Tool thieves targeting vulnerable vans

My area has been hit by thieves targeting 5 vans last week and making off with over £1000 worth of gardening stuff, £1250 worth of builders tools plus untold damage to vans and the owners livelihood.

I guess the owners will be watching eBay & local car boots with interest !

Local Crime Prevention Offices have contacted local businesses with the following advice, which is worth passing on:

- Lock doors EVERY time you leave your van

- Don't leave tools in the van overnight

- Make a note of all serial numbers. Without them the items are untraceable and will make it difficult to claim on any insurance policy

- Keep driving, business and personal documentation out of the van at home

- Call Police if you see anyone acting suspiciously around vehicles. Take note of any connected vehicle reg no.

- Don't leave Sat Nav, phones or MP3 type players on view.

- Contact local CPO for 'No tools are kept in van overnight' stickers

- Park under a light, or install security lighting at home on driveway

- Alarm vehicle and consider installing a security cage or chest for valuable equipment

- Mark every item of property for extra security - ie engrave post code etc on item

And one I wish I could add - wire door handles upto 240v - no only joking ;-)

I know what it's like, we had a van done at site years ago with Stihl stuff being taken within 2-3 mins with a team of 2 less than 25yards away. They saw a van and assumed it was a courier delivery to one of the offices.

pro-gard said : The problem is that in this country we have an unwillingness to punish criminals, the police would rather push paper about and persecute the motorist than do the job we all pay them to do. We should all take time to write to our MPs to push the issue of law and order and the current lack of deterrent, I do.

It makes me livid that as a society in this country we accept crime as a fact of life and the lack of a legal right to defense of property.

i agree....

flood /security lights deters them apparently .

i have a camera on my long path linked to my neighbours with recording on hard -drive desk top.
he has 3 camera's on his shed too.
and lights that come on with movement.

i have one now shining on my jeep / drive from top of garage doors with sensor . it seems to work
(i pray)

i have another on the back of garage towards the house/path , when it comes on i can see out my bedroom window.

3 locks on shed and 2 on garage with solid hasps. and i reverse shogun up to prevent access.

I STILL FEEL THIS IS NOTHING. I NEED BGS GERMAN SHEPARD AND ALARMS,
BUT IM HAVING A NEW GARAGE BUILT HOPEFULL WHICH WILL BE MORE SECURE.

always remove any valuable petrol tools and drills etc from vehicle . cover up and hide phones/sat navs.

Replies

Lawncare-4u.co.uk February 20, 2010 at 9:15pm

good post , very good advice.

i had a £2000 trailer stolen off my drive - not insured
i had £1000 tools smashed from back of jeep.taken 18 months ago - NFU would not pay up........hence why i hate them.
PRO

Gary RK February 20, 2010 at 9:22pm

Realising this is not an isolated case, is this something LJN could help with ?

Phil - your view ?

Could a stolen equipment database be set up, where members can list date, time, location, equipment, s/no, description be posted for all to see ?

The harder it becomes to pass this kit off the better it must be for all of us ???

I'm sure we've all bought second hand stuff, perhaps this is a way to perform at least some due diligence ?

We've ended up using SmartWater (the DNA stuff) on our equipment since a Van was done over - this was suggested by the CPO.

Any views ?
Julius Bell February 20, 2010 at 11:24pm

I had some equipment taken from my van some months ago . The Police told me that it all goes into a container and straight over to the continent.

Gary said:
Realising this is not an isolated case, is this something LJN could help with ?

Phil - your view ?

Could a stolen equipment database be set up, where members can list date, time, location, equipment, s/no, description be posted for all to see ?

The harder it becomes to pass this kit off the better it must be for all of us ???

I'm sure we've all bought second hand stuff, perhaps this is a way to perform at least some due diligence ?

We've ended up using SmartWater (the DNA stuff) on our equipment since a Van was done over - this was suggested by the CPO.

Any views ?
PRO

Busy Bee Garden Services Limited February 21, 2010 at 8:08am

We had a van done a few years ago when it was even parked in a CCTV controlled car park whilst out working, the picture was so bad that all you could see was the van shaking, some guy taking out some tools and driving off, it did not even pick up the number plate of his car. The police did not even bother to come out and felt like all they wanted to do was give me crime number and forget it!

Julius said:
I had some equipment taken from my van some months ago . The Police told me that it all goes into a container and straight over to the continent.

Gary said:
Realising this is not an isolated case, is this something LJN could help with ?

Phil - your view ?

Could a stolen equipment database be set up, where members can list date, time, location, equipment, s/no, description be posted for all to see ?

The harder it becomes to pass this kit off the better it must be for all of us ???

I'm sure we've all bought second hand stuff, perhaps this is a way to perform at least some due diligence ?

We've ended up using SmartWater (the DNA stuff) on our equipment since a Van was done over - this was suggested by the CPO.

Any views ?
chris nangle February 21, 2010 at 11:49am

good points pro gard we also paint our power tools and stamp our name in metal parts if possible .
we have made some bloody big gates for our workshops and lots of locks
Kieran Ray February 22, 2010 at 7:14pm

Thats been done around these parts many a time! Its the only way they learn!

colin said:
i know of a few occassions where people have seen the van recognised it as being gypsies, had witnesses to the van and people and the police have refused to go into the gypsy site. that just screams petrol bombs over the fence to me
Neil Petrie BSc Landscape Mgt February 22, 2010 at 7:39pm

The back windows of my old van (citroen relay) were carefully removed and left underneath the van about a year ago. Brushcutter, hedgecutter and chainsaw stolen. Police were out quick as a flash. A little later I got a phone call saying that a neighbour had called to say that he had found machines meeting my descriptions in his garage. Police said that the culprits must have stashed them with intention on coming round later in day with a van to pick up. The audacity of the thieving b******s!

So thankfully it ended well for me. My new van is fully alarmed and locked in on my property now. I have every intention on following in Paul's wise footsteps with regards little surprises for them though sometime when I get a chance.
Lawncare-4u.co.uk February 22, 2010 at 8:29pm

pro-gard said : The problem is that in this country we have an unwillingness to punish criminals, the police would rather push paper about and persecute the motorist than do the job we all pay them to do. We should all take time to write to our MPs to push the issue of law and order and the current lack of deterrent, I do.

It makes me livid that as a society in this country we accept crime as a fact of life and the lack of a legal right to defense of property.

i agree....

flood /security lights deters them apparently .

i have a camera on my long path linked to my neighbours with recording on hard -drive desk top.
he has 3 camera's on his shed too.
and lights that come on with movement.

i have one now shining on my jeep / drive from top of garage doors with sensor . it seems to work
(i pray)

i have another on the back of garage towards the house/path , when it comes on i can see out my bedroom window.

3 locks on shed and 2 on garage with solid hasps. and i reverse shogun up to prevent access.

I STILL FEEL THIS IS NOTHING. I NEED BGS GERMAN SHEPARD AND ALARMS,
BUT IM HAVING A NEW GARAGE BUILT HOPEFULL WHICH WILL BE MORE SECURE.

always remove any valuable petrol tools and drills etc from vehicle . cover up and hide phones/sat navs.
PRO

Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care February 22, 2010 at 8:47pm

I think that this form of theft is despicable because it is depriving someone not only of their property but their livelihood.

May be a few of these may be the answer. I'm not sure on the legal use of them but......
Rob Emms February 22, 2010 at 8:58pm

I Have also been a victim of this twice now. I have resorted to fitting bloody great padlocks internaly and externaly to the back and side door of the the van although not ideal it does give the extra peace of mind. You have to be the lowest of the low to nick a mans tools!