Auditors

[ForceHQ 117]

Not light hearted, but I didn't really know where else to stick it, anyway my parents house, well more the drive has seen two attempted thefts in as many months. I'm looking for some advice regarding security measures. Naturally I know the basics, but I'm hoping for some good advice from you guys.  

They have security lights and sensors and decent doors and windows and the house does have an alarm, but the drive way is well, just a drive way.

The first thing is CCTV, I've no experience in buying and using from the other side. Any advice even if it seams patronising would be good. Even if it's just brands to avoid, or to avoid it altogether. I know it won't help physically stop anything, but it might be a minor deterrence and give my parents piece of mind.

The other thing is target hardening, is it worth making access more difficult? The last attempt they cut a  heavy duty padlock and chain of a trailer but where unable to get it past the car. So a close call.

I think my father would like landlines, but realistically they need to be able to stop people coming into the drive with out making it look like the US/Mexican boarder. 

Cheers guys, appreciate it. 

  

[Chief Cheetah 6,915]

Might be better in help me, we'll try it in there for a while.

[ForceHQ 117]

That's sounds like a good place for it!

[AA101 626]

Could they get a removable/lower-able bollard or two to secure the drive? That would make it very difficult to steal anything bulky and get it away down the drive.

[Chief Cheetah 6,915]

The quickest and cheapest way to start off with before you decide what measures to take would be some CCTV in operation signs.  Unless they know the rewards are going to be great burglars and thieves always go for the easiest option and the signs may just be the deterrent that makes them go next door.

Without knowing the exact set up of the driveway and surrounding area it may be a good idea to get a "quote" from a few companies (get the signs in place whilst this is being organised).  The companies will want to sell you stuff obviously but like anyone else they will give free quotes.  The quote will hopefully itemise what they will put in and where and that is then your plan if you want to do it yourself.  They will be able to identify the weak and vulnerable points likely to be targeted and that is what you can then concentrate your efforts on.

Done this a couple of times now including for my parents house (and a friends parents house) and it was really quite successful.  The majority of the equipment we needed we bought from a wholesale suppliers and fitted ourselves, it all works brilliantly.  My parents can flick the channel on their TV to see all around the house if a light comers on or if someone knocks at the door, the cameras will show who it is knocking.  Oddly enough they haven't actually been at home when I call since I installed it, I must just be unlucky somehow.

[ForceHQ 117]

Thanks Cheetah, that's a good idea. What type of cameras did you end up with or are most of them fairly similar dependant on the price bracket? Lay out wise from the top, it's basically a rectangle with a square in the middle,the square being the house and at the front the drive and the back the garden.  

And I did think about those bollards, but I have a feeling they'd be used for a week before they became ignored, although they might go for electric ones or gates. 

[BlueBob + 700]

Can you put in a nice electric gate?  Nice kerb appeal, visual and physical deterrent.  Easy to match in with cctv, lights and other stuff when they are opened. Bit pricey and apart from space is well worth the money for all your issues

[jamieMET + 121]

For the trailer, you can get a sort of ground anchor that is set into the driveway and the trailer can be bolted to it. 

Fold up bollard or two?

 

i myself just run a Hikvision IP HD1080p CCTV system which I can view anytime from my phome or laptop

[Chief Cheetah 6,915]

One of the problems with going too posh on the security is that they may think you have something special to hide and that may increase your chances of being targeted, it's a fine balance.

All the stuff we used was built on over a period of time and came from different suppliers.  If we needed it urgently on a Sunday then we may have resorted to Maplins but they are expensive otherwise it came from a company called CPC but they are close enough to call in to avoid postage costs (although they now do free postage on a lot of stuff).  Some of our stuff came from Chinese websites and some was collected over the years (bit of a an electrical geek like that).  The installations we did was now a number of years ago so equipment and prices have changed but searching for the wholesale sites is a good start, read the reviews of stuff and then google to find a better price.  Amazon does a lot of it nowadays.

 

When I read reviews, if there are a lot of them I always ignore the top rated ones and the bottom rated ones, if there are only a few reviews I'm cautious and want to know how long it has been sold and why there aren't many reviews.

[Sir Penguin 648]

I'm surprised that security lights don't act as much of a deterrence, that would have been my first suggestion. As Cheetah said, a sign in noticeable places may help. If you didn't want to fork out on expensive CCTV then I know a few people who buy the dummy camera's which illuminate red. I think they're solar powered too. But obviously they're just a method of prevention and would be of no use if you were targeted. 

 

[MerseyLLB 8,426]

Dogs, Lights, CCTV, Gravel on approaches, updated doors and windows.

[TheFlomeister + 349]

I'm looking at Ubiquiti's range of CCTV (range is here) for work. Not entirely sure if the costs will be a little too much but we use some of their other products and they've proven to be reliable but reasonably priced.

[ForceHQ 117]

Hi Everyone, 

Thanks for the help, I think they are going to get CCTV for sure. If anything it makes it easier to work if/when something happens and it brings peace of mind.I mentioned the electric gate, and my parents are half for it half against it, particularly in regards to the balance cheetah mentioned. I think I might suggest brighter security lights as well, I think if anything they currently act as more of a help to the crims than anything else. Are there any bolt cutter proof/resistant padlocks and chains on the market?

The wheels have been temporarily taken off the trailer, and I think a ground anchor is the way to go, if if its a DIY one.

Thanks guys

[TheFlomeister + 349]

One thing I learned from a job this weekend, always check your CCTV is working properly and recording! Based on the location of the cameras, we thought we'd get a good picture of the offenders but turns out the cameras weren't working at all.

 

[prolixia 704]

There are already some good ideas here.  A couple of additional suggestions:

1) Check the security lights.  Are the sensors angled correctly so that any one e.g. coming up the drive will necessarily set them off?  It's easy for them to shift, or to be obscured by leaves etc.

2) Consider trimming bushes etc. to make the driveway more exposed.  Would anyone approaching and interfering with vehicles on it be conspicuous from the road or would they be able to work out of sight?

3) If the trailer is a particular concern then consider a wheel clamp and/or towbar clamp (the sort of thing in the picture below) as these will make it signifiantly harder to hitch up and tow away.