Attempted burglary advice please

[velosam]

I realise the horse has bolted and I am now shutting the stable door, but I had an attempted burglary.
They got in through the kitchen window having damaged the window frame with a crowbar, but the window still closes.

I got lucky, heard some noises, went downstairs and heard voices. Yelled, causing both of us to run in different directions and called the police.

So my questions are:

1. Presumably I ought to tell the insurers as it’s an incident?
2. Is it best to replace the window (5ftx4ft) even though the damage is slight?
3. Is it worth getting a wireless alarm e.g Ring just for piece of mind?

Thanks

[HeltorChasca]

I rung insurance when I reversed into a garden tap. The excess didn’t make it feasible. But by ringing, it was recorded and my premium went up more than the repairs. I would read the small print before ringing. I am guilty of being too honest for my own good.

I also had a theft of tools from my work vehicle. Same thing: I had to fight like a dog to save being fleeced by the insurance company. They would have walked away with more of my money than the thieves.

Edit: I didn’t tell the kids as the theft would scare them.


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[Diver300]

There is quite a high chance that they will come back, now with better knowledge of your security and possession. DAMHIKT but you can look up the statistics.

[Greenbank]

I rung insurance when I reversed into a garden tap. The excess didn’t make it feasible. But by ringing, it was recorded and my premium went up more than the repairs. I would read the small print before ringing. I am guilty of being too honest for my own good.

It's dull but reading the small print is important.

If the OP rang the Police and ended up with a Crime Number then they might be required to let the insurance company know. If there's a subsequent claim and they find out about the previous incident it could put any claim in jeopardy. (Can't guarantee that, hence reading the small print.)

It's annoying that insurance companies put up premiums even for non-claims like this, but it's just a consequence of their pricing model. If they priced it evenly then you (and everyone else) would have been paying more for all of the previous years where you had no claims or even hints of claims, you've just had the benefit of this in advance. It tends to all even out in the end. Insurance companies do make profits but they aren't expected to be not-for-profit or even charities.

[Jaded]

I'd look at smart lights too, so that it is harder to tell if you are up or not, and that come on with movement detection.

[ian]

If you've not reported a previous incident to your insurers and then you claim, they check and find that unreported incident (as there's a police record)... Read the small print, they probably have grounds not to pay out. An attempted burglary increases your risk for future incidents. Their premiums reflect that risk. As said, the current pricing model is to underprice to win new customers and then mark it up later.

Make sure everything is secure. Cameras might discourage them. Make the house look occupied at all times with lights on timers etc. – I'm amazed at the number of houses around here that are clearly, at times, very likely to be unoccupied. Thieves will take the easiest option, so make sure it's not your house.

[Canardly]

Good external security lighting is often a key deterrent, particularly if there are screened areas behind hedges etc that give hidden access to doors/windows.

[Polar Bear]

Sorry to hear this.  Burglary is horrible. 

The scum will come back and they now know at least one weak point.  If other windows nearby are of similar construction then they know more than one weak point.

Repair or replace and fortify where possible.  If the window doesn't have multi point locking see if it can be fitted.  Add extra locks/reinforcement to all windows and doors in that area of the house.  Don't scrimp because cheap security is no security.

That reminds me ...

[Davef]

For peace of mind get a dog or better still dogs.

However, from a financial point of view the dog or dogs will destroy far more of your possessions than any burglar.


Edit: but failing that ring type security lights with camera / alerts  on your phone.

[ian]

Cameras and lights, I figure that if they want, they'll break-in, a glass punch will get them through most windows no matter how well they're secured, and if they're willing break something (they obviously are) then brute force will always win out, so you have to make the risk not worth it. Most thieves aren't cunning, they're opportunistic.

Fortunately, it's not happened to us, but from experience elsewhere, don't expect the police to do anything other than issue a crime number.

[velosam]

Thanks all, will call the insurers and just get a simple alarm to fit that makes a noise.

