Break-ins in Edinburgh

[Gershwin]

The amount of break-ins happening across the city seems to be rocketing. I live in a new-ish development and every week someone seems to get their car nicked. Thankfully, we have two pretty average motors so haven't been targeted yet but that didn't stop me investing in a baseball bat for under the bed.

 

The worrying thing is that these scumbags seem even more brazen. Last year, my mum's house was broken in to when she was away and the policeman who came to investigate said most burglaries happen when people are out. However, all I hear about is 4am break-ins to steal high performance vehicles when the house owners are asleep.

 

What can be done to stop these Immanuel Kants? We have a residents' group which has actually been quite helpful - turned out all our patio door locks were drillable in about 30 seconds and some locksmith has made a killing off the estate  

[Jeff]

Same round my way. The cars always seem to be left in the same area as well... utter pointless. Always hear the folk get caught and are right back on it once they've been charged... dunno how to solve it.

[DarthVodka]

Happened a good few times in my estate also, recently one of the neighbours had their audi easily nicked, went in the side door at 4am and found the keys.  They folk were inside, have a big dog and never heard a thing.  The car was never found as far as I know and it wasn't top of the range or anything.  We have a copper in the family and she said Audi's are the main target of choice.  

 

What I don't get is how easy these Jim Dellahunts find the car keys, I never leave mine lying around at night.  Though having them venture up the stairs looking for them probably isn't a good idea....

 

I changed all my locks to anti snap which makes them a lot harder to drill or forcibly break - its a very easy swap.  I have added a motion sensing camera at the front and back and there are a lot nicer cars than mine around to steal

[Gershwin]

15 minutes ago, DarthVodka said:

I changed all my locks to anti snap which makes them a lot harder to drill or forcibly break - its a very easy swap.  I have added a motion sensing camera at the front and back and there are a lot nicer cars than mine around to steal

 

We did the same with the locks. My neighbour has about 5 cameras around his house as well, so I doubt I'll bother as I'm not sure it's much of a deterrent. I'm also in the same situation with the cars, ours are both tinpot while the neighbour has both a BMW and a fancy Merc. 

[Governor Tarkin]

****ing scum who do this.

I'd have them shot.

Seriously.

[luckyBatistuta]

1 hour ago, DarthVodka said:

Happened a good few times in my estate also, recently one of the neighbours had their audi easily nicked, went in the side door at 4am and found the keys.  They folk were inside, have a big dog and never heard a thing.  The car was never found as far as I know and it wasn't top of the range or anything.  We have a copper in the family and she said Audi's are the main target of choice.  

 

What I don't get is how easy these Jim Dellahunts find the car keys, I never leave mine lying around at night.  Though having them venture up the stairs looking for them probably isn't a good idea....

 

I changed all my locks to anti snap which makes them a lot harder to drill or forcibly break - its a very easy swap.  I have added a motion sensing camera at the front and back and there are a lot nicer cars than mine around to steal

 

You should leave your car keys in easy view if someone was to break in. It might not be what you want to do, but the last thing you want is them starting to move around the house looking for them. This will only escalate the situation and if you have kids in the house, do you really want this scum going anywhere near them. I’ve got a baseball bat at the side of my bed, which I would use, but hope I never have to. 

 

Neighbours a few doors along from us woke woke up in the morning to find their Range Rover and Mercedes gone, they had came in through a window they had left open in their conservatory. I’ve also got a friend whose wife was in the house on her own and the door went. When she opened the door, there was 3 guys with balaclavas and they had a shotgun and demanded the keys for her Evoque. The guys all had Liverpool accents.

 

As much as it hurts to let these parasites get what they want, it’s just not worth the risk, it’s only a car.

[IronJambo]

A skooshy bottle of water mixed with a large amount of a very hot chili sauce would be my choice of weapon ahead of a baseball bat. A skoosh in their eyes and they're incapacitated. 

[Glottis]

I highly recommend an alarm.

They're easy to install and a nice deterant.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Yeah my friends got their car stolen. The scum even went into their house to take the keys. The female of the couple has been an emtional wreck since then. This is never thought about by those scum.  They haven't been caught , neither  has the car. 

