BURGLARY

brian m · Post by **brian m** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:47 am

my villa manager has just informed me that our villa has been broken into.i am told that that the person has broken through the shutters and then through the window.
we have guests there and i understand some of their items have been stolen and they are a bit shocked.
we feel that we now need an alarm fitted so will look at this and i am sure there are some recommendatins on this forum.any upto date information greatly received. is any one aware that there is an increased problem.

brian

Michael Crane · Post by **Michael Crane** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 3:12 pm

This is very worrying. We rent a villa on ADM every Christmas. It too has shutters over every window, but they aren't that secure and I think I could open them with a lolly-stick if I set my mind to it.

We are out most of the day - and a good bit of the night - and it's always been a worry of ours that we'll come back to a break-in. So far (last four years) we've been OK . . . or have we just been lucky?

I hope your guests weren't too traumatised and that it didn't ruin their holiday.

Gambrinus · Post by **Gambrinus** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:05 am

Securitas Direct has supplied a number of wireless alarm systems to our clients and the systems are very good.
They are GSM supported systems, so you neednt have a phone line.
The installation is quick and easy, no cables needed, just a power socket for the base, which also has a battery for autonomy in case of power failure.

The clients get a "fob" electronic key, so no codes have to be issued and the response time in case of alarm is exemplary.

http://www.securitasdirect.pt

Michael Crane · Post by **Michael Crane** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:15 am

It's all well and good having such a system, but is it a deterrent? If triggered how soon or how likely is it that the GNR will respond? Around where I live alarms go off and no one takes any notice.

Mexican Pete · Post by **Mexican Pete** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:50 am

In our experience, a burglar alarm has certainly acted as a deterrent. We had a series (four in three years) of opportunistic break-ins until we installed a Securitas alarm 5 years ago. Since then no problems other than one walk-in theft when the client had left all the patio doors open – but then you can’t do too much about stupidity!
That being said, I wouldn’t put too much reliance on the GNR turning up, but Securitas always respond.

Farol · Post by **Farol** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:22 am

Having had 4 burglaries in the UK our property is now like Fort Knox and the crime prevention unit and insurers say there is nothing more we can do. Their view of alarms is that most thieves are looking for easy targets and don't want to risk being caught. As a result if they see an alarm they are likely to move onto another property unless they know you have something specific that they want. For many a dummy alarm box is as good as a real one.

As regards monitored systems unless you live next door to the security firm it makes little difference to catching the thieves.

For one of our burglaries the police were there in minutes, were given the registration number of the offenders van, they put up the police helicopter but still caught nobody.

My suggestion is to review your locks and shutters and make sure they are really up to the job. If you were locked out how would you try to get in? Put the effort into keeping the thieves out rather than just having an alarm for when they do get in. Don't forget that they will be in and out within 5 minutes.

Scarpetta · Post by **Scarpetta** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:25 pm

Hi Brian,

There has been an increase this year of burglaries on ADM, but most seem to be opportunists who are sneaking over the wall or round the sides of villas and then getting in through open windows/patio doors. The most they have got away with is cash. They seem to be leaving the bigger items and credit cards.
Although in one case I heard that all they took was 2 cigars!!!

There has been quite a bit of building work going on on the estate this year - ( why the camara let it go on during the high season I will never understand!!) so there is more noise which may be a good enough cover for opportunists to get in.

Good quality shutters and independent bolts on main doors is always a good idea, and an alarm never hurts, plus it makes clients feel more secure.

Sadly CVO is no different to other resorts regarding burglaries as they happen everywhere, but on the whole I still think it is one of the safest place to go!!

Bruce Wallis · Post by **Bruce Wallis** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:53 pm

I think opportunist robberies are fairly rife.
I havent had a break into my property...(touch wood), but all our patio furniture went last year, as did, and this beggers belief, the logs stacked up outside for our woodburner!

Michael Crane · Post by **Michael Crane** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 4:40 pm

Bruce Wallis wrote:I think opportunist robberies are fairly rife.
I havent had a break into my property...(touch wood), but all our patio furniture went last year, as did, and this beggers belief, the logs stacked up outside for our woodburner!

Bruce, was your patio furniture post-coded? If your scratch your postcode and house number thus 'LN2 2HG2' onto the underside of tables and chairs, if the police happen to find someone with your furniture it's very easy to a. get your stuff back, and b. get a prosecution for theft.

