Lock-up Break-in

[GTS290N]

Tonight between 7 and 7:30 some ****s ripped the locks off of three garages outside the house. Nothing seems to have been taken but they smashed the front windscreen of my dolly.
They used boltcutters to slice through padlocks on the other garages and used cutters on the hasps on my garage.
An empty petrol can was disturbed and a few tools moved, but nothing missing that I know of.
The polis eventually came round 1.5 hours after I called them, they were dealing with 'an emergency'. Dunno what would happen if there were two emergencies.

If anyone has good trusted knowledge on how to secure garage doors it would save me doing the research, links and photo's appreciated.

[Galileo]

Sorry to hear, always infuriating and of course the concern that your garage is not as secure as you thought. When I used to live near Luton I went to town on the security when after one night pretty much an entire garage block was done over, including mine. There was that time the Police broke into the garages for Operation Bungle or whatever it was called, but a ranty call and the padlock was replaced but that's another story!

I used a 'garage defender' at the base and two wrap over hasps with anti bolt cutter padlocks either side, drilling into the reinforced concrete was the fun part until I borrowed a big drill from work. Don't live there anymore so no pictures I'm afraid. I never got broken into again, but I must admit I was in two minds that all that security made it look like there was something more inviting in it than the rust bucket Metro 1275 that I was racing with...

Edit: Fat fingers and brain misconnection.

[GTS290N]

If anyone ever wants to know what a 1 1/8" and a 1 1/16" combo spanner does to a Dolly screen:
IMG_4995

[GTS290N]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1vS4l0VkCI

£65 to fit, saves me the job and it won't be easy the concrete has a steep slope, should be done next week.
Thanks for the help Galileo.

[Carledo]

The damage is probably spite, for them taking all the trouble and risk of breaking in and finding nothing worth nicking!

I largely don't lock anything where I live, not the house, the garage or the cars. Nor do I have so much as a fake alarm box on the wall. but I live in an area where crime is almost non existent and the few criminals we do have are so inept they are always getting caught! But I am also of the opinion that it pays to not LOOK as if you have anything worth stealing and they will leave you alone.

I reckon good PIR lights are a great deterrent and maybe a security camera or two, strategically hidden. There is NO lock that can't be beaten, so it's better to scare them off and if that doesn't work, take their pictures for the polis to round them up!

Steve

[GTS290N]

I was of that opinion too, I know an angle grinder would go through those hasps in seconds - I've done it! So now they'll have to make one hell of a noise to get in. There's no power at the garage but led solar security lights have come a long way.

[trackerjack]

Sorry to red this and its always infuriating that you never see the sods or hear them.
I had two screens smashed during my Sprint ownership.
We got back to our car after having a walk and it was smashed???
The other was after requesting a quote for paving our drive and when we did not want it because of the high cost the Sprints screen was smashed while parked off road on our land 2 days later.
No proof of culprit means that you have to grin and bear it.