Repeat burglaries in rural areas

[Christian_Chourot]

Following an occasion upon which some lovely gentlemen relieved us of a generator and some gas bottles at our hut in the Mendips, it would appear that they returned recently to enquire whether we had replaced them yet, the answer being no.

Does anybody have any experience of detering theft in relatively remote rural areas where buildings are fairly difficult to secure and are surrounded by lots of trees with not a soul around? The constraints are that this is a building without mains electricity (or indeed any electricity now that our generator and battery are not there any more).

Ideas would greatly appreciated. Everything is being stored off site for the foreseeable future but it would be nice not to have to re-"secure" the hut all the time.

 

[francis]

I guess connecting 220V mains electricity to the doorhandle would keep them away...

Francis

 

[ditzy 24//7]

maybe stick a smal camera just inside so they will get caught?
that should work aslong as they dont see it or wear a mask or something ...
i like the idea about electricutlion tho  even if its not strictly llegal!

 

[Elaine]

Bit tricky without the mains electricity supply.

Are cameras and security systems/alarms any good? Or do crims not care about that sort of thing these days?

 

[cap n chris]

Trap a wild/livid sackful of vicious snarly badgers and squeeze them behind a shed door, locked somewhat farcically with a child's toy padlock or somesuch flimsy device; ensure there is a food supply (inadequate, natch) and something to drink. Run away laughing hysterically.

Alternatively, you could sit in the woods camouflaged and toting a powerful sniping rifle.

Both suggestions are freely available on the internet and this would serve as your defence if you appeared in court subsequently to someone taking issue with your efforts.

 

[Brains]

Shoot everything that breaths with a .22, then burn everything that doesnt to the ground to hide the evidence....









(Taxi to hell? Oh, that will be for me.... )

 

[ditzy 24//7]

you sick man! 

 

[francis]

What about a huge capacitor that gets discharged into the door handle when it's turned?

You can get very very large caps for car audio systems, and I'm sure it must be possible to limit the current to being very uncomfortable - but not deadly.

Francis

 

[cap n chris]

Wasps' nest?

Booby trap pit full of liquid shite?

Bits of roadkill fashioned with an old boilersuit and hanging behind a door ought to scare the heebeejeebus out of anyone.

yada yada

 

[graham]

Clearly not, then, Christian.

Oh Well.

 

[Stupot]

An idea would be to run a 12v DC PIR voice warning system from a series of car batteries, any approaching persons would trigger the PIR setting of a pre recorded voice warning such as:

"This is a remotely monitored site and your actions are being recorded for the purposes of crime prevention"

A good dummy camera would also be advantageous, but I don't mean a Screwfix special, these can be spotted a mile off, you need a real working CCTV housing just without the camera, use conduit into the wall to make it look as though it's been cabled with power and data.

Signs are also a good deterant, not the ones that say "24 hour guarded site" with a picture of a Dog, these are terrible and no one will believe it. Be more imaginative.

Shame about the mains electricity, with this you can do so much more.

If you need anymore advise or recommendations let me know as I design security systems for a living.

Stu.

 

[Peter Burgess]

I know of one remote accommodation site (remaining anonymous for obvious reasons) that have plans to install mains electricity at great expense because amongst other reasons they feel its the only way to take necessary security measures. All previous measures such as steel shutters and smashproof windows not being considered sufficient in this day and age. In the case of your site it's probably a case of raise the money to do this yourselves or lose the kit.

Have you considered a stake out? It worked wonders some years ago when cavers' stuff was being pinched regularly in Wales. Repeated incidents might just be one or two people causing a disproportionate amount of chaos.

 

[graham]

Have you considered a stake out?

yes

 

[cap n chris]

http://www.bullybeef.co.uk/alarm-trap-gun.htm

 

[Hughie]

What about a huge capacitor that gets discharged into the door handle when it's turned?

You can get very very large caps for car audio systems, and I'm sure it must be possible to limit the current to being very uncomfortable - but not deadly.

Francis

How about a cattle electric fencer? 12v car battery powered delivering a 6000v+ jolt.

Most unpleasant. Especially if pee-d upon. Apparently.

 

[Brendan]

Angry badgers, or a pit of slurry for me. Maybe surrounded by angry badgers. That would be very unpleasant. You would have to be really determined to come back again.

 

[ditzy 24//7]

Angry badgers, or a pit of slurry for me. Maybe surrounded by angry badgers. That would be very unpleasant. You would have to be really determined to come back again.

Thats if they get out alive 

 

[ken]

this may sound stupid but should work.....what about a baby phone and the neighbors.

as far as I know one side of a baby phone runs on battery's (days long) and the other you plug in. when there is a noise this thing turns on and you have one way listening possibilities. If the range (distance to neighbors) is enough they can call the police.
A friend of mine has his hooked up to his handy, and when he is the garden or at the neighbors house and the child wakes up, he receives a call. what i don't know is if he can use his cell as a listening device in this situation. I could ask if this is a possibility for you.
If the distance to the neighbors isn't to far (500 meters oder so) run a electrical wire (underground in a small plastic pipe) with a meter hooked up at the neighbors house, pay once a month what you used, and two problems are solved at once. 

 

[cap n chris]

Neither of the neighbours have mains electricity either. Come on, people; this is Mendip.

 

[whitelackington]

Neither of the neighbours have mains electricity either. Come on, people; this is Mendip.

Let someone live there permanently