Spate of bike thefts from homes in/around Guildford Surrey

andyeb

From speaking to local community police officers last night, who visited us following a bike theft from our shed (yes it was properly locked up!), it seems there is a spate of bike thefts going on in/around Guildford at the moment.

Thieves have been caught on CCTV going house-to-house around 11pm trying sheds and garages, forcing entry and stealing. The thieves seem relatively determined, judging by the amount of force used to smash the good quality padlock/hasp/staple off our shed door.

If you live in the Guildford area, please be vigilant and report any suspicious activity or theft/attempted theft to police via 101, in the hopes coordinated action can be taken against these thieves. If you actually see thieves in your garden, please call 999. These people must be caught.

You may also wish to consider improving the security of your shed or garage as a preventative measure. There are some good ideas here: <http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/bike-shed-security-part-1-21131/&gt; all of which I am in the process of implementing myself.

What are your top theft prevention tips when your pride and joy is at home?

(Please excuse the road/MTB cross post on this occasion.)

Giraffoto

One tip: proper security arrangements

balmybaldwin

My solution is to keep my bikes in the house (this has caused some issues with the mrs, but she's gone now so its all good!)

Thanks fo rthe heads up

Twelly

One in the van, one in the house and one locked down in the shed. Then if the worst happens to one of them I can still ride!

njee20

How wide an 'area'?

Chunkers1980

Give your addresses and I'll let you know.

Festerfeet

I don't know how you can stop a determined thief. I live on the ground floor of an apartment complex and we have a garden which I considered to be feasibly secure.
8ft wall (brick with metal railing)
Razor wire (coiled)
Electric fence (5 wires over 2 feet high above wall)
Infrared detectors on posts above wall
Security cameras linked to security guards office watched 24/7
Infra red motion detectors covering whole of our small garden

Last month some dumb feck tried to get over the wall, caught his trousers in the razor wire and electrocuted his gentle men's vegetables and got stuck. By the time I came out in response to his screams, security had sent a couple of big chaps round to help him down, with broom handles! They weren't gentle but probably more so than I would have been if I found him in the apartment.
As he hadn't managed to steal anything he was given 14 days detention. (Justice can be swift in China)
Last week he was caught in a similar position on the other side of the apartment complex.

I have come to two conclusions:
1) you can't cure stupid, even with electroshock therapy to the balls
2) if someone is desperate or determined enough, it is pretty hard to stop them

Lewis A

Festerfeet wrote:

I don't know how you can stop a determined thief. I live on the ground floor of an apartment complex and we have a garden which I considered to be feasibly secure.
8ft wall (brick with metal railing)
Razor wire (coiled)
Electric fence (5 wires over 2 feet high above wall)
Infrared detectors on posts above wall
Security cameras linked to security guards office watched 24/7
Infra red motion detectors covering whole of our small garden

Do you live in Somalia or are you the potus?

cooldad

Festerfeet
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Nov 8, 2013 3:59 pm
Location: Chengdu, Sichuan, China