Topic: Break-ins and thefts

[Sinbad7]

We have that policy on our site too saddad.

Once you've dealt with the vandal's you then have plot holders to deal with.  Vandal's don't pinch they smash and create havoc plot holders......................................well ;D

[Suzanne]

I found the news stories depressing as well. I generally havea surplus of stuff as others do on the site and either swap it with others or give it away to family & friends, although I note that certain gluts cause diversionary tactics - courgettes for instance.

Last year my dessert gooseberry (big delicious red fruit) was stripped overnight of fruit which i put down to either squirrels, birds or rats - but perhaps they couldn't have taken the whole lot at once - even the underripe fruit went.  ???

[Old bird]

Wow!  I must live in a different world to you all and I am even more glad to live in my world now!

I don't think anyone has anything nicked from their plots round here!  Obviously the odd raspberry or strawberry is used for tasting purposes but only one or two - this is from neighbouring plot holders but it is generally accepted that one doesn't touch anything that isn't ours but if damage is happening to a plot or something is blowing away we will help without being asked.

How horrendous that you have to worry about your neighbours nicking from you too!


Sympathies for all concerned.

Old Bird
 :o

[Si D]

I have to say that although food prices are on the up and some people are finding it a little harder, that we are still a far cry from Victorian times and the hardships that were previlent then.  There is a difference in my book between those that steal because there is no work and their families are starving, and those that steal just because it's an easy option.  I believe that for the large percentage of thefts inthis country the latter is the case.

Problem may be not that people suddenly find themselves in poverty, but that people find that they can no longer attain the very high (material) standard of living that we have had recently (thet looks like might be decreasing again).  I'm sure that most of these people stealing from allotments will still find that they have money for luxuries like binge-boozing, like fashionable clothes, like flash mobile phones, etc...things that some people claim are necessities yet only 30 or 40 years ago people could happily do without them.

Note that I said that we've had a high material standard of living recently.  With it it appears that standards of social living have dropped with a culture of competative consumption and people knowing their right but caring litle for their responsibilities.   Is there a link between these? Answers on a postcard!

[hanracmum]

Sid D - I think you are correct in your assumption.  How did we get on without mobiles and such like, very well is my answer.  My 10 yr old was given an old mobile phone by my mum (it has no credit but I can call her), she now wants a NEW one!!  No was my answer.

People seem to know their rights yes and yet their respect for others and their property etc is missing. I try very hard to bring my 2 girls up the right way to respect their elders, peers and property/belongings.  I expect them to be polite, please and thank yous are a must but I find that no-one else seems to expect this from their children and so I feel like I'm flogging a dead horse.

I'll keep flogging away and hope that it rubs off on the others.....   ;D

[Columbus]

Hi all,

We have had very low levels of thefts or vandalism for all the years I have had my plot but in the last week one shed was broken into and a strimmer taken then they came back a few days later and took the rest of the tools. The hasp was removed quickly and easily by being hit from above.

Other sheds (two of mine) were opened but there was nothing of value in these.
I have beefed up my security (think Fort Knox) with new locks and chains and an infra-red motion detecting cam. I`m hoping to slow them down and get their picture.

I`m making a shed roof-top garden as I expect if they can`t get in then they`ll set fire to the shed. I`m hoping that soil from a roof garden will slump and extinguish the flames.

Col

[amphibian]

I posted a thread back in 2006 about theft of my pumpkins. I had a huge pumpkin patch full of dozens of varieties of pumpkins, I had an huge number of pumpkins and they were stripped nearly bare. Some where huge and a large vehicle and many many trips would have been required.

It was nearly Halloween and I had specifically grown some varities for their particularly twisted, gnarled looks. I bet they were sold at some car boot sale.

i was devastated. I had cleared a huge area of couch to grow those pumpkins and lost most of my other crops to deer, the pain of having it all torn away nearly put me of allotmenteering all together.

[Amazin]

I don't think the theft of produce is connected to the rise in veg prices as such - though I think that'll become more prevalent - I think it's simply that there's always a fast buck to be made from a trend.

Growing your own veg and eating healthily has always been around but suddenly it became fashionable and, as always happens when the spotlight falls on something, the bandwagon starts rolling. It seems you only have to put the word 'organic' in front of any old tat and some people will just lap it up - and pay vastly inflated prices for it. No wonder the thieves are rubbing their hands with glee when they can strip an allotment, flog the stuff at upmarket prices and pocket a fat sum, all in one day.

Now, who's for one of my tasty organic quiches, made entirely from the rare  Jobrovian Squish-plant and brimming with Vitamin Z? Guaranteed to make you feel 10 quid poorer.

