Our second burgulary where everything is "In Order" according to Gordons Bay Security

[ld13]

So yesterday sometime during the day we had another break-in.

This follows the one we had about 1.5 years ago where the Gordons Bay Security responding officer on scene declared "All in order" while there were still clear signals being sent to the control room about movement within multiple zones in our house - as per the activity log of that day. My mother came back later in the day only to discover *shock*horror* glass all over the kitchen floor and a messed up house. They had the opportunity to catch the scumbags in the act, but due to gross misconduct on the part of the responding officer, they got away with eg. jewelry with high sentimental value. Turns out the officer never bothered to check the back of the house. In the end the dude supposedly got a warning of some kind.

Forward to yesterday, and I might as well retype the above scenario. Only this time a single zone went off. Responding officer reported "All in order", mom arrive later *shock*horror* glass all over the floor, nothing seems to be stolen though, responding officer did not bother to check the back of the house properly.

And this time he would not even have needed to climb over the wall to check the side of the house where the break-in occurred - the window can easily be inspected by just standing in the open property next door and looking over the wall.

What recourse do one have against this kind of misconduct from a security company?

What reasonable procedures would one expect the armed response companies to take when inspecting a house after the alarm triggered?

Taking into account that I saw them jump over these very same walls just 5 or 6 years back after our cat managed to trigger the alarm, am I unreasonable to expect them to climb these walls when inspecting our house? The walls are even lower-than-average... not like super high.

Eish, :(

[Madman88]

Go to the police and report a case of attempted house breaking. Implicate the responding officer and the security company. Then take the case no and the whole story to your local paper.

[theratman]

Gordon bay is a becoming a very popular area for break ins,we have a holiday house on beach road after the caravan park and it's been broken into 3 times,3 frikken times.The police station is 500m meters away.We called them once and it took them 25min.Guess what,there is nothing of value there.We have no tv,radio nothing.Just the basics,sheets,cutlery,kettle,chairs,beds etc,the house has been in the family for 3 generations and most of the stuff is OLD.We have burglar bars and the works but they break in through the smallest window.It's not worth having a security company because the stuff inside is not worth protecting...Sorry to hear about your break ins,I just thought I would share.

[SinghDude]

It seems some security companies are just in it for the money. They are preying on peoples insecurities and fears and at the same time milking everybody without providing an efficient service.

[AstroTurf]

Had the same problems at work, Moved to a different security company and no more problems.

As an example, they came back 4 Sunday nights at 9:00pm, broke the PIR's off the walls and turned them around (so they are facing the wall) then waited for ADT to come flash lights through the front gate (I have this on Camera, all they did was walk around the front perimeter and shine a torch into the property).
Once ADT had left they spent the rest of the night carrying copper and brass out the store leaving around 4:00am the next morning.

This happened 4 times, we switched Security, added some more protection to the room and it never happened again.

[Ry4n]

You will probably find that it is the security company robbing you dry.
My Dad Office are across the way from the Office Complex 24 hour security company - there is alway s a guy in there no matter what time so how can my dads office get robbed one night while someone is on watch?
Also allot of robberies happen after you get building done or have a security systems put in place because these little buggers create ways to let them selves in or plan their route while they are in you house.

Its sad really :(

[xrapidx]

Isn't there another company you can use?

[supersunbird]

So yesterday sometime during the day we had another break-in.

This follows the one we had about 1.5 years ago where the Gordons Bay Security responding officer on scene declared "All in order" while there were still clear signals being sent to the control room about movement within multiple zones in our house - as per the activity log of that day. My mother came back later in the day only to discover *shock*horror* glass all over the kitchen floor and a messed up house. They had the opportunity to catch the scumbags in the act, but due to gross misconduct on the part of the responding officer, they got away with eg. jewelry with high sentimental value. Turns out the officer never bothered to check the back of the house. In the end the dude supposedly got a warning of some kind.

Forward to yesterday, and I might as well retype the above scenario. Only this time a single zone went off. Responding officer reported "All in order", mom arrive later *shock*horror* glass all over the floor, nothing seems to be stolen though, responding officer did not bother to check the back of the house properly.

