Theft and vandalism

[organic]

Snadger - I dunno about that.
People know that allotments have tools worth stealing; greenhouses, coldframes and cloches to smash; and pumpkins to kick to bits... back gardens are a lot more subtle.

I'd have thought that allotments were more at risk than gardens just because of how obvious they are.

It's just a thought though.

[binley100]

We have had youths breaking in . At the moment there are a couple awaiting trial as they not only pinched stuff they killed some geese and a duck, so not only are the police prosecuting so is the RSPCA.
Usually tho' its just irritating things like stuff being taken from one plot and left on another. Our shed is not locked and there is nowt of value in it . They seem to be partial to taking camping cookers but as ours is hid in plain site they haven't noticed it.

[Pies]

Our lotty is fairly secure but sheds still get done

I leave nothing of any value in the shed just a fork, spade ,hoe and fertilizer i dont even lock the shed.If you lock the shed it says to the thief that you have something worth nicking,they then bust open the doors and usually take nothing

[Dottie]

We get a bit of trouble, but as I knew about it from the start I just took the attitude that they are just another pest. It's not great when they do damage, but to be honest I felt worst when my toms got blight.

[Shadylane]

I have a sneaking feeling that as recession bites and food prices climb along with fuel prices... theft of produce may become a much bigger issue.

I doubt that, unless someone figures out how to grow chips and fish finger bushes oops did I say that out loud.

[organic]

Hahaha.
Brutally well made point there, Shady.

Not quite the demographic I had in mind - I was thinking more of the ones who actually can tell one end of a carrot from the other but don't have the scruples or drive to work harder or grow their own rather than letting someone else do the work and then rob it...

...especially from the plots of those who label their produce. Just like a supermarket but you've got to hop over a fence to get in and the food's got more dirt on it.

[Shadylane]

You see that's also a problem for them - the dirt. I mean why would they want something all scruffy that's just come out of the ground?? It's not unheard of I know for people to arrive at their plot to find all their tatties dug up but I'd like to think most thieving little gets are generally uneducated, dragged up having never been fed a vegetable and with nothing better to do. Of course that's just me - i'm naiive and idealistic that way

[Speed Gardener]

Well I went down to my allotment after work yesterday full of the joys of spring only to find that the scumbag tool thief had struck again, this time relieveing me of three spades, a fork, my azada and my big rake. I'm only surprised the b*st*rd could carry it all!! They were kept in a half fronted shed granted, but I've kept them in there for over ten years with no problem, so I'm a bit miffed, to say the least. I had a shovel and fork taken last year and someone else lost a fork, but they were all left outside. I feel so angry because it's done in such an underhand, sneaky way, when there's nobody looking. If I caught them, it would be attack first, ask questions later!!

[piskieinboots]

That is bl**dy rotten SG - nasty mean ba*"!"ds

[Nicos]

The secret is to keep only old equipment down there- stuff peeps wouldn't want to buy at a car boot sale....cos that's where I think things like that turn up!

Latest plot- no probs at all. Previous one was probs with gypsies...weeks of problems. Not just stealing , but vandalising too. After 3 years we moved to another site

[HappyMouffe]

We've had thefts from our site, but generally expensive stuff that I wouldn't want to leave down there, eg rotavator, heaters. We've had our shed looked in a couple of times (we made the decision not to put a lock on it) but we keep it looking such a mess that at times I can barely be bothered to disentangle the spade from the pea netting, so any thief looking for easy pickings would probably give up (famous last words now I've said that!)
Consider painting the handles of anything half decent bright pink so they're easily identifiable and not so attractive at a car boot sale.
Above all, as others have said, it's not personal - if you get some dodgies turning up, they'll go through everyone's plot, not just yours.
My biggest problem has been other plot holders who were very taken with my Tuscan black kale over winter. Some of them were polite enough to ask before taking...

[Two_Sheds]

At my last site we had problems with kids at the high school throwing stones at the greenhouses: so I wrote a stroppy letter to the headmaster (who said once out of school they weren't his responsibility)

The gardeners got wise and started making fences/barriers in front of their greenhouses to lessen the damage.

We had girls from the high school coming on the site through gaps in the fences: they let out someone's chickens once. We would do patrols and send them packing (but nicely, not aggressively).

We've had vandals on my new site, but luckily I've never been a target for vandalism: I've had plots next to houses, and I make friends with the householders. I give them flowers & veg, and they keep an eye out for me.
Even so, I leave my shed unlocked (so they don't break the door if they do come)and I leave my best tools hidden around the plot, not in the shed (usually under debris netting).

[organic]

Shadylane - you might be right for the most part.
I'm hoping that my use of the square foot gardening system will mean the plot looks so confusing to most people that they won't even bother trying to find the things they want to rob and so go elsewhere. Not that I'm hoping anyone will be a victim of theft, of course.


Mouffe - when I took over my plot I was told in no uncertain terms that theft means instant marching orders. Someone was caught taking a few plums from someone else's plot without permission and was sent packing. They take it so seriously that when another plot holder told me (by phone) to take some sprouts if I wanted, I didn't just because I'd have no way of proving I had permission if things got messy. I'm happy enough like that though - I'll trade face to face no bother but won't take things off someone else's plot unless they are there with me.


SG - that really sucks. I know exactly how it feels to wish they'd tried it while you were there. It really would be a different story.


TS - that head sounds useless. When the local schoolies threw stones at our site the head tore a strip off them for it and it all stopped.
One of my neighbours has an old wood and glass greenhouse that's up against the site fence. A few bits are plastic and the rest of it is protected by a really big fence/net to keep the stones off.
I think I'm going to keep on tying the tools to my bike... I'd only end up on the warpath if someone took something.

[Paul Wagland]

I tend to leave quite good / expensive tools in my various sheds, simply because I often get sent such things for free on 'press trial' and it doesn't worry me so much that some of them might walk. I do thoroughly secure the sheds though, and one in particular (on my main plot) is built very solidly with a hardwood front door and mortice lock (hard to gouge that off!).

Theft has only been a problem once, but it was done in style! Some bugger took a solar panel off my shed roof, plus an enormous and very heavy bench, built for a GYO project! Sooner or later Google Earth will be good enough for me to find that in someone's back garden, I reckon!

[Alison]

I decided not to lock my shed when I first got the plot but then got fed up with people swapping stuff between the various sheds and it taking half and hour to reclaim my posessions. Not expensive stuff but still annoying and I lost 2 cheapo plastic chairs which was annoying as they were useful. Since then we've got hold of a secure tool chest which is hidden behind the shed and contains anything important and there's only tea bags and some tomato food in the actualy shed. Having said that, been down the plot earlier and noticed a load of butt ends in the polytunnel so somebody's been in there for a crafty fag. No damage to the plants thankfully even though it looked like they'd trodden on the area where I'd put some spuds.