[Chuckfireswift]

Hi,
Had my House burgled in the early hours of last Saturday morning and they took both sets of keys to the car and the car as well as all the other little bits they could get such as phones and wallets. Some of my personal effects were found a couple of miles away later that day, but the car had moved by the time the Police got there, so I expected it to be gone for good.

So much so I'd even put in for some new quotes through my fleet Manager.

Imagine my surprise when I got a call from D&G Autos in Brentwood (Essex) that "The Police have released your car and you can come and get it..." this afternoon.

The car was recovered on Tuesday, and whoever it was from the Police, didn't tell anyone else, including department within the Met Police who were looking out for it (as a car fitted with blues lights and sirens this beomes a bit of a 'hot' car as you can imagine). I had actually spoken to the Police a couple of times since Tuesday.

I've been to see it (photo below in the compound) but the Insurance Co need to step in now because it has a scrape on the door and both sets of keys are still missing and will obviously need some sort of inspection. Hoping to get it back before I move house on 23rd June.

I can only assume (as I expected) they realised they had taken a Fire Service car, then panicked and dumped it fully expecting it to be bringing a lot of attention their way and whoever they pass it on to probably wouldn't have touched it with a barge pole.

Will let you know how I get on with getting it returned and what (if any) grief I have.

[EdM5]

Wow, that is seriously f'd up.
I feel very sorry for you, especially the entering the house part.

In NL I have heard several similar stories (scum breaking into the house to snatch the keys to the bimmer).
Just out of curiousity: do you have a burglar alarm system?

[Glock 32]

I sleep with the keys to all my vehicles and my Glock and never leave them home alone with the vehicle or at least lock them in a safe. I get annoyed if my wife leaves her purse (with keys) downstairs when we are asleep. Even one of those key locker safes might help give some piece of mind when not at home in the future.

Sorry to hear...

[smanoj77]

I'm sorry to hear about your missery. I heard on the news y'day that the police found a huge haul of stolen goods from a single house in north london and are making arrests. I hope you get your valuables back including the beemer minus the scratches.

[Chuckfireswift]

THanks Guys,
Edwin... Yes I have a Burglar alarm and a dog!!! The Buglar alarm was turned off because we have kids and the dog moving around and the dog has always been taught to be friendly with people, again because of the kids.

Understandably, they'll be a few changes after this.

[ipso_facto]

Sorry to hear of your grief over this. I hope that they catch the morons. Only problem is, they will probably only be released on bail and do the same to some other unsuspecting law abiding citizen.

Best of luck with the car. Cheers.

[Robin_NL]

This sucks man.

Originally Posted by Glock 32

I sleep with the keys to all my vehicles and my Glock and never leave them home alone with the vehicle or at least lock them in a safe. I get annoyed if my wife leaves her purse (with keys) downstairs when we are asleep. Even one of those key locker safes might help give some piece of mind when not at home in the future.

Sorry to hear...

+1, same here, but I don't have a Glock, I have a baseballbat...

[E90Fleet]

Do you get tracking devices for cars in the UK ?

Here insurance companies require most cars over about 20,000 pounds to have one fitted.
They have RF,GSM and GPS tracking ( you can even track the car yourself on the Internet with the top packages).
Armed recovery is part of all packages

[Chuckfireswift]

Yes,
We have had trackers over here for ages... but the car is a Company car, if my employer doesn't want ot go to the expense of fitting it, then it is their look out. If it was my own I'd have had a tracker fitted.

[The Mewster]

What was there inside that identified it as a fire service car? Wonder if they saw the controls for the 'blues & twos' and thought they'd stolen a police car!

[Captain Chaos]

F'ed up, sorry to hear of the stress, Chuck. Glad you got it back but the insurance company will probably be a proper pain in the ass now - I hope you get a good claim handler, there are one or two about!

Re you guys who go to bed with your keys and your Glocks/bats/whatever - are you seriously telling me that given a choice between someone taking your car and someone surprising you/wife/babies in the night and finding your weapon with the keys that you'd seriously choose the latter? Takes all sorts I guess, they can have my car any day they like before they get near to going upstairs and near the kids...

[Glock 32]

Originally Posted by Captain Chaos

Re you guys who go to bed with your keys and your Glocks/bats/whatever - are you seriously telling me that given a choice between someone taking your car and someone surprising you/wife/babies in the night and finding your weapon with the keys that you'd seriously choose the latter? Takes all sorts I guess, they can have my car any day they like before they get near to going upstairs and near the kids...

Someone TRYING to surprise my wife or kids would most certainly find me and my weapon first (they can just follow the laser beam between their eyes).

The point is they will NOT find my weapon or keys as to why I sleep with them. Are you saying you would choose to leave your weapon and keys downstairs for the burglar to have?

"Takes all sorts I guess, they can have (YOUR) car any day they like before they (ALSO) go upstairs (and get at YOUR wife and kids too)". Sounds like you will make all that very easy for them.

They will not get near MY wife or kids without lead in their head.

[Captain Chaos]

Presuming that you wake up before they get there . I'd suggest that your regular car thief wouldn't be interested in people as a rule - unless they're desperate enough. Leaving the keys downstairs is probably the best bet to keep them away from the kids (in my mind), but I don't have a weapon (in the UK, where we don't have an option) so maybe my choice is simpler.

