Am I right to worry ?

[Uranium235]

All of my gear is kept indoors, bar the tripod and counterweights - which live in a locked outhouse.

My patio is a little exposed from certain angles, and have caught someone in the act if eyeing up the gear - but soon scarpered when he realised its owner is never more than a few yards away. Ive considered getting a camera to watch the patio for unwelcome guests, but flooding the place with IR while imaging probably isnt the best idea.

[Pete Presland]

i thought long and hard about the security for my observatory, its hinges and locks are all bolted rather than screwed. but the most determined thief will get in of he tries hard enough, thats why its all covered by insurance as extra specified items.

[esxste]

Worry about it? Yes for the 5 minutes it takes you to review your security and decide if it needs beefing up. Yes for the 10 minutes it takes you to review your insurance T's & C's and decide that you meet all the requirements for insurance to be paid if anything did get stolen. 

Once you've convinced you've done all you can, just relax and enjoy

[LukeSkywatcher]

You could invest in a Canine security system. It will deter the most determined burglar and you never have to replace the batteries.

[Davey-T]

I wonder if insurance companies keep statistics on stolen scopes, they seem to keep them for everything else, I would think the numbers are vanishingly small, only remember a couple of posts on this forum of stolen gear, no consolation of course if you're the one.

Dave

[esxste]

Logically, I doubt most thieves would bother with a telescope. Would seem like just heavy, hard to sell on, waste of time. If they knew anything about astronomy, they'd go for the small accessories - cameras, EPs etc.

But then my logic can't be relied on, because it also tells me that breaking into a house and stealing goods is all sorts of wrong.

Damn my flawed logic.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Logically, I doubt most thieves would bother with a telescope. Would seem like just heavy, hard to sell on, waste of time. If they knew anything about astronomy, they'd go for the small accessories - cameras, EPs etc.

But then my logic can't be relied on, because it also tells me that breaking into a house and stealing goods is all sorts of wrong.

Damn my flawed logic.

I dont think any astro gear is safe,even when stored inside. Some burglars are very mean and they will damage anything they can just for the hell of it. So, stolen or damaged........its still not a good outcome.

[PeterCPC]

You could also try putting up a "CCTV in operation here" sign to deter lowlifes. An alarm would be a big deterrent - they'll go where there is no alarm first. We had a break in in 2009 and they were only interested in cash and jewelry. We now have an alarm.

Peter

[ollypenrice]

When I talked to a UK Police friend and the French gendarmerie about this following a strange incident they both said that stealing hardware to sell on was pretty much a thing of the past. Cash and jewellery was the message from both Police forces, as has been re-iterated in this thread. But surely you can put a chain and padlock on the building?

Olly

[LukeSkywatcher]

When i was last broken into, a detective that showed up the next day gave me a brilliant idea of where to hide gold etc. Obviously i cant post it here in public. Burglars are cute though........they pretty much know all the tricks of the trade and where to look. 

To fool a burglar, you have to think like a burglar, but think 2 steps ahead. If you can do that.......................you probably are a burglar.

LOL.

[tony210]

Hi , you can cover scopes with household insurance but they are interesred in how you store them. I have mine covered but would still be heartbroken if they were taken! Best wishes Tony

[Scott]

The only thing that I'd hate more than my eq6 being stolen, is knowing it went for scrap metal value   

[wuthton]

The only thing that I'd hate more than my eq6 being stolen, is knowing it went for scrap metal value

Yup, and if you had a Tak that too.

[Gazabone]

When i was last broken into, a detective that showed up the next day gave me a brilliant idea of where to hide gold etc. Obviously i cant post it here in public. Burglars are cute though........they pretty much know all the tricks of the trade and where to look. 

To fool a burglar, you have to think like a burglar, but think 2 steps ahead. If you can do that.......................you probably are a burglar.

LOL.

There's are pretty good theme going on with these posts, particularly about thinking like a burglar; having studied criminology to MSc, most "crime prevention" is, in reality, crime displacement; ie the owner of number 1 Any Street, Anytown, Somewhereshire puts up a dummy CCTV camera (about £15) and has good quality locks, doesn't go out leaving windows open etc etc etc and so the burglar decides against burgling number 1 so that home owner has prevented that crime but the burglar goes next door because there's an open window, doesn't look like anyone's in etc etc.

The post that said about a lot of burglary being opportunistic is spot on. Most burglars want cash, not scopes, they are not easy to sell on and are more traceable than a lot of things (making them unattractive to steal), they are also very bulky to make a get away with.

Personally, I would be more worried about the bigger temperature variations in a conservatory than the burglary threat.

[Pete Presland]

we all have many items in and around the house, of which astro items are just a small part. good quality locks, common sense (shutting windows) and as much as i dislike security lights i have a sensor light in the garden as well. cover them with insurance it wont help with the inconvenience and heartache, but it will help with the replacement.

[wuthton]

Just muse for a moment on the utopia in which we'd live if there were no thieves out there.

I manage two farms and a large nursery stock unit. Thieves are a sad but regular part of my working year, 2-5 break-ins a year is probably the norm.

But on the upside we have silent alarms with electronic trip wires and auto diallers so we keep catching them in the act. So far I've gained two sets of ladders, several crow/pry bars and a very nice electricians tool bag with a few hundred pounds worth of tools in. I use the tools regularly and they still make me smile.

[Charic]

Thats why they keep coming back. They lost their tools? Lol 

[ollypenrice]

I read a travel book once in which, out in some lawless desert lands in the East, a group had the back axle stolen from their Land Rover. They were most upset until a local who'd befriended them said, 'Don't give it a thought. We'll just go down to the market tomorrow and buy it back...'

Olly