Allotment theft - tips on preventing it?

[CharlotteE]

Hi!

In the october issue (on sale sept 5) of the mag, we're hoping to include some tips on how to prevent thefts on allotments.

Does anyone have a tip we can print in the magazine? Something that might help other readers who have perhaps been affected by thefts, or who are worried about security on their allotment.

Feel free to pm me if you'd prefer, if poss with your name and town!

Thanks

Charlotte

[Kristen]

The thing I have heard of is to lift some floorboards and put the tools underneath. Then put some garden furniture, or whatever, in the shed so that it seems as thought there are no tools around.

But maybe you meant theft of produce? In which case I would start a scare story that Adders had been found in the allotment, and see if you can get the local newspaper to believe the story!

Worked for my parents in the '60s when cattle in adjacent fields were being "let out" into their garden. The local bobby (those were the days!) concocted the "poisonous snakes" story and it made the local press! Certainly fixed the cattle rustling problem.

[CharlotteE]

Brilliant, thanks Kristen.

I am looking for tips on preventing theft of either theft of produce or tools - so both your tips are useful.

Do you mind messaging me your name and town?

Thanks!

[Mrs Dobby]

A good one we came across on the vine a while ago was to leave a rake on the floor, just inside the door of your shed, then if anyone enters at night they run the risk of standing on the rake and having it hit them in the face, not only detering them from doing it again, but also with the possibility of gaining a sample of their blood on the end of the rake which may be of use for DNA profiling!

Other than that, dont bother locking your shed, as it will only make the thieves think that there's something worth nicking in it and tempt them to break in, thus causing damage to the fabric of the building!

Another tip is not to leave anything in the shed at all, bring it home every time, or leave only old tools in the shed and 'hide' the rest in a compartment of your compost bin (or under a seat or something), thus safeguarding your decent tools!

[lottie dolly]

we used to have a lock on our shed,but not now,as more damage can be done in trying to gain access,is only tied up with a bit wire,easy to get in without dammage,and is strong enough when the winds get up to keep it closed,if you can either find a way to hide tools ext,or take them home,
If someone is intent on wrong doing,not a lot YOU can do,what you must do is report it to the police,yes i know,is what they say,but,if every person rings in,and report ,even if nothing stolen/damage,it will build up a file for the police to see that there IS a HOT SPOT problem,nothing much can be done as an individual,only as a collective,my advice is from a personal experience,

[CharlotteE]

Lol, thanks Mrs Dobby - I like the rake idea!

Thanks to lottie dolly for your tips as well!

[Stacey Steve]

One of the things to consider about tool theft is that it is likely the theives do not want the items for personal use but more for there resale value. This I agree is very little compared to what we pay for the things in the first place.

Therefore make the items basically worthless.

Paint them in bright odd colours with your plot number and postcode in big letters.

These people are in the main opportunist and do not want to go rubbing down items to do a repaint themselves and normally if you use a heavy paint like Hammerite, then your postacode etc is going to show through any respray.

Some of my items have the plot and postcode ground into them using a Dremel and you would have to grind this away and on thin metal like a lawn mower deck, this is not a practical option.

[HeyWayne]

I've been considering using SmartWater for my personal belongings - it's a permanent "forensic" water which you apply to your house/car/belongings and is unique to you (I don't fully understand the technicalities, but if you google it you'll find out), containing a code that is registered to you, which the Police have details of. It shows up using ultra-violet light, and then forensics can extract the "code".

It has been used in premises by "squirting" the thief (the water stains them and their clothing), so I guess there's no reason why you couldn't hook up some SmartWater to one of those pest deterents that squirt water at cats/pigeons etc, and as soon as the they enter into the infra-red sensors range they're squirted with permanent SmartWater which is traceable back to you.

It's a bit elaborate granted, but if you love your tools/crop...

[Stacey Steve]

Smart Water is brilliant technology and would be great if the police caught someone with a van load of unexplained tools etc.

A lot of the stolen tools I understand are sold on certain internet auction sites, where there is little or no police presence.