And this time he would not even have needed to climb over the wall to check the side of the house where the break-in occurred - the window can easily be inspected by just standing in the open property next door and looking over the wall.

What recourse do one have against this kind of misconduct from a security company?

What reasonable procedures would one expect the armed response companies to take when inspecting a house after the alarm triggered?

Taking into account that I saw them jump over these very same walls just 5 or 6 years back after our cat managed to trigger the alarm, am I unreasonable to expect them to climb these walls when inspecting our house? The walls are even lower-than-average... not like super high.

Eish, :(

Well, if you feel strongly enough about it you can start a community security/safety initiative. Our neighbourhood is devided into smaller sectors.

Now two of these sectors combined for a 24 hour (3 patrolers with 8 hour shifts) community patrol vehicle that has because the security company we use required 243 houses to be signed up for the patrol vehicle to be instituted. We encounted this vehicle throughout the day and night and it has GPS tracking to log its activity. The current armed response subscribers also get a discount so it still cost them the same to be part of the initiative.

The residents also have VHF radios (handheld/walky talkies) that can be had from around (R750 to R1100 depedning on model) which are used so call for assitance if there is a problem during the day or night and some residents volunteer to do 1 hour patrols with their cars during day or night. The cars have magnitic stickers on the door identifying them and a green flashing light on the roof and your backup is provided by the radio. Not really hard to offer your time just for say 2 or 3 times a week. Random persons walking and driving around aimlessly have definitely reduced since this activity started. There are nightly roll calls for resident to check their radios are working correctly and the batteries arent flat.

The police are also doing their part and I have often encountered them patrolling while I'm patrolling.

As for securing your own property/home and making it less of a target, does anyone want me to posts some tips on that?

[wesleyfraser]

Sure post away please.

[supersunbird]

Sure post away please.

Ok, so these tips are based on that study where the guy interviewed armed robbers in prison and what detered them but I have added my own flavour to it:

- dogs: can be outside and inside house, small dogs are generally more energetic and alert and will bark which will wake up the bigger dogs who are more a physical deterent. Dogs can be poisoned more easily when outside house, can provide deterant inside house since they can more easily detect someone snooping outside house than the humans inside the house.

- razorwire/working electric fence: both provide physical deterrent from climbing over wall/fence and electric fence offers perimeter alarm bonus. Electric fence needs to work or it offers no benefit.

- Garden beams: there are many different makes and systems, prevents the person/s from snooping around the house casually and checking where inhabitants and belongings are. Provides advance warning to resident in house. Can be linked to armed response.

- Lights/open yard: Proper lighting of the garden and visibilty from the street or neighbours house. Doesn't give the crimilas a place to hide and go about their business in a relaxed manner. When patrolling myself I see some houses with lights outside on but they have a high wall and a solid wooded gate, if there is someone walking about in there I will never know.

- Effective security company/armed response: if the company is active in your area it might be good to sign up. No use being the only one signed up to a particular company in your sneighbourhood when everyone else is with someone else.

- Good quality door and security doors and locks: will prevent the intruder from just quickly forcing them open.

- Alarm system: When you are not there is will trigger and bring the armed response and if you are there and there is a problem (even just someone on the yard) you can use the panic buttons to call the armed response. Make sure the panic buttons are spread around the house.

- visitors cars on sidwwalk are an easy target, please try to have them park insdie the yard behind locked gate

[supersunbird]

Did I bore everyone to death?

PS: sorry about your burglary...

[wesleyfraser]

Lol great tips thanks...

[Budza]

- visitors cars on sidwwalk are an easy target, please try to have them park insdie the yard behind locked gate

Has happened to me twice while visiting people. Not much you can do if the car port is too small :(

Wish I could wire the car up to the mains while leaving it outside...

[supersunbird]

Has happened to me twice while visiting people. Not much you can do if the car port is too small :(

Wish I could wire the car up to the mains while leaving it outside...

Thanks for making me see the atrocious spelling lol

[Milano]

Crime has dropped dramatically since our local CPF launched. Wasn't much to begin with, now life is dull.

[supersunbird]

Attempted burglary 3 houses up the street this morning at 02:35... damn, I'm tired today. Criminals should DIAF!