[Sharpie]

Bring back the old beat men, working out of the local police box. What would be additional assistance don't bother with the bats, scoosh or shooting just let the beat man administer his justice. If you talk to me real nice I will come back to Edinburgh and if they have no age restrictions  I will rejoin and work you local beat. Boy that would be my dream realised.

[luckyBatistuta]

6 minutes ago, bobsharp said:

Bring back the old beat men, working out of the local police box. What would be additional assistance don't bother with the bats, scoosh or shooting just let the beat man administer his justice. If you talk to me real nice I will come back to Edinburgh and if they have no age restrictions  I will rejoin and work you local beat. Boy that would be my dream realised.

 

It pains me to say it bob, but they’re not running away from you now, they’ll probably give you a right going over, possibly even stab you. They don’t fear the law anymore. We need to get a lot tougher on these dregs of society.

[DarthVodka]

56 minutes ago, luckyBatistuta said:

 

It pains me to say it bob, but they’re not running away from you now, they’ll probably give you a right going over, possibly even stab you. They don’t fear the law anymore. We need to get a lot tougher on these dregs of society.

Yeah totally, there is no beat now either. It took till late afternoon for the police to get to that house that got done down the road, the car could be down in London by then with changed plates. I have seen no increased police presence around the area at all and it’s an area that seems to be targeted by this type of crime, last incident was earlier this week 

[Sharpie]

Yes everything changes.

 

1950's,

Location: Niddrie Mains Road.

Time 2.30. am

Man: you cannae stop me for nothin,       

Constable: I just did,

Man,: well f you ahm going, ye fat basturd.

Man: you hit me,

Constable: no sir you struck my open hand with the side of your head.

Man:Thats against the law

Constable:  No sir I suggest you obtain and read a copy of the Niddrie Mains Further Powers Act and you will see you are in error.

Man: awright constable ahm sorry, I wis jist goin hame, is that alright,

Constable: well I will give you a break but never again, away you go and behave yourself, I'll be watching you. 

 

The reputation and methods of the beat man were installed, and probably passed to other members of the community, it was called Crime Prevention. It is a whole different system now.                                                                                                                                            

[luckyBatistuta]

29 minutes ago, DarthVodka said:

Yeah totally, there is no beat now either. It took till late afternoon for the police to get to that house that got done down the road, the car could be down in London by then with changed plates. I have seen no increased police presence around the area at all and it’s an area that seems to be targeted by this type of crime, last incident was earlier this week 

 

It’s not a priority to them nowadays. The police force has been stripped back so much, they just don’t have the resources anymore. It’s a disgrace.

 

 

Doesn’t help that when they do catch them, they are back on the streets in no time at all, to carry on as before. There is no real deterrent.

Edited January 24, 2019 by luckyBatistuta

[DarthVodka]

7 minutes ago, luckyBatistuta said:

 

It’s not a priority to them nowadays. The police force has been stripped back so much, they just don’t have the resources anymore. It’s a disgrace.

 

 

Doesn’t help that when they do catch them, they are back on the streets in no time at all, to carry on as before. There is no real deterrent.

 

Yeah agree on all points there. Scumbags know all of this and the wee teenage plebs who go about destroying people’s property know they are almost untouchable 

[FWJ]

5 hours ago, luckyBatistuta said:

 

You should leave your car keys in easy view if someone was to break in. It might not be what you want to do, but the last thing you want is them starting to move around the house looking for them. This will only escalate the situation and if you have kids in the house, do you really want this scum going anywhere near them. I’ve got a baseball bat at the side of my bed, which I would use, but hope I never have to. 

 

Neighbours a few doors along from us woke woke up in the morning to find their Range Rover and Mercedes gone, they had came in through a window they had left open in their conservatory. I’ve also got a friend whose wife was in the house on her own and the door went. When she opened the door, there was 3 guys with balaclavas and they had a shotgun and demanded the keys for her Evoque. The guys all had Liverpool accents.

 

As much as it hurts to let these parasites get what they want, it’s just not worth the risk, it’s only a car.