If it became to be used as a more general product, then yes this would be great but only if people checked things they bought using an ultraviolet light.

There have been UV ink pens sold for years so that you can mark your property with your postcode but I don't know how much stolen property is recovered by the police even by that method.

[lynda66]

*has visions of loads of cats, foxes and hedgehogs, going round glowing under ultra violet lights*

i'm in favour of man traps trip wires attached to shotguns, and holes in the ground that they can fall into ..... oh and wire everything metal up to the mains and how about indiana jones traps?? i'm sure they won't come back if they make it out alive

[Hans Mum]

as others have said i dont lock my shed, on the last lot of breakins on our site dont think they went in it, there was certainly nothing missing, and those that were broken into via locked doors had more monetary damage done to the shed than the value of stuff stolen.

[kernowyon]

I, like most have learn't not to lock the shed, just a piece of bent wire, I keep a bare minimum in the shed, on old shelf unit, plastic watering can, a plastic patio chair, bamboo canes and a few budget tools (spade, fork and rake from Wilkos - 50% off sale items) just incase i forget to take my nice tools from home. (saves on a wasted journey - trust me I know) the total value of the items in the shed is about £10:00 so if they do want a £2.50 fork it's no great loss.

another point is not to black out or cover the 'window' this also suggests that you are trying to hide something, in the most recent break in on our site the only sheds touched were locked or had the windows obscured in some way.

can't remember where I read it, but didn't someone use a 'dalek' compost bin over a deep hole to hide their tools in?

[Matt.]

In my opinion you can't stop a determined theif somewhere isolated like allotments. Anything expensive shouldn't be left at site.

However, for organised theft the obvious deterant is blocking access to vehicles. A theif who has to walk a long way carrying tools or veg is likely to give up. Those with easy access also stand less chance of being noticed. Its hassle for everyone but a padlocked entry gate must be the single best deterant for all plot holders. Also if you have a shed place it at the farthest end of the plot not by the gate. I'm sure most theft is opportunistic so limiting those chances is the way to go.

[Stacey Steve]

My greatest problem I'm on a 150+ 10 pole site and I am furthest away from the gate at the bottom of the juction of 3 hills.

With an significant rain, I have to walk down the "rapids" to get to my plots, as there is no way that I would get my car back up the hill.

So I have to leave the majority of my tools in my shed. I suffer from angina amongst other things so would not be able to keep carrying things that I need.

It is for that reason I have to ensure that things I leave become things of little value.

I must admit though that last time we had visitors, they took umbrage at what I'd done and smashed up the shed and greenhouse.

Suppose you just can't win.

[Plopstar]

I agree that there is little point in locking sheds, thieves will just cause more damage getting in, and in most cases they`ll come tooled up anyway so a lock will be of little hinderance.

I think part of the answer lies in the hands of local councils who generally run these allotment sites. They should make the sites as unattractive to vandals and thieves as possible. Strong secure fencing should be standard around the whole perimeter, the galvanized type with the points on top preferably,(Although this may be a bit like gardening in a prison yard) , or in the very least thick, sturdy, thorny, hedging such as hawthorn, pyracantha or holly with no gaps. Gates should be secure too with decent protected locks. The gates should be of a height and build similar to the galv fencing making them as difficult to climb over as possible.
Some councils will provide more secure locked facilities for tools such as old solid metal lorry containers, not impenetrable but certainly much harder to break into than an old shed.

Every allotment site is different, so you should get all the allotment holders together and work to resolve any obvious security problems. Pressurise your allotment providers / council to do more, act as a group, the more voices the better.

When it comes to your own shed and plot, the best you can do although I know it may be a pain, is to take tools home with you, particularly machinery, and expensive hand tools, or anything of sentimental value. Anything you would hate to lose take it home.

My biggest tip however is never, NEVER! leave petrol in your shed in any quantity because you will certainly have your shed burned down and probably those of your neighbouring allotment holders.....you will not be popular.

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