jules Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 My Project manager woke up this morning to find that over night His house had been broken into, and his new car, his wife's new car and there mobile phones and all there key's had been stolen. Apparently its becoming a problem in the Portsmouth, Southampton and Bournemouth areas... its to do with the type of lock on you front door ??? I'm glad I have dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveG Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 It's also to do with the fact that it's harder to nick cars now, so they just break into your house and to get to the car keys instead. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Can you expand upon what's wrong with yale locks? Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiWhite Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 If you are talking about Yale locks being not-too-secure, you're right. Crims can get in very easily - I won't go into detail about how on a public forum. I wouldn't rely on a Yale alone for ANY door. I'm trained in Method of Entry at work and most Yales can be opened in under 5 seconds using stuff lying around in any bin or street. Most cars nowadays need keys to start as immobilisers are so good. Crims will often 'fish' for keys using long lengths of wire etc through a letterbox. Keep your car keys as far from doors and windows as possible and out of sight from outside i.e inside a cupboard door in the kitchen. If he's really worried about his car, get Tracker fitted. It REALLY works..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Train Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Some locks are very easy to get past. Standard night latches (Yale type locks) are very easy. The Euro lock barrels used in uPVC doors and multipoint locking systems are even easier. I always used to suggest to people to try and break into their own homes if they were locked out and many found it surprisingly easy especially with a few hints. I use mortice locks and keep my house and car keys with me in the bed room at night. It is very easy to poke a 'fishing' rod through the letter box to hook house or car keys off a hall table for breaking in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OilIT Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Yep same happened to a colleague about a year ago in Bracknell, broke into the house, took keys and mobile phone, laptop, he woke up when they drove down the road beeping the horn and waving at him as he looked out the bedroom window.. The really strange thing is they moved his boxter to get to his wifes Mini Cooper S (police suggested stolen to order). They then found the car the next day in a residential area with the keys on top of the near side wheel - the police caught the peopl ewho were collecting it to pass it along the chain - organised or what! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules Posted February 6, 2008 Author Share Posted February 6, 2008 It is very easy to poke a 'fishing' rod through the letter box to hook house or car keys off a hall table for breaking in. That's one way the news showed the a metal broom bent up and used to simply through the letter box and turn the nob. Scary how easy it is. His car has been recovered but his wife's car is still missing He had a V6 sti mondeo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro_Al Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Man that really sucks. But in all fairness, if I woke up to find some git had been inside my house while my wife and I were alseep, I would THANK GOD that all they wanted was my car. That could be SO much worse. Sorry to hear of his bad luck though. Al. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Train Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Chris Yep, a simple process. I have had to legally get into so many houses in the course of my work in the past, bits of wire, parcel strapping, coat hangers and tiny bits of shaped hacksaw blades get through most things now and all the instructions are on Youtube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roverdrive Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Too true about it only being a car if they have been inside the house. One bloke woke up to find a half brick on the deck in his bedroom. Went downstairs and found the door open and his car gone. Police told him that the brick was in case he woke up while they were nicking it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandyManLuke Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 In my opinion, anyone who leaves their car keys in sight of the letterbox or front door is leaving themselves open to this sort of thing. My keys are on the bedside table beside me when i go to sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark90 Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 My keys are on the bedside table beside me when i go to sleep. At least we know where to look, best bring a brick too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reads90 Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 It's also to do with the fact that it's harder to nick cars now, so they just break into your house and to get to the car keys instead. Steve Cauese alot of problems with the insurance compies as in their small print they will noy pay out if the thief has a set of keys for the car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 He had a V6 sti mondeo That'll be a getaway car then... In my opinion, anyone who leaves their car keys in sight of the letterbox or front door is leaving themselves open to this sort of thing.My keys are on the bedside table beside me when i go to sleep. The fact that they cannot see the keys won't stop them as I'm sure SiWhite can attest to. If it's a nice car, then not much will stop them. It just might take them a little longer. When I worked up in Worcestershire, one night a gang kicked in a front door, got keys from the kitchen (keys not in sight from any window), and got away with a Porsche Cayenne, a BMW X5 and another sports car in the time it took for the householder to wake up dial 999 and give us his address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashtrans Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I had exactly this happen about 2 years ago, Porsche 996 C4S just moved house, alarm not yet sorted, Heard my car start outside at 4 am, very distinctive sound due to the sports exhaust, window forced open and keys and phone gone, called cops, got onto tracker people, said the subscription ran out a month ago ! Oh S**T ! managed to blag activation due to lack of reminder because of new address. Tracker dead, torn out in 15 mins, got a call that night , they managed to activate the old tracker which was left in when I upgraded to the new one, big car chase, chopper coppers Etc, car was on cloned plates, crashed it and nicked 2 crack heads, 9K repair bill covered by insurance, sold it, now have new car with lots of house security inc dummy tracker in factory position, as someone mentioned the car is not that important, the worse thing is having intruders in the house with a wife and 2 young kids, I would say don't take the keys to bed, for me if an intruder is in the house, the most important thing to me is to get them out the house, with or without the keys, and while we are on the subject, lots of Defenders get pinched, most TDi, I am not an engine expert but why not just wire a simple secret switch inline with the fuel solenoid on the injector pump, or inline with the low current starter relay, real easy job, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landmannnn Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Happened to me 3 years ago. Brand new Golf R32, fished the keys through the letterbox. Did my neighbour's M3 at the same time. The police just gave us crime ref numbers and said it happens a lot. We have both got dogs who will run to the front door whenever anyone turns up. Neither of them even woke up. We both had visits from the insurance companies who then paid out a few weeks later. Obviously lost out a bit financially. The insurance loss adjuster said that most cars are nicked like this, but be very careful about leaving your engine running in the morning to defrost the car, if they take the car insurance companies will not pay out. Also he told me that dogs really aren't much use at 3 am, it takes a lot to wake them up. Needless to say my car keys are not easy to find. At least they did not take the land rover. On a related topic I notice difflock are selling a tool to take off locking wheel nuts for £27. So now my locking wheel nuts are useless. Might as well take them off and put the normal wheel nuts back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nige90 Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Chris I take it that trick won't work on Mortice locks ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Train Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Mortice locks are more secure but if you have a fire then you are locked in your own home, if you leave the keys in the lock then it is no longer as secure. Personal safety is a big issue, as others have said, much better the car then a member of the household being attacked. I've been fortunate so far, only works vans have been taken when at work and only one break in and that was when I lived in London. I am still as careful as I can be though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbarton Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Mortice locks are more secure but if you have a fire then you are locked in your own home, if you leave the keys in the lock then it is no longer as secure. I have mortise locks, but when I'm in residence I use shoot bolts on the doors - so I don't have to look for keys in a hurry. I used to deliver phone books and it was amazing the number of people who couldn't open their front doors because they couldn't find their keys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I look after a fleet of cars.... This is the way we lose most of our cars now, apart from when the dorks driving them slam them into walls and other cars ! Lost an S320 2 years ago... The thieves even took the time to fill the boot up with TV, DVD player, Music amp and associated system items... Some of you with replacement doors may be in a position where you can leave a key in the inside, all the way in and part turned. At least then the lock can't be bumped so long as the inserted key is turned. Like Dave said, don't take the keys to bed... If they really want the car, they will come find the keys. But, also don;t store the keys in plain view. Thiefs are opportunists most of the time, so if they can't see the keys they may not try, if they can't open the lock in the first few attempts they are more than likely to move on.... Simple deterrants can work. If they really want the car, it will go..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimfoo Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Just leave a bunch of fake keys here and there all over the house. :lol: :lol: Of course where I live, you can take your time calling the police. "COLORADO: “Castle Doctrine” Bill to be Heard on Wednesday, February 6! Sponsored by State Representative Cory Gardner (R-63), House Bill 1066 will be heard by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, February 6. HB1066 would extend self-defense protections beyond the home to include businesses, and grant civil and criminal immunity for using deadly force if a person is faced with a threat of great bodily harm or death in his or her home or business. Please contact the members of the House Judiciary Committee and respectfully urge them to support HB1066 to allow business owners to protect themselves and their place of business. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeSheds Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 A series of thoughts provoked by reading the above thread: I'm lucky that I have an old Pug 406 with a combination immobilizer (so even if they get the keys they can't start it) - seems a really good idea / more secure option to me, so why don't more cars have it? Am I missing something? I'm lucky that I have insomniac geriatric nosy neighbours who also keep a look out during the day and have saved me from losing stuff to pikeys while I am at work on more than one occasion...* I'm lucky that I have a dog that sleeps with me (and the keys) upstairs, and while I don't know if he'd wake up if anyone came in downstairs I am sure he would if they came in the bedroom (although he would probably wag his tail if they did ) I also leave the company laptop (fully encrypted) downstairs so that they can grab something and stop looking round - hopefully... I'm lucky that I live in a quiet, decent area - a cul-de-sac ex Coal Board estate actually - where everybody knows everybody and strangers are noticed. And finally - I don't know how anybody else is supposed to find my keys - yesterday it took me ten minutes to find them and I was late for work because of it. They were on the front step and had been there for about two hours in the middle of the day . Don't ask. I'm so lucky TwoSheds * On a sunny afternoon, a white transit pickup pulled up outside my place and by the time my neighbour crossed the road the 'visitor' was looking closely at my garage door security. When challenged he said that I had sent him to get some tools and had forgotten to give him the key. My neighbour knew this was a lie (I work in an office - why would I want tools in the middle of the day?), but told him that I was his nephew (not true but added credibility) and that he would phone me to see if it was ok to give him the spare key. At this point the visitor made his excuses and left... Phew! Thanks for the quick thinking Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbarton Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 * On a sunny afternoon, a white transit pickup pulled up outside my place and by the time my neighbour crossed the road the 'visitor' was looking closely at my garage door security. When challenged he said that I had sent him to get some tools and had forgotten to give him the key. My neighbour knew this was a lie (I work in an office - why would I want tools in the middle of the day?), but told him that I was his nephew (not true but added credibility) and that he would phone me to see if it was ok to give him the spare key. At this point the visitor made his excuses and left... Phew! Thanks for the quick thinking Harry I've sent suspicious people packing on more than one occasion from neighbour's houses. I ask them " are you looking for Brian?" They say "Yes" and I say "Well nobody called Brian lives here" They usually mutter an excuse and disappear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil00001 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 We dont have Pikeys in Holland, but Poles. Saying that the only dealings I have had with Polish people has never given my any cause for concearn. but many others have Fresh meat for my dogs, what I could save in buying the stuff would put plenty of toys on my truck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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