Car stolen last night from our garage - Trackers? info please

[BCC 9]

Unfortunately we had 3 people break into our premises last night and steal a car. A Focus ST. They also tried to take a Focus RS we had but luckily they couldn't get it started after they smashed the window.  They climbed over our fence into a gated compound, used a generator and an angle grinder to cut the lock off and drove the car away.
 

We are now trying to beef up secuirty in any way we can. Is there any kind of temporary trackers you can use for stock cars? or any other ideas? Help please..

[Ocsltd 133]

Can't offer any advice, but sorry to hear that. 

[Mikey 19]

Really sorry to hear that, this business is hard enough without having that happen!

I'm not sure about temporary trackers, but what about the old fashioned way of protecting cars, like the steering wheel disc lock.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Car-Steering-Wheels-Parts-Accessories/Disklok-Cover-Silver-Security-Thatcham-Approved-Large/B00SLB6WTI/ref=sr_1_6/254-9027696-9146236?ie=UTF8&qid=1483979067&sr=8-6&keywords=thatcham+disc+lock

 ...and also removing a spark plug or pulling a fuse to the fuel pump or similar?

Obviously if someone really wants something they'll find away as most of these type of thefts are either to order to use in another robbery.

[Rory RSC 596]

Sorry to hear that, we have had a Focus stolen along with a few thefts and acts of vandalism and it is gutting.

I think it would be best to put the cars in and indoor unit and if they are outside make sure they are blocked in by other cars. 

Maybe some of those metal bollards that would prevent them getting the car out.

Ultimately if someone is tooled up with a generator and an angle grinder and they want it enough they will always find a way you can just make it as difficult as possible so they go somewhere else.

[metcars 397]

1 hour ago, Rory RSC said:

Sorry to hear that, we have had a Focus stolen along with a few thefts and acts of vandalism and it is gutting.

I think it would be best to put the cars in and indoor unit and if they are outside make sure they are blocked in by other cars. 

Maybe some of those metal bollards that would prevent them getting the car out.

Ultimately if someone is tooled up with a generator and an angle grinder and they want it enough they will always find a way you can just make it as difficult as possible so they go somewhere else.

I agree, at the end of the day, if the 'really' want it and have the equipment you don't stand a chance. But, time is their enemy, and anything you can do to slow them down will hinder them. Guys like these are 'experts', they will steal to order. They will probably have been watching your place for days/weeks as having the least security of the cars on their list.

[CJ Underhill 34]

There are those dirt cheap GPS trackers, not sure how reliable they are but are about £10... better than nothing i guess

[audispecialistlondon 1]

It seems unbelievable that they would bother to go to all that length when there is surely one parked unsecured somewhere on someones driveway? Without CCTV or gates? 

We've had a similar issue in the past and have dropped bollards in the floor all over the site to make it particularly hard work to get a car out overnight.

I dont understand why they would steal from a dealership. Surely this is so much riskier than stealing from a private individual?

[metcars 397]

35 minutes ago, audispecialistlondon said:

It seems unbelievable that they would bother to go to all that length when there is surely one parked unsecured somewhere on someones driveway? Without CCTV or gates? 

We've had a similar issue in the past and have dropped bollards in the floor all over the site to make it particularly hard work to get a car out overnight.

I dont understand why they would steal from a dealership. Surely this is so much riskier than stealing from a private individual?

Depends what they are going to do with it, the fact that you're a dealer is irrelevant, you just happened to have the car they wanted. Bare in mind a 'pro' gang could have your car stripped to parts in a few hours, in which case the tracker is irrelevant.

[Cornish Guy 45]

Unfortunately GPS tracker blockers that plug into a power socket are readily available and have been widely used by various van drivers for years to cover their tracks.

[BCC 9]

On 1/11/2017 at 11:06 AM, audispecialistlondon said:

It seems unbelievable that they would bother to go to all that length when there is surely one parked unsecured somewhere on someones driveway? Without CCTV or gates? 

We've had a similar issue in the past and have dropped bollards in the floor all over the site to make it particularly hard work to get a car out overnight.

I dont understand why they would steal from a dealership. Surely this is so much riskier than stealing from a private individual?

We are on an trading estate which is very quiet at night, there is noone to hear or see anything which made it easier for them. They climbed over the fence, started one of the cars, attempted to start another one, cut the locks on the gate and drove one of them away all within 5 minutes.