Re your first paragraph.  It’s something I’ve thought of - rather than hiding everything, leave something worth nicking, but you don’t mind losing, lying around so they take that rather than them scouring round the house.  A bit like carrying a ‘mugger’s wallet’

 

Dunno if it’s a good idea or not?

 

Edited January 24, 2019 by FWJ

[luckyBatistuta]

2 minutes ago, FWJ said:

Re your first paragraph.  It’s something I’ve thought of - rather than hiding everything, leave something worth nicking, but you don’t mind losing, lying around so they take that rather than them scouring round the house.  A bit like carrying a ‘mugger’s wallet’

 

Dunno if it’s a good idea or not?

 

 

That’s the advice you would get from my mate who is an inspector in PS, get the car keys laid out in full view.

[¼½¾]

2 minutes ago, luckyBatistuta said:

 

That’s the advice you would get from my mate who is an inspector in PS, get the car keys laid out in full view.

With some break-ins though, do they not nick the car so they can carry off more of your stuff? You might lose bigger things like your telly and, god forbid, your oil paintings. 

[luckyBatistuta]

2 minutes ago, Lemongrab said:

With some break-ins though, do they not nick the car so they can carry off more of your stuff? You might lose bigger things like your telly and, god forbid, your oil paintings. 

 

That could be easily be the case. Sometimes it might just depend on what type of car you have sitting in the drive, but they might just be wanting the car to commit one of their many other crimes.

 

My oil paintings are just above my my bat, so you’re having a wee friendly game of rounders before you toddle off

[Guest Paul Allen]

2 hours ago, luckyBatistuta said:

Doesn’t help that when they do catch them, they are back on the streets in no time at all, to carry on as before. There is no real deterrent.

 

Nail on the head.

[Guest Paul Allen]

34 minutes ago, luckyBatistuta said:

 

That’s the advice you would get from my mate who is an inspector in PS, get the car keys laid out in full view.

 

Yeah totally agree mate. I go one step further. I leave my car unlocked overnight. Keys in the ignition. iPad on the passenger seat. That way if they’re going to nick something they won’t need to come inside the house and endanger me and my family.

[luckyBatistuta]

9 minutes ago, Paul Allen said:

 

Yeah totally agree mate. I go one step further. I leave my car unlocked overnight. Keys in the ignition. iPad on the passenger seat. That way if they’re going to nick something they won’t need to come inside the house and endanger me and my family.

 

Where do you live again? 

[Sharpie]

3 minutes ago, Paul Allen said:

 

Yeah totally agree mate. I go one step further. I leave my car unlocked overnight. Keys in the ignition. iPad on the passenger seat. That way if they’re going to nick something they won’t need to come inside the house and endanger me and my family.

 

I understand that strategies change with the times, but I would risk everything before I would do that. For example my wife hired a guy to clean out our dryer ducts. He pissed about, then asked for a screw driver  all this taking time and nothing being  done,  I told him enough pack up and leave, he got up and shouted at me I am just doing my job, take off, well that curtain that used to come down pretty often appeared, and I went for him, and my wife called me back, later after he had left, I said I was really angry you know, she said you don't have to tell me those eyes of yours  lets anyone know. I still have it and if anyone enters my house with malice aforethought old or not he or she is going to know they have made a serious error, I'll crap it in before I will leave anything for someone to take, and I don't care the cost.

[PTBCAL]

1 hour ago, FWJ said:

Re your first paragraph.  It’s something I’ve thought of - rather than hiding everything, leave something worth nicking, but you don’t mind losing, lying around so they take that rather than them scouring round the house.  A bit like carrying a ‘mugger’s wallet’

 

Dunno if it’s a good idea or not?

 

 

I do this.

 

Put the wife’s bed right at the front door in easy view. 

 

?

[IronJambo]

25 minutes ago, Paul Allen said:

 

Yeah totally agree mate. I go one step further. I leave my car unlocked overnight. Keys in the ignition. iPad on the passenger seat. That way if they’re going to nick something they won’t need to come inside the house and endanger me and my family.

What's your address? I'm going to pop by later

[¼½¾]

4 minutes ago, luckyBatistuta said:

 

That could be easily be the case. Sometimes it might just depend on what type of car you have sitting in the drive, but they might just be wanting the car to commit one of their many other crimes.