[ian]

Bear in mind that most people ignore alarms, at least until they become annoying, by which point your stuff is gone.

Chap down the road left his garage open a couple of weeks back while he popped in the house for five minutes. Came back to find it emptied. A passing white van had stopped outside, two blokes hopped out, ferried everything they could carry to their van, and drove off. Under a minute. They didn't even look like proper crims, just a bunch of workmen who I assume were working somewhere up the road and saw the opportunity to grab a new lawnmower. Pretty brazen, but it shows how fast they are.

He knows all this because he has the entire thing on CCTV.

[freeflow]

Having been the victim of several attempted and one actual burglary my considered opinion is that the police are utterly useless.  My very cynical viewpoint is you need a deterrent method that scares the theives off  having first spilt some of their blood.  This is not a desire to seriously injure said thieves, but to make sure that there is something for the DNA analysers to get hold of.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Window bars / grilles?

[Jurek]

Window bars / grilles?

Chances are that if there's ever a fire you'll be toast.
Your windows are generally your lifeline once your No.2 escape route is no longer available to you.
Eg: For instance, in my place, the kitchen (agreeably, a reasonable source of fire) is between my bedroom and both of my sources of easy escape.
ETA - Happy to be corrected by anyone in the employ of the fire service.

[ian]

Also, they mean that you're the one that appears to be in prison, which strikes me as somewhat ironic.

[velosam]

Also, they mean that you're the one that appears to be in prison, which strikes me as somewhat ironic.

Isn't that the irony of modern life, we are prisoners of our possessions lol

[Sergeant Pluck]

Window bars / grilles?

Chances are that if there's ever a fire you'll be toast.

A good point. Presumably it’s not possible to make them easily opened from the inside while still being secure? I see them a lot around South Kensington on lower floor windows - even private homes - but those floors could be unoccupied of course.

[hellymedic]

Bear in mind that most people ignore alarms, at least until they become annoying, by which point your stuff is gone.

Chap down the road left his garage open a couple of weeks back while he popped in the house for five minutes. Came back to find it emptied. A passing white van had stopped outside, two blokes hopped out, ferried everything they could carry to their van, and drove off. Under a minute. They didn't even look like proper crims, just a bunch of workmen who I assume were working somewhere up the road and saw the opportunity to grab a new lawnmower. Pretty brazen, but it shows how fast they are.

He knows all this because he has the entire thing on CCTV.

Noisy alarms have all but disappeared in this area. They mostly annoyed and were ignored by the cops.

I have an alarm system that sounds in the house, automatically alerts a contact centre, who call the police if it looks like there's a burglary in progress and phone me.

It seems you were home when this happened. My alarm would not be set if I was home.

[rogerzilla]

If you have Hive, the outdoor cameras are quite a cheap add-on.  Then you can put CCTV signs up.

[ian]

You could just put the CCTV signs up and save some money, they probably have the same effect (we have cameras, mostly for reassurance purposes we can check the house when we're away, I don't kid myself that they'll do much – I mentioned the chap down the road and his now empty garage, the police were not interested in front-on high definition coverage of the two blokes who helped themselves, and to be fair, what would they do with it if they don't recognize them immediately).

[Canardly]

When a neighbour was burgled the first thing the police asked us for for was any CCTV footage but clearly YMMV.

[Riggers]

I offer nothing to add that will relieve/help in your potential break-in, but recently up a friend's road, there's been a spate of burglaries (garages and back gardens) and the police were interested in scaffold companies operating in the area. It may not necessarily be anyone connected to the company, but a 'word' is based on by someone, to someone else, of what owners are seen to have in their garages, etc. They'll get a bird's-eye view of a back garden no doubt.

Bright lights triggered by movement seems a very good idea.

It's always a 'spate' isn't it.

[Riggers]

I think 'passed on' sounds much better on reflection, rather than 'based'! 

[Gattopardo]

Fortunately, it's not happened to us, but from experience elsewhere, don't expect the police to do anything other than issue a crime number.

Yep, unless you are famous.