Word of warning (youths kicking our door)

[Guest]

Just a word of warning to everyone...We live on Upland Rd and yesterday, in broad daylight, 2 youths 15 - 20 yrs old, tried to kick our front door in. Luckily we've got 3 good locks and they failed to get in but annoyingly have damaged the door to the point where we need a new one.

Apparently very common as they think people are out at work.

Secure your houses!

Thanks

[Jeremy]

Sorry to hear this. Were you home at the time?

[SEnewbie]

....

[phobic3000]

That's terrible. If you have a wooden door a London Bar is a really good way to reinforce the lock. They're not expensive and make a huge improvement to securing wooden doors.

[phobic3000]

http://www.londonbar.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d54_london_bar.html

[mynamehere]

I hope you called the police? Call the police no matter what the details. Patterns of things happening are what makes effective deterrence. It's never a lot of people but from this post we "know" that some people are finding the summer holidays hard to fill and are trying the oldest break in technique around: test if doors have been left on the latch and not bolted shut.

Bolt doors and windows at street level back and front and call the police every single event: 999 only if you see the person back or front of your house or a neighbour's. 101 if it is too late to do more than just have the incident recorded. Patterns make effective policing.

Www.ourwatch.org.uk for neighbourhood watch tips and joining. A call to 101 should get you signed on to Neighbourhood Watch. I run a NHW on Upland Road as do at least 2 other people. NHW just means you know your neighbours and aren't fussed about noticing things that seem wrong. PM me if you want to join

awesome3 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just a word of warning to everyone...We live on

> Upland Rd and yesterday, in broad daylight, 2

> youths 15 - 20 yrs old, tried to kick our front

> door in. Luckily we've got 3 good locks and they

> failed to get in but annoyingly have damaged the

> door to the point where we need a new one.

>

> Apparently very common as they think people are

> out at work.

>

> Secure your houses!

>

> Thanks

[James Barber]

Also worth getting Manchester bars to protect the hinge side of doors.

Many residents are away during August - please ensure neighbours houses are obviously giving the appearance of the residents being away. Push letters and leaflet completely through letterboxes for example.

Please report ANY suspicious activities to the Police either 999 or 101 if not an emergency.

The 5am door kicking would be a 999 call.

[NewDad]

Just another day in East Dulwich ...

[Jeremy]

James Barber Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Also worth getting Manchester bars to protect the

> hinge side of doors.

Sorry to be a pedant.. but I think you mean Birmingham bar!

[Penguin68]

Are the Met in our area still interested in burglary - apparently some forces no longer do anything other than issue a crime number for insurance claims?

[Otta]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> James Barber Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Also worth getting Manchester bars to protect

> the

> > hinge side of doors.

>

> Sorry to be a pedant.. but I think you mean

> Birmingham bar!

Indeed

http://www.birminghambar.co.uk/

But yes very worth it. People can buy all the locks they like, but theyre all useless if you've got crap hinges which cave with the first kick.

[mynamehere]

Yes Penguin68, the MET do burglaries. Please call 101 if you missed the burglars and 999 if you can still see them running away. And tell your neighbours, that's called "cocooning" because burglars hit groups of houses so forewarned is forearmed (with telephone to hand)

[Mustard]

I used to live in the bottom two floors of a four story house with my own front door. The upstairs flat had a street door on the raised ground floor. They were broken into one night by someone kicking the door in because they had only had the Yale lock on, and were burgled while they slept on the top floor. They didn't hear a thing, and neither did I. They didn't find out until they came downstairs in the morning and saw the door hanging open.

[Tractorlad]

With regard to how interested the police would be about investigating an attempted break-in, I hope this story about Leicestershire police piloting a policy of ignoring burglaries at odd-numbered properties doesn't get adopted in the capital! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-33788264

[ourbubbleonline]

So sad to hear all these stories - GET A LONDON BAR though - they are the best forms of extensive door security. Also please don't be scared of hurting these little "sh*tes" I have a basball bat next to my front door and would be willing to use it no problem - to ensure my family - we as the public should not be afraid to defend our property. If these imbociles want to try to break in and rob us, we need to stand up to them and if necessary break them to the point they can't get away. Im sure we will al stand together on this one!

[edcam]

Fully agree re getting a London bar. Extra peace of mind and pretty inexpensive.

[soyamocha3]

If you are looking for someone to fit a London or Manchester bar, I have the name of someone who did some work for me. He also fitted window locks and for the moment at least, I feel a lot safer. He was reasonably priced and very reliable - tidy worker who turned up on time. Enough said!

[Nigello]

Not every door is suitable for a bar: it depends on the hinges, I was told by a reliable locksmith.

[Willard]

The London bar doesn't go on the hinged side of the door. That's a Birmingham bar...

Nigello Wrote:

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> Not every door is suitable for a bar: it depends

> on the hinges, I was told by a reliable locksmith.

[Nigello]

What he meant was that not every door can accommodate every kind of bar but it got mangled in my memory. Two dead locks - both at the appropriate part of the door - are also a good idea.

[hc]

Be aware of Patio doors/French doors that have the hinges on the outside of the house. A friend of mine was awoken by a drilling noise, only to find the doors taken off their hinges and propped up against the wall of the house for quick burglary. A 'Patlock' apparently is a good deterrent.