Topic: Bl***dy Vandals !!

[Suffolklad]

I think that, armed with that kind of information/evidence, I would have gone to the local press and kicked up one hell of a stink. Whatever they may think, the Police are accountable to us. We don't live in a police state.......yet.
Mike

[Chaz Hunter]

I tried that too but nothing was printed, it seems that some elements of the press live in the pockets of the police and vice versa.

[philgoben]

A friend 2 plots away from me gave me 10 of his hens. About a month later vandals broke into my friend plot with dogs, About 100 hens and chicks were slaughtered you may have seen pics on yorkshire TV news. This is not the first time around hear, It makes you wonder what these sick b****rds get out of it or what you can do to stop it. Thank god my new hens kept quite

[wardy]

I got a job as a local press correspondent just for the reason that  you're all talking about!  No-one speaking up for the aggrieved!  If no one is representing you at local level then do something about it!  I complained about lack of local representation and was given the job  ;D

[Derek]

Wardy

As you are another member of the 'Shire' do you take the Leicester Mercury?
There was a small feature last night (Saturday) relating to a local allotment site where vandals had set fire to several sheds destroying them and all contents.

This is why many allotment holders are reluctant to make too much of a fuss and go to press in case it gives some of the other idiots ideas. Many other plotholders do not now lock sheds so that it, hopefully, reduces any physical damage.

I still reckon a gibbet on site with a hanging skeleton would get a message through... then again maybe not

Derek

[wardy]

That's a valid point you make about the publicity re vandalism.  Does the publicity given to these vandals make them worse?  I'm not sure but there is a school of thought that says it does and that we ought not to publicise it.  I am a member of an in bloom group and we have reported vandalism on several occasions and another member is very against us giving them any coverage at all so we are going to stop reporting it and see whether the situation improves.  It's very difficult to know what to do for the best.  We have had some positives, however, of publicity and that is from concerned residents and a nurseryman who have given us money for replacement plants.  The nurseryman threw open his doors and gave us what we wanted to make up for the losses sustained by vandals.  Vandals take many forms.  Someone thought it would be funny to drive his lorry over one of our flowerbeds and reverse back and have another go for good measure.   >:(

[wardy]

Derek 

We have suffered shed break-ins on our plots (well, not me as I don't have one, sob)  and the owners have started leaving sheds unlocked.  They also leave tools out and about on their plots on the basis that if they leave stuff lying about that not everything will get stolen.  Our Association tool shed got done over by the professionals and all the big machinery was pinched and taken away by lorry so it's not all down to vandals.

We are lucky (dare I tempt fate here) as we've no major problems with vandalism.  There is a cemetery next door and they prefer to vandalise graves instead of allotments  >:(

[Derek]

Hi Wardy

I have found the article I referred to....



I have also been reading some interesting information today in a book I have.... I will be back later with some more information...hopefully useful

Regards

[Derek]

Hi again

I have an information sheet from The Allotments Regeneration Initiative the section marked theft reads as follows...

Theft like vandalism is usually carried out by a small number of people and happens in bouts. Act fast after the first incident occurs. Take these sensible measures so that the site is not an easy target for theft. 

a) Sheds are not designed for secure storage. Do not leave valuables in them. Consider leaving the shed unlocked to minimise damage

b) Conceal tools. Possible hiding places : under shed floor, in a built-in secret compartment, in a bin liner in long grass or under a cardboard/black polythene sheet. Alternate where tools are hidden

c) Use old tools or deface new ones to reduce resale value. Painting all tools 'PINK' is remarkably effective and recommended by the Northumbria Police.

d) Encourage plotholders to etch or mark the site postcode on all tools. If you gate a spate of theft you may be able to trace it to a specific car boot sale and notify the Police.. Police may provide tye etching tool. A get together to do this can provide a morale boosting event.

e) If you must store valuable items in a shed then store them in a strong  lockable box/cage or chain them to a metal ring fixed into concrete.

f) If you must lock the shed use non-return screws on all hiinges,coach bolts or strong pad bars and close shackle padlocks. Bare in mind that, in the case of a wooden shed the thief can just saw a hole or smash a window.

The notes continue by saying that sites without sheds are not such a target..remove the sheds.