 ;D

[loopyloulou]

amazin, lol, wish id grown some of that squish :) could do with a few bob, lol!
yes other plot holders have been theiving on our plots, theyve had muck off mine and a roll of chicken wire off anothers, not things youd sell on so deffo another plot holder which is annoying, also what si didnt tell u is the porta cabin we have on site for the whole sites use was broken into and all the tea n coffee stuff (cups spoons etc aswell as the actuall tea n coffe) got nicked, now why tf would anybody be wanting to steal that???? eh??? weve had toe rags on the plots frequently of late damadging stuff smashing greenhouses n going thru sheds, bladdy annoying, im just hopefull the couch n nettles on my plot puts them off, myu plots by the park so easily visible to all who pass... now thinking it was a bad move  :( id grow stuff in my own garden but last yrs attempts proved pointless, im overshadowed by trees and so the garden gets litle light, is incredibly dry (ok wasnt last yr, lol!) due to the trees sucking up everything and my attempts at strawberrys in the ground and in pots so far are useless, plenty of flowers but nothings swelling up :( the antirhinumms look happy tho, shame u cant eat those!!!

am not suprised i guess at the thefts, weve vbeen wincing at the prices for some time (part of the decission to get an allotment was based on low income) and unfortunately id agree with si, people cant live without theyre cars sat nav mobiles lcd tvs etc etc yet we dont need all that materialistic crap!!

and hanracmum i feel the same, im trying my damndest to raise my kids what i see as properly yet so many dont bother and its almost making mine easy targets!!! theyre only 2 and 4 and weve come to the conclusion we cant change society so may have 2 move, i dont want my babies becoming the hoodies of the future  >:( just the other day one of the kids at nursery drove his scooter at my son while we were waiting to go in, yells get out my way now and nearly runs him down, u kno what his mum said? oooh sounds like a dragged him upo dinnit? did she sort him out? nope, grrrr, yet if it was my son idve made him appologise and told him off for being rude, grrrr, i do feel im being mean 2 my kids n maybe i should tell em 2 get on with it n just knock the other kids block off n be done with, but i just am not like that, and i didnt even say anything to his mum just pulled ds out the way and told him 2 stand by me, and he hadnt sdone anything wrong poor lad, anyways i digress...

[shirlton]

Hope ya feels better after that Lou. lol

[hoffey]

This is something that we are worried about as well, I came across what looked like a place where a tramp was living in an old ditch by our sheds...

He would get free veg & water, so he chose the right spot!

Mick
www.tshs.co.uk

[Sparkly]

Tis a very sad state of affairs. This is one reason that puts me off designing a website for our allotment society. I am worried if you advertise the great stuff that is grown, it could encourage opportunistic thefts. We are lucky in the fact we are off the main street in a housing area which is predominately retired couples, which I think helps. Our site if pretty secure, but if someone really wants to get in they could climb over the entrance gate. We haven't had many thefts of veg, but have had shed break-ins quite recently.

[Mr Smith]

I've just come back from the lotty and  four sheds have been broken into and it looks like from one of the sheds a 'Mantis ' was stolen, I went down to the Police Station to report the breakins and surprise-surprise each indivisual must report their own breakin, I can't contact any of the folk in question because I don't know where they live but I will report the incident to the council tomorrow so they can contact the people in question, THIEVING SCUMMMMMMMMMMM >:(

[Tyke]

It was my understanding that anyone can report a crime - it doesn't have to be the victim. Still, the police wouldn't be able to do much without the other's information...

[Mr Smith]

Since my last post I have learned today that another shed has been broken into since Sunday, if  I ever come across the scum that are doing this to our allotments then I will be taking direct action against them and from what I can gather our local Bobbies are tied up with drinking tea on a Sunday morning >:(

[Borlotti]

Sheds seem to be a problem on allotments.  We have lockers and a toilet which is locked and is Council owned.  I think only one or two people have sheds as they are a temptation for vandals.  We had a motor mower and cultivator stolen from a garage.  They were both bought off ebay but only used once before they were stolen.  We have now replaced them but keep them at home and they are carefully guarded by myself and my two cats.

[Mr Smith]

Well today the inevitable has happened my shed has been broken into between Sunday and last night which now makes six in total, two cans of 'Fanta' and a canister of gas for our stove was removed and nout else, I have been in touch with the council and the Police(again) and it is down to the kids being on school holidays so they say, but I say mens bits we have loads of things to do here in MM for the kids to do without causing 'WILFUL DAMAGE'. Sorry but I come from the old school and I live in what is still considered  a small market town I will get to the bottem of it and the shits will get a good slapping off ME, and by the way the chap that did have his 'Mantis' theived  was found locally  >:(

[manicscousers]

they're on their way round us now, one of the nearby allotments has had some sheds broken into, the sports equipment on the club next to us has been done..
one of the fellas on our site has 2, yes, 2...english bull mastiffs, if they get hold of them, they're toast

[caroline7758]

I get stung every time I open the gate to my plot, but I've decided not to cut the nettles back to deter intruders!

[Derek]

I have lost most of my gooseberries and redcurrants taken from a fruit cage...a doorway was moved to gain access and not put back properly.
Several other plotholders have lost strawberries and gooseberries too, again they were covered with wire frames and the covering was disturbed to gain access...no animal could achieve this in the way that it was done.....strange its all fruit that is taken

We suspect that it is someone on site and have an idea who it might be....catching them is the problem

I was interested in the comment in a previous post about using infra-red camera's... more details please