Workshop Security.

[undergroundhunter]

Morning all,

For the past few nights/early mornings my wife is convinced she has seen a torch light at the back of my workshop (it backs on to an old drainage channel about 6ft wide) because of this and a number of local burglaries I'm starting to think that my workshop might be an easy target. The workshop is 24' x 12', it had 3 windows one in each side and a small on in the back (looking on to the drainage channel) I have boarded up one of the side windows (looking on to a neighbours garden) and yesterday I fitted some more lights and boarded up the back window, they are only single pane so probably better/warmer anyway. The wife let the dog out this morning and the gate on the driveway was open, we never leave the gate unlatched as the dog has a habit of wandering off, so I'm stating to wonder who left it open and what were they doing?

I'm going to go and get an LED pir for the front of the workshop (pointing down the drive) as is pitch black down there at night anyway. The up an over door isnt really an issue as I screwed it shut when we moved in as it's never had a key. The man door has been replaced with a solid wood mortice and tenon door (made by me) and is fitted with a yale night latch (with a dimple cylinder) and a mortice dead lock, I also fitted hinge pins to strengthen the hinge side. Short of boarding up the only other window (looking on to our garden) has anyone got any suggestions? I have been looking at a small (1 pir and 1 door contact) wireless alarm system, are these any good? Or is there something more obvious I can do to make it look more unattractive to thieves?

Thanks Matt

 

[dzj]

Lights, cameras and a “junkyard dog” is what I would use.
Wouldn't rely too much on locks, as thieves can open most of them.

 

[Racers]

I would put some internal bars on the window.
And a lock for the gate.


Pete

 

[MattRoberts]

If get a couple of cheap IP cameras from ebay / amazon and mount them up high. You don't even need to go through the hassle of connecting them fully if you don't want to, their presence should be enough to deter them

 

[Phil Pascoe]

One of my neighbours had a sign "Smile, You're on Candid Camera" with a big smiley - I never saw anyone other than our neighbours walk past without looking at it. The thing is, you'll never know what the deterent was/is - you just need to make your place less appealing to a scrote than the place down the road. Every little helps.

 

[Droogs]

Put signs on the shed stating "Forced entry can/will result in fatal injury" and hook up the handle to the mains

Friend of mine was burgled last weekend, the were after his cousins motorbike. But as he had collected it, they took all the tools they could carry instead. He has now fitted an air horn (150db) just above the door, that goes off when the door is opened with a remote shut off.

 

[Roughcut]

Lock/bolt on the gate, maybe a bell (like the old fashioned shops had on the door) on the gate that will make a noise when the gate is opened and a bright security light with pir.

 

[skipdiver]

I was told to make it as difficult as possible and they will move onto an easier target. That came from a police officer when i had an attempted break in. Found my back gate open and bar marks on my back door. He said they had moved on because my door didn't pop open quickly.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I wonder if someone markets a small flashgun with a movement censor? There aren't many scrotes that would hang around if they though someone had taken their photo. :lol:

 

[Steve Maskery]

My alarm goes off inside the workshop and inside the house as well. So far I've not had any problem...

 

[Ali]

One of my neighbours had a sign "Smile, You're on Candid Camera" with a big smiley - I never saw anyone other than our neighbours walk past without looking at it. The thing is, you'll never know what the deterent was/is - you just need to make your place less appealing to a scrote than the place down the road. Every little helps.

Also some "Warning - Security Dogs running Free" signs can help, cheap and low tech

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Danger-securi ... 1399485454

 

[Claymore]

I have trail cameras fitted both inside and out of the workshop so even if it doesn't stop them getting in i will have plenty of video/photo/sound footage to show the police.
We have travellers who creep about at night after quads etc and also heating oil but because we are very rural there are no police so if we do catch one then it will be easy to hide the body (maybe feed them to the pigs)
A few years ago my mum lived in a bungalow and had her side door window smashed a couple of times so after repairing it yet again we fitted a 3mm polycarbonate inner window and one night the scum returned and smash the window again with his hand but this time the polycarbonate stopped the glass dropping inwards and judging by the amount of blood down the door and path he must have got a nice cut......never happened again.