 

My oil paintings are just above my my bat, so you’re having a wee friendly game of rounders before you toddle off

Yeah, there was a story in the evening news today, where an Auidi stolen from Buckstone was used in a robbery spree taking in the Fort, George Street and somewhere in Glasgow, before being dumped at Ratho.

[Jambomb]

My S4 was stolen a few years back, smashed patio window while we were all sleeping upstairs with our new born, lucky we never heard them and they went off with car keys, watch and wallet all in easy view when they got it.

 

when we called the police a couple of hours after it was stolen, it had been reportedly seen at two further house break-ins and another car theft.

It was found in Dundee 2 years later!!! Supposedly had been in various locations around the UK and was used in loads of illegal activities!

 

house is now like Fort Knox, can’t move without alarms going off!!!

 

but definetly agree with leaving keys out, maybe not in clear view through window, thats temptation but certainly so they don’t need to search through house.

they are not intersted in technology now adays, they left laptop, iPad and 2 decent TVs, just after the fast car.

[luckyBatistuta]

14 minutes ago, PTBCAL said:

 

I do this.

 

Put the wife’s bed right at the front door in easy view. 

 

?

 

  

[Yoda]

The situation with these scumbags will never change when we have politicians that treat criminals as victims themselves.

 

Diane Abbott was complaining about the Met Police's new tactic of knocking over the moped robbers.  She said they (the robbers)  could get hurt!  Unbelievable.

 

Best thing the cops have done in years.

[FWJ]

51 minutes ago, Jambomb said:

My S4 was stolen a few years back, smashed patio window while we were all sleeping upstairs with our new born, lucky we never heard them and they went off with car keys, watch and wallet all in easy view when they got it.

 

when we called the police a couple of hours after it was stolen, it had been reportedly seen at two further house break-ins and another car theft.

It was found in Dundee 2 years later!!! Supposedly had been in various locations around the UK and was used in loads of illegal activities!

 

house is now like Fort Knox, can’t move without alarms going off!!!

 

but definetly agree with leaving keys out, maybe not in clear view through window, thats temptation but certainly so they don’t need to search through house.

they are not intersted in technology now adays, they left laptop, iPad and 2 decent TVs, just after the fast car.

S**t thing to happen to you, but interesting that they didn’t bother with the computer etc.

[Erik]

18 hours ago, Jeff said:

Same round my way. The cars always seem to be left in the same area as well... utter pointless. Always hear the folk get caught and are right back on it once they've been charged... dunno how to solve it.

 

Theres only one way to solve it. Start getting tougher on the sentencing for these cretins.

 

The biggest problem isn't with the police, the number of officers on the beat or the woeful response times - the biggest problem is that there just isn't enough at stake for these wee nyaff's to put them off.

 

Make the sentences dished out more severe, make it so they have significantly more to lose and maybe then they'll start to think twice about whether its worth taking the risk.

 

If i'm that way inclined and I know that after getting caught stealing 12 different cars, i'm only looking at 6 months inside or whatever other joke of a sentence might be dished out - then I doubt very much if that's going to put me off much. If I know that getting caught will see me banged up for 5 years or whatever, then I suspect i'm probably more likely to think twice about whether its worth while.

 

Beyond that though, its one of the reasons I gave up on a fancy car a while back. Used to have a Golf R - but the number of them that were vanishing up and down the country was unreal. High end Golfs, S3's, RS model Audis and Fords etc etc etc - its like the modern day equivalent of Cossies back in the day. Getting to the point its just not worth having one and wakening up each morning wondering if it'll be where you left it.

[Jeff]

10 minutes ago, Erik said:

 

Theres only one way to solve it. Start getting tougher on the sentencing for these cretins.

 

The biggest problem isn't with the police, the number of officers on the beat or the woeful response times - the biggest problem is that there just isn't enough at stake for these wee nyaff's to put them off.

 

Make the sentences dished out more severe, make it so they have significantly more to lose and maybe then they'll start to think twice about whether its worth taking the risk.

