings but an automatic gate is always closed and doesn't give away when anyone isn't home

 

[Lofty]

I've had CCTV here for quite some time but always get left with the feeling that I'd sooner not have known where the scumbags had been nosing around. Dawn to dusk lights are also a bloody waste of time as they just light the way for them so they dont run the torch batteries down.
Automatic gate was my next line of defence but since the last night time visit where they drove about a mile across fields, I'm beginning to think the only answer is a moat full of crocodiles and a drawbridge!

 

[Pilatus]

Slightly off topic.
I think that someone or company that can come up with a miniature tracker, that could be installed inside an old chain saw etc, would be able to make a fortune.
My idea is that if a gps Tracker could be fiitted inside the cylinder head of an old chainsaw , etc, the clapped out saw would be taken by thieves with the good ones ,BUT the tracker inside the clapped out saw could lead police to their premises. The same type of gps could be installed in all sorts of small tools that are beyond repair e.g electric drill,impact wrench etc ,which the thieves would take with the good tools, and the tracker in side once activated would lead police to the stolen goods ,and hopefully the thieves.
I have mentioned this idea before,no apologies for mentioning it yet again

 

[Bob c]

Slightly off topic.
I think that someone or company that can come up with a miniature tracker, that could be installed inside an old chain saw etc, would be able to make a fortune.
My idea is that if a gps Tracker could be fiitted inside the cylinder head of an old chainsaw , etc, the clapped out saw would be taken by thieves with the good ones ,BUT the tracker inside the clapped out saw could lead police to their premises. The same type of gps could be installed in all sorts of small tools that are beyond repair e.g electric drill,impact wrench etc ,which the thieves would take with the good tools, and the tracker in side once activated would lead police to the stolen goods ,and hopefully the thieves.
I have mentioned this idea before,no apologies for mentioning it yet again

http://pakatak.co.uk/product-category/gps-trackers/