 

[Seiken]

I've fitted a wireless PIR and door entry sensor and zoned it onto the house alarm so it can be armed even when the main house is not armed. I've also fitted one of these http://diometonline.co.uk/home-and-garden/home-security-products/shed-security-bar as well as a van door lock to the doors.

 

[Jasper42]

I've fitted a wireless PIR and door entry sensor and zoned it onto the house alarm so it can be armed even when the main house is not armed. I've also fitted one of these http://diometonline.co.uk/home-and-garden/home-security-products/shed-security-bar as well as a van door lock to the doors.

I have the same but made my own out of some scrap angle iron and fitted a van lock, also put bolts into the door frame so even if they were to snap the hinges it still will not open. Windows are double glazed units and covered in that lead effect strips. All my hand power tools are secured in steel lockers with very good padlocks. Plus cctv covering the door. That said if they are willing to spend the time they will still get in, I just hope it works like too much hard work and move on.

 

[undergroundhunter]

Thanks guys, PIR flood light is on the list, I will probably get an alarm (the wife is a light sleeper so she will hear it) and get some bars welded up for the windows. As has been said it just needs to look like hard work.

Matt

 

[MARK.B.]

+1 for all the advice above ( maybe think twice about Droogs option though lol ). My concern is that your workshop/house may be being cased by someone and they are just testing for any reaction before deciding whether or not to break in and nick your stuff, if so beefing up on visible security measures should hopefully change their minds and move on somewhere else.

 

[Rorschach]

Assuming you are in a rural or semi-rural area get a good loud alarm and a shotgun. If the police have you on file as a gun owner they will show up pretty damn fast, in the meantime a couple of shots into the air will add to the effect of the alarm.

 

[Flynnwood]

I wonder if someone markets a small flashgun with a movement censor? There aren't many scrotes that would hang around if they though someone had taken their photo. :lol:

Funnily enough I thought of that idea a few years ago - one that would produce fast multiple flashes (like red-eye reduction) and, possibly, connected to a real camera. Alas, I couldn't find one.

I like the idea mentioned of the 150db air horn :lol:

To digress a little from the OP's question;

An ex police officer I met has simple concealed locks fitted to internal doors which restrict movement around the ground floor if someone got in. For example; back door leads to kitchen, then kitchen leads to living room via a door. That door would be locked (from the living room side) when one is going to bed. So if anyone gets in the back door, they are pretty much contained in the kitchen. Same goes from living room to stairwell.

It buys time for the house-owner to react, as well as making things very awkward for a burglar.

Example from screw fix:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/era-brass-co ... pack/5748g

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I suspect one of biggest problems around us is that the police know who does the thieving and also know it's futile taking them to court, so don't lose any sleep over it. The guy who did my shop years ago was up on eighty seven charges of burglary - he'd been gaoled three or four times for it before (he was only twenty five, with six children), and I read a while ago of another scrote who was in court for his forty first charge of drink driving and driving without a licence.

 

[Lons]

An ex police officer I met has simple concealed locks fitted to internal doors which restrict movement around the ground floor if someone got in. For example; back door leads to kitchen, then kitchen leads to living room via a door. That door would be locked (from the living room side) when one is going to bed. So if anyone gets in the back door, they are pretty much contained in the kitchen. Same goes from living room to stairwell.

It buys time for the house-owner to react, as well as making things very awkward for a burglar.

Example from screw fix:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/era-brass-co ... pack/5748g

personally I wouldn't want to do that as I would not want to restrict or hinder our own movements around the house in the event of an emergency. If we had a fire in the middle of the night we could get out but with the mutt locked in the kitchen my missus would kill me if it got left behind.