 

If i'm that way inclined and I know that after getting caught stealing 12 different cars, i'm only looking at 6 months inside or whatever other joke of a sentence might be dished out - then I doubt very much if that's going to put me off much. If I know that getting caught will see me banged up for 5 years or whatever, then I suspect i'm probably more likely to think twice about whether its worth while.

 

Beyond that though, its one of the reasons I gave up on a fancy car a while back. Used to have a Golf R - but the number of them that were vanishing up and down the country was unreal. High end Golfs, S3's, RS model Audis and Fords etc etc etc - its like the modern day equivalent of Cossies back in the day. Getting to the point its just not worth having one and wakening up each morning wondering if it'll be where you left it.

 

That is all well and good but with the current prison crisis its never going to happen.

 

Not good

Edited January 25, 2019 by Jeff

[Governor Tarkin]

18 minutes ago, Jeff said:

 

That is all well and good but with the current prison crisis its never going to happen.

 

Not good

 

We need some Brazilian style jails. 

The type where you chuck 200 of the swine into one cage with a bucket for a bog and let them kill each other.

[Dawnrazor]

8 minutes ago, Governor Tarkin said:

 

We need some Brazilian style jails. 

The type where you chuck 200 of the swine into one cage with a bucket for a bog and let them kill each other.

I'd love to see the "Celebrity" version of this, Salmond shitting in a bucket?

[bn jambo]

1 hour ago, Dawnrazor said:

I'd love to see the "Celebrity" version of this, Salmond shitting in a bucket?

 

Are you from Hawick?

[¼½¾]

1 hour ago, Dawnrazor said:

I'd love to see the "Celebrity" version of this, Salmond shitting in a bucket?

 

32 minutes ago, bn jambo said:

 

Are you from Hawick?

[Erik]

2 hours ago, Jeff said:

 

That is all well and good but with the current prison crisis its never going to happen.

 

Not good

 

I agree, but unfortunately its the only proper way to address the situation.

 

Till such times as we do, it'll continue in the same loops and waves.

[davemclaren]

12 hours ago, bobsharp said:

 

I understand that strategies change with the times, but I would risk everything before I would do that. For example my wife hired a guy to clean out our dryer ducts. He pissed about, then asked for a screw driver  all this taking time and nothing being  done,  I told him enough pack up and leave, he got up and shouted at me I am just doing my job, take off, well that curtain that used to come down pretty often appeared, and I went for him, and my wife called me back, later after he had left, I said I was really angry you know, she said you don't have to tell me those eyes of yours  lets anyone know. I still have it and if anyone enters my house with malice aforethought old or not he or she is going to know they have made a serious error, I'll crap it in before I will leave anything for someone to take, and I don't care the cost.

Got a temper Bob? ?

 

I’ve never had to face up to a burglar but did once to a pair of guys who tried to pickpocket me on the Barcelona Subway.  I had no fear at the time as the Adrenalin was pumping and I just stood there fists  ready cursing at them. It was an empty station late at night and luckily they just wanted to walk away from their failure, though I think cursing in a Scottish accent may have helped. ?

[Les Izemore]

14 hours ago, FWJ said:

Re your first paragraph.  It’s something I’ve thought of - rather than hiding everything, leave something worth nicking, but you don’t mind losing, lying around so they take that rather than them scouring round the house.  A bit like carrying a ‘mugger’s wallet’

 

Dunno if it’s a good idea or not?

 

An old neighbour of mine used to do this. She had £40 permanently sitting on a table in the hall that would be the first thing you’d see if you broke in. She was really unmaterialistic and had nothing obviously worth stealing so it may well have worked for her. 

[davemclaren]

4 hours ago, Les Izemore said:

An old neighbour of mine used to do this. She had £40 permanently sitting on a table in the hall that would be the first thing you’d see if you broke in. She was really unmaterialistic and had nothing obviously worth stealing so it may well have worked for her. 

How many times did you take it? ?

[cheetah]

On a positive note, it's done wonders for baseball bat sales in the Lothians .

[Dawnrazor]

10 hours ago, Dawnrazor said:

I'd love to see the "Celebrity" version of this, Salmond shitting in a bucket?

Naw, Rosewell but I have shat in a bucket before..............but not on a fat bursd?