They point out that setting traps are illegal

Maybe use a central purpose built vandal proof bunker..

I still reckon the gibbet would work...you only need one 'poor' little vandal to set an example  ;) 

Derek
   
ps. A couple of ideas to consider...

i)   www.smarthingyer.com  (should be 'smart water' one word)

ii)  www.dgsecurity.co.uk                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

[Columbus]

Hi all,

I really have no alternative to leaving things in my shed, even though its mostly stuff no-one else would want. Anything new is taken from its wrapper, coded and defaced so it can`t be sold as new.

I thought about getting one of these,

From Maplin

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Home.

Garge/Shed Alarm
Only £7.49 Half Price! 
•Battery operated
•Digital control panel
•Three digit code operation
•Powerful 120dB siren Entry/exit delay
Code QS39N


Col
 

[Simon05]

Mike,

sorry to hear about the vandals, we had the same on our plot a couple of years ago, they didnt take anything just through stuff out of the shed into my wildlife pond, one old gardener said if he catches them hes throwing them down the well, he fought in world war 2 so isnt bothered about the police.

[Suffolklad]

Had an interesting chat on the lottie this morning. It turns out it wasn't the little gits that put the door against my run to keep the chooks in, but another allotment holder who was over there very early - sorting out his own chooks that had been set free. Thank God our resident foxes weren't about ! It also turns out that the vandalism was much more extensive than I thought - at least 20 sheds broken into. Letting chooks out is just pathetic. It's made me change my mind about how I run my chicken houses. At the moment the birds have free access to their runs at all times, the pop-holes are never closed. I think I am now going to have to go over last thing each day and shut them in, and make the houses very secure. It's not really a problem in the light evenings....but is gonna be a pain in the winter.

As to alarms, I have a couple already but don't use them as my plots are remote and nobody will hear them. My thoughts are that anybody breaking in will just take a hammer to the alarms. As I have them already though, I guess I might as well use them......one more deterent.

50,000 volts sounds much better though  :o
Mike

[Derek]

Hi

Reading these posts yet again a thought has crossed my mind. There is an great deal of feeling here and we are all having a moan amongst ourselves.
We chat with others on the sites and without doubt would string the blighters up if given half the chance.

Perhaps we could organise a concerted protest (we create more noise which has to be heard) through this site the question then arises...

What is the best way to do it?

Who should be the recipient?

Derek

[TULIP-23]

Difficult One ???  Derek Excellent Idea 8)

This theme must go[ National ] to make an Impact

Some one some where must be Accountable. ???

But where does the Buck Stop!!  Where to Begin!! ???

                              MIke

[wardy]

You could set up plotwotch with all plotties taking it in turn to keep watch (visions of dad's army)  :)

Our lotty association bloke is a retired chief inspector of police, reknown for acting first and asking questions later.  I think that may be why we don't have a particular problem  ;D

It must be horrible to have your plots vandalised and your animals come to harm and you could garrot the little b****s if you got hold of them.  My local bloom group has tried to get the Probation Service to use offenders in the community on gardening, litter picking, clearing overgrown allotments, etc.  This would make them put something back into the community they've wronged.  We are told they don't do "demeaning" tasks.   >:(

[Columbus]

Has anyone ever used a webcam to keep watch
over an allotment ?

From a nearby house maybe?

Col

[wardy]

Good idea! 

[Derek]

As a suggestion....a senior politician (? Home Secretary) after all isn't there an election soon?

Create a fuss Nationwide and failure to act becomes embarrassing.

1. Bombard him with e-mails

2. National press

With many plotholders being retired, politicians of all parties now realise that the 'grey vote' is important

Derek

[Roy Bham UK]

Has anyone ever used a webcam to keep watch
over an allotment ?

From a nearby house maybe?

Col

That's not a bad idea, trouble is as far as I am aware there are no lottie holders that over look us. ???

The idea is great because we could all look out for each other and send emails to alert, I wonder if it has been tried yet, I know of a guy that has a webcam watching over his Koi Carp pond 8)

[Suffolklad]

Has anyone ever used a webcam to keep watch
over an allotment ? From a nearby house maybe?

Er.......which nearby houses would these be ?
My plots are remote....but thats what I like about them.
Mike