Burglary and petty theft

I have to say I was burgled recently sad to say theu think I left the key in the door, but the Police were great they came within a few hours and just after they left the scene of crimes people came to finger print the house

I am sure someone recently was sizing up my house fo a burglary as the other morning I found my doormat had been moved. Of course I don't leave a key there but I am considering doing so in future as I would quite like to meet this person!

least they weren't vandal scum they took it for a purpose. lock everything and security lights are good

I have been burgled and had my car broken into a few times, I reported it but all I got was a crime reference number I did not see any evidence of an investigation into the crimes.

But having said that if they are brought before the courts the judge is usually so out of touch the thing he calls a sentancing is just an unfunny joke.

I should imagine the police get fed up of this also, I mean if they do actually catch someone then the criminal does not really get real punishment from the courts. You know it is only a matter of time before they go an steal again.

It is a shame we do not deport the criminals to a penal colony anymore.

I lost my flat because of theives once, because the rent was due that evening and a months worth of rent money was on the side waiting to pay the landlord. but this was taken of course. I then lost my job and was unable to get another months rent money. I ended up living on the streets for a while until I managed to get another job.

Having arrested a few burgalars in my time, the one thing I found ironic with one burglar was he went ape s**t when his house was burgled, all the sentiments expressed below were voiced by him, even to asking why we were not out there catching this low life.
I still reckon what goes round comes round.

Really, I didn't know. It just meant that I slept better! Thanks for the warning. It means I can't make myself safe in my own home without being penalised. What is the world coming too? Should I just leave the front door open and invite these people into my home to take what I work so hard for? No way.

If you have set up elaborate traps for a burglar you may be committing a crime yourself.

I was woken just under 2 years ago by a thief that inadvertantly walked into my bedroom. The best part is that as he was moping around I switched my light on, he actually screamed like a girl and proceeded to run out the house into a car.

When I ran downstairs I noticed dog muck and the stench of human muck too. The police were unable to charge him due to "lack of evidence", but from what I was told, they pretty much caught him the same night and when searching his house, found **** stained trousers and trainers with dog muck......not enough evidence...hah!.

Its always very difficult when you've been burgaled. Believe me I know. I have been burgaled around 5 times, ranging from a few items to all my belongings of any value, including my duvet cover!

Unfortunately these sort of people will always exist so the best you can do is try and take as many preventative measures as possibe. Get good insurance for a start which will replace old for new without having to show receipts. Its very difficult to produce receipts for things you nought years ago. Also buy yourself a safe and store some precious items in there like realy expensive jewellery or photos of your chidren etc. Its annoying to have to do so but it could save you a lot of stress!

We had an attempted burglary at our house at the end of August this year. They didn't get in, just damaged the patio door handles. That left us shaken enough so haven't a clue what we'd have been like had they got in. We had a dummy alarm on our property and that evening we bought a high-tech alarm over the internet which arrived the next day and use this all the time now. There are sensors on the main exterior doors so that when they're opened, they emit a beep. The patio doors had only been installed a few weeks prior, they'd have got in through our old ones for sure as they were pretty much rotten.

The day we discovered the break in we were terrified and had very little sleep, the smallest noise had me up on my feet. We left a few lights on in the house that night but doubt it'd have made much difference considering the attempted burglary happened between 2.30pm and 4.00pm. At the time, there was nothing of value in the downstairs of the house as we were renovating so we consider ourselves very lucky. We could've easily had our things we'd worked hard for stolen in a matter of minutes, doesn't bare thinking about.

The local police were very helpful and they caught the 16 year old responsible for ours, and 28 other break ins around our town. It was a relief when they told us but you still have to be vigilent.