Testing the perimeter

[Headed that way 1,294]

I figured it would happen soon enough.   We opened up the shop near Mabalacat, put good brass padlocks on everything, blocked the lower windows with tin sheeting so you can't see in at night when it is closed up tight.  Put a few hundred thousand pesos in tools and supplies in and here comes the thieves.

 

Made friends with the neighbor that sits right behind the shop from the start, allowed them to keep using the well inside our perimeter fence.   That paid off a few nights ago when the lady heard a prowler, got up and confronted him in the middle of the night.  Next morning my local guy can't get the gate bolt to retract;  it had been pried in an effort to get it open.  He straightens the bolt back out and it works.

 

We had talked about putting a lock on the back perimeter gate but hadn't because of the family needing access to water but this gave us the reason to act.  Gave the woman a key for that gate lock only.   Then she volunteered to have her or her son in law sleep in the shop for 100 pesos per night till we get our night security guy moved up from up North.  The shop has two 250 square foot basement rooms below where we are going to have our night security guy live, work in the shop during the day, live downstairs rent free in exchange for watching the shop.   A family member of my friend's wife so we should be okay.

 

Working on running exterior lights, got the wiring ran but I need a bigger breaker box to do it right.   Other than those precautions I'm thinking that putting a large dog in the shop at night will help as well as an alarm and a video security system.

 

What am I missing?

[CardiacKid 2,309]

Get the dog in there. He doesn't have to be a purebred, just vicious. Two are even better. Feed them in the morning so they'll be hungry at night and more alert. Keep them even when you get your security guard in place. 

[questsea73 315]

Not enough info to visualize it completely to give much of an answer.  Sounds like a 2 story....maybe a giant "shophouse" type structure?  If there is not nightlife moving around outside I would make the exterior lights motion-activated and turn on at dusk or get the type that turn on automatically unless there is outside perimeter light that would defeat the auto trigger.

 

Depends on how much you have to lose inside and whether you have insurance that would cover theft.  My personality would dictate:  stop thieves, insurance or no insurance. 

 

If you trust the sleep-in neighbor, then her request for 100 pesos would be cheap(trust can be expensive).  An interior dog I would seriously consider if you are set up so dog wouldn't damage interior items(exterior dog would be poisoned). I would hope all your windows are barred.  I would hope you have steel doors with inside hinges + max security deadbolt locks with long screws into hardwood frame + anti-pry plate mounted near the locks(although nara wood or equivalent with good hardware would work).  Is your roof secure? Burglars look for the weak spot and if you have tile roof you have many weak spots.  Key security for locks is important even among anyone installing the locks. Screamer break-the-circuit inexpensive locks can be put on doors and windows (run off batteries); I suspect the ones marketed here in USA by G.E. are decent quality.  If you have cinderblock exterior walls or flimsy siding over gypsum wallboard....all it could take is a sledgehammer if neighbors are not nearby or motivated.

 

It's a lot cheaper to do it right up front than to have a major theft....then do it right later.

 

Ken

[Headed that way 1,294]

 

You nailed it, two story, hollow block, filled of course,
bond beams, tin roof.  The back yard is
really a continuation of the basement walls, around ten feet tall with a small
man/door/hatch entrance.   I’m on a major
two lane highway so there is constant traffic most hours, not sure about the
wee hours of the night.   Motion
activated lights sounds much better than the constant exterior lights I was
going to install.

 

You can get burglar insurance in the Philippines?  Who would have thought.

 

I think we can trust the neighbor, we will keep a close eye
on tools.   Wouldn’t be too smart to hire
on as a watchman then do an inside job but you never know.   Our other man will be in town in a week or
so.

 

I think the dog would do okay inside for the night once he
got used to the routine.  Might piss on a
few things : )   Better wet and stinking
than gone I suppose.  The windows are
barred well.   The doors are those roll
up garage type doors on front with two inside padlocks at the very base, the
back door is more of a steel security gate than a door.   Concrete jambs everywhere, very little wood.

 

 

 

The roof is the weak point but it is pretty high, they would
need a  sixteen foot ladder to access it.  I will look into the screamer locks, didn’t
know they existed.   All cinder block
except for the office that we put up last week, it is drywall and metal
studs.  If they breach the perimeter
walls they can bust through the pvc door easily.

 

Thanks for the look over on this.  

 

[hagler 61]

Are you on McArthur or a side street ? Good luck if you are on a quiet side street.

 

This is what I did with the place in Mabalacat when I had it and the results.

 

Motion activated outdoor floodlights - stolen 2 night up

Break beam activated security at front gate of property - smashed with a long pole within 10 days

Reed type alarms on external doors and windows. - back door "sledgehammered" in and alarm screamer sledgehammered. probably took 30 seconds to a minute to destroy it while the alarm screamed. no-one did anything about it

Imported "Masterlock" high grade security padlocks on front and back gates. Both were "oxyed" off in the course of 1 month

Bars on all windows and security doors. original rebar was "jimmied " apart on numerous occaisions. ended up welding in extra sections to strengthen it up

 

In the space of 1 month I would say there was at least 15 attempts to get into the place.

 

I was using it for storage of goods while a commercial building I had bought in downtown AC was being refurbished and renovated. 

 

I ended up paying 2 guys to sleep there who were not from Luzon so there was no "turning a blind eye" to friends doing the place over and I put the blowtorch under the contractors downtown and got the gear out of there way earlier than I had planned.

 

If you ever get the chance to chat with the San Fernando hierachy in the Police ask them what they think of Mabalacat area. The answer will make you think twice about renewing your lease when it comes up.

 

Get yourself a guard, and a nasty dog ASAP otherwise whatever you got in there is gone.

 

Best of luck to you.

Edited February 26, 2013 by hagler

[Headed that way 1,294]

Yep, McArthur highway.

 

Wow, they were coming after you big time.

 

Thanks for the warning on the Mabalacat area.

[musingloudly 129]

Have you considered CCTV Cameras? 

[sjp 316]

You can also use timers on your lights inside the house set to turn on and off every 20 or 30 minutes in different rooms. Burglars tend not to break in to a house that looks like there are people moving around inside all the time.

[Mandingo 3,625]

Get a flock of guinea fowl and some motion lights.

[Thelandofku-an 349]

I think there's two choices:

 

1. Rocking chair, coffee, toothpick, 12 gauge...

2. Relocate.

Recommend option 2...

[Thelandofku-an 349]

BTW, I remember years ago a thief fell into an unfinished septic pit one night and was electrocuted by leakage from a nearby utility pole.

Shadow probably heard the same...