Almost everything in my home and garden is post-coded. It won't stop 'em stealing it but it will make it harder to sell on and your goods can be returned to you by the police should they ever come across them.

Bruce Wallis · Post by **Bruce Wallis** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 4:51 pm

Thank you Michael....that is good advice.
Does apply to the logs too?

Sotosound · Post by **Sotosound** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 6:46 pm

Hi Brian

It's my family that was robbed at your villa.

The most upsetting aspects of this were: -

1) Your villa manager firstly accused us of leaving a door unlocked - which we hadn't because we had been warned about the risk of robbery in Carvoeiro before arriving.

2) He also denied that an earlier break-in had happened until the police pointed out that it had and also told us which door was forced open in that earlier instance. The neighbours next door also advised us of the true situation.

3) Knowing that there had been a previous break-in and that the property was not secure, nobody told us that we should take all our valuables, including passports, out with us at all times. (The thieves actually attempted to remove the safe with our passports in it but we believe that we disturbed them because the kitchen knife that they had been using was dumped on the floor by the safe.)

4) No attempt had been made to improve security after the first break-in. The patio doors are like sliding wardrobe doors and can be forced with a small lever or even lifted right off their tracks and out. There is evidence of this on six out of the seven patio doors.

5) We had a 4 month-old baby with us and although she always went wherever we went, there were times when she would be sleeping in a bedroom with a baby alarm in place while we were upstairs in the lounge. After the break-in she stayed in the same room as us until we all retired into bedrooms with barracaded patio doors. It's worth noting that the thieves actually stole a large amount of baby clothes! How do you think that this made us feel about the safety of small children in your villa?

After all of the above, we also have to say what a beautiful villa you have. It's well-equipped, well-situated, it has a lovely pool and beautiful balconies. We felt at home as soon as we arrived and it is so sad that a lot of these feelings were wiped out by what followed. We took lots of photos and movies there but they are all now in the hands of the thieves.

Before the incident we were planning to book two weeks next year but, as you can imagine, after what has happened we have lost all confidence.

What might change our feelings over time would be: -

1) If there was a villa manager who did not lie or try to push the blame onto us. We had to fight our corner very hard to get any form of support and to get anywhere near the truth of the situation.

2) If the patio doors were made far more secure. (Multiple bolts etc.)

3) If an alarm were fitted.

4) If we could believe that we didn't have to take all of our valuables with us everywhere we went. (The safe is only big enough to hold passports and cash.)

Sorry if this sounds like a real moan but we've lost three cameras, three MP3 players, cash, rings, mobile phones etc. plus the later part of our holiday was ruined.

Regards, Ian

Scarpetta · Post by **Scarpetta** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:51 pm

One cheap and fairly effective tip I can give is to put wooden poles into the bases of all sliding windows and doors.
Cut down broom handles work really well and are not expensive.

It means that if the burglars get through the shutters then they can't get the sliding door open as the pole stops the door being slid backwards.

Just a thought.

blue · Post by **blue** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:54 am

These poles were in every villa we ever stayed in & for the windows too, simple but very effective. They had a little eye screw screwed into them so you could lift them easily.

Michael Crane · Post by **Michael Crane** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 10:03 am

blue wrote:These poles were in every villa we ever stayed in & for the windows too, simple but very effective. They had a little eye screw screwed into them so you could lift them easily.

The villa we rent has such poles, but no screws. I like that idea, it gives a little extra security. Another thought, all our internal doors have deadlocks - when we go out we lock all the doors so that anyone getting in cannot get from one room to another; unless of course they batter down the doors!

As a NHW co-ordinator I am always security conscious and take as many steps as I can to deter or frustrate thieves. I won't stop holidaying in the Algarve just because some properties have been burgled. If the PKK can't stop me going to Turkey, a few sticky-fingered Portuguese won't stop me!

blue · Post by **blue** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 6:51 pm

A friend arriving at Faro from the UK today had their briefcase stolen in the airport carpark as they were loading their luggage into the back of the car. He thinks there were 3 of them one caused a distraction whilst another lifted the briefcase from the back seat. His laptop was in the case but more worryingly so were the keys, address, directions & alarm code for the villa his family are staying in. What a way to start a holiday.
BTW the family are not staying in Carvoeiro but as it happened at the airport I thought people should be made aware, forewarned is forearmed.

BURGLARY

BURGLARY

Break in - we were the guests