UPDATE:

Had a call off CID 2 days later to say the car had a dormant tracker last active in 2009. We paid £300 for emergency activation of the tracker. Picked up a reading straight away as the car was moving, police pursuit and the car recovered. Haven't picked it up yet but have been told damage is very minimal.

[Mikey 19]

Wow that's result!

Shame you're further out of pocket, but hopefully there won't much wrong with the car when you get it back.

You must feel some satisfaction though! Did the police catch the occupants?

[It's me 615]

get to the car soonest,arrange recovery to your base,why? because otherwise police preffered recovery get it and charge you a fortune per day storage

i cant claim these charges on my insurance if indeed i wanted to,can you

glad its been found for you

what can you do in future?

just do everything you can to slow things down

let tyres down on the banger in the gate hole nightly if you have to and get a complete steel covered steering wheel cover or chain the steering wheel up

even consider buying an old fork lift and parking that with a well hidden remote starting circuit

[williamblackshaw 43]

Speak to smart drivers club, might be a way to track important cars easily?

[betginge 73]

On 11/01/2017 at 11:06 AM, audispecialistlondon said:

It seems unbelievable that they would bother to go to all that length when there is surely one parked unsecured somewhere on someones driveway? Without CCTV or gates? 

We've had a similar issue in the past and have dropped bollards in the floor all over the site to make it particularly hard work to get a car out overnight.

I dont understand why they would steal from a dealership. Surely this is so much riskier than stealing from a private individual?

 

Why drive around for hours looking for a car, when in 5 mins on autotrader they can find the exact car and dealer selling it. straight there and find out how easy it is to pinch.

Glad to hear the OP got it back, Hopefully the fools who half inched it will get a prison sentence.

A mate of mine used to run a breakers yard, he was always getting done over at night, in the end he got a big rottweiler the size of bear to run round at night, the thieves just  threw some sausages over the fence, befriended the dog and locked him in the kennel. 

The best one was when i worked for a caravan company, they had a secret storage facility where they kept the new vans in a old quarry mine, big sand walls with one way in one way out. the owner of the site posted a guard in with the price who lived in a hut by the entrance, he had a hand missing so had a hook, he was armed with a 12 bore shotgun, This bloke was about 70 and was a blind as fucking bat. He fired a warning shot once on a late night collection mistaking us for bandits lol .

We had been told to collect a van at about 5.15pm, so rushed up to the site, he was not there so we let yourself in, We never did it again.

So basically, get an old man with a shooter on site 

[audispecialistlondon 1]

4 hours ago, betginge said:

 

Why drive around for hours looking for a car, when in 5 mins on autotrader they can find the exact car and dealer selling it. straight there and find out how easy it is to pinch.

Glad to hear the OP got it back, Hopefully the fools who half inched it will get a prison sentence.

A mate of mine used to run a breakers yard, he was always getting done over at night, in the end he got a big rottweiler the size of bear to run round at night, the thieves just  threw some sausages over the fence, befriended the dog and locked him in the kennel. 

The best one was when i worked for a caravan company, they had a secret storage facility where they kept the new vans in a old quarry mine, big sand walls with one way in one way out. the owner of the site posted a guard in with the price who lived in a hut by the entrance, he had a hand missing so had a hook, he was armed with a 12 bore shotgun, This bloke was about 70 and was a blind as fucking bat. He fired a warning shot once on a late night collection mistaking us for bandits lol .

We had been told to collect a van at about 5.15pm, so rushed up to the site, he was not there so we let yourself in, We never did it again.

So basically, get an old man with a shooter on site 

I see what you mean re stealing exactly what you want but i still think surely stealing from a gated/locked compound which is highly likely to have CCTV carries a much higher risk? Clearly these scumbags don't think like we would and risk isn't too much of an issue for them.

haha we actually looked at guard/ guard dogs but it is now illegal to have a guard dog in there without a handler. If a kid jumps the fence and the dog kills them it is a manslaughter charge. Outrageous really 

Glad to hear he got the car back !!

 

 

[Phil H 124]

I think the reason that they go for a pitch rather than a driveway is to do with the length of time till it's reported. Steal off a drive at say 11 on a Saturday night they don't know if it'll be noticed missing at midnight when they return from the pub, 5 o'clock sunday morning when they wake up for a shift, 8 o'clock when they go to church etc. Etc. When they steal from a pitch they know your opening times so can plan what to do with it before the crime is reported. Dirty robbing barstewards.