Another thing I was going to ask the OP - have they dusted the car? Not sure what chemical compound the stuff is that they use to check for 'prints but it takes some getting off! Hope they've not gone crazy with it, sort of like rubbing salt into the wound.

[Chuckfireswift]

Originally Posted by The Mewster

What was there inside that identified it as a fire service car? Wonder if they saw the controls for the 'blues & twos' and thought they'd stolen a police car!

No idea how they worked it out... The switches for the lights and noise are in the blank below the light switch, maybe they found them? There was a swipe card for my building, (not a proper ID card) which had a uniformed picture and the roof mounted blue was hidden under the passenger seat.

Once they stopped and opened the boot it would have become pretyt obvious, I am assuming that is the point when it went into the to difficult box and thus they dumped it.

As anticipated, having hell with the Insurance, spent all day on the telephone to have the Guy I e-mailed with a copy of the release letter saying "It was still being investigated by the Police" Then I was told to try to get it removed to a BMW dealer for them to issue new keys so the INsurance engineer could then inspect it.

By 6pm tonight I e-mailed the LFB Fleet Manager, the Lease Company & Insurance Company with my 'Feedback' and will leave them all to it and drive around in my fully liveried LFB pool car (Vauxhall Astra Estate), but at least it's free!

[Chuckfireswift]

Originally Posted by Captain Chaos

Another thing I was going to ask the OP - have they dusted the car? Not sure what chemical compound the stuff is that they use to check for 'prints but it takes some getting off! Hope they've not gone crazy with it, sort of like rubbing salt into the wound.

From what I saw of it, I don't think so. The SOCO who dusted the House stated they had Gloves on so I assume they did the same in the car. If it is covered, then I'll certianly not be taking it back until it's clean.

[northernmonkey]

Originally Posted by Captain Chaos

Presuming that you wake up before they get there . I'd suggest that your regular car thief wouldn't be interested in people as a rule - unless they're desperate enough. Leaving the keys downstairs is probably the best bet to keep them away from the kids (in my mind), but I don't have a weapon (in the UK, where we don't have an option) so maybe my choice is simpler.

Another thing I was going to ask the OP - have they dusted the car? Not sure what chemical compound the stuff is that they use to check for 'prints but it takes some getting off! Hope they've not gone crazy with it, sort of like rubbing salt into the wound.

1

I used to leave my spare key upstairs but have recently been thinking about leaving both keys in same drawer. That way if any scrote does decide to try and bypass the monitored alarm to get the keys at least they'll find both keys together and wouldnt feel the need to venture upstairs to find the second key. That's theory anyway.

Knowing this country (uk) if you did stumble into said scrote and do him some harm you would probably end up in jail on assault charge for hurting the burglar. That's uk justice for you.

If they wanna take let em. I'm insures and have RTI cover. Be fun ordering a new car as well

[Glock 32]

Maybe leave a few thousand in cash at the front door with some milk and cookies and a nice note asking the burglar (or rapist) to only take what is left for him. If he could kindly leave without going upstairs, the keys to the car are in the top drawer.

Kindest regards,

-Homeowner

[Captain Chaos]

It's spelt 'burglar'. A rapist is coming upstairs whether you leave the keys downstairs or not, a car thief isn't - basic precautionary elimination.

We're talking about the base logic that you have to use when you live in a country where self defence is an offence. You sound like the sort of guy who can only understand the sort of logic you use when holding a weapon, living the stereotypical dream , probably best to leave the discussion there.

[Captain Chaos]

Originally Posted by Chuckfireswift

No idea how they worked it out... The switches for the lights and noise are in the blank below the light switch, maybe they found them? There was a swipe card for my building, (not a proper ID card) which had a uniformed picture and the roof mounted blue was hidden under the passenger seat.

Once they stopped and opened the boot it would have become pretyt obvious, I am assuming that is the point when it went into the to difficult box and thus they dumped it.

As anticipated, having hell with the Insurance, spent all day on the telephone to have the Guy I e-mailed with a copy of the release letter saying "It was still being investigated by the Police" Then I was told to try to get it removed to a BMW dealer for them to issue new keys so the INsurance engineer could then inspect it.

By 6pm tonight I e-mailed the LFB Fleet Manager, the Lease Company & Insurance Company with my 'Feedback' and will leave them all to it and drive around in my fully liveried LFB pool car (Vauxhall Astra Estate), but at least it's free!

Heh true that! Sadly recovering the car is only half the struggle these days, I hope this last litigious and frustrating stage is over quickly fella, only happened to me once but I can recall how wound up I got trying to speak with someone who was both human and sensible!

[finbrad]

LFB's policy on fleet cars seems very relaxed- Would a LFB liveried skoda octavia estate not be more practical, economical, visible & thus safe. Is there a requirement to have a stealth aspect to a fire response vehicle? Maybe I'm jealous!

[Glock 32]

Originally Posted by Captain Chaos

It's spelt 'burglar'. A rapist is coming upstairs whether you leave the keys downstairs or not, a car thief isn't - basic precautionary elimination.

We're talking about the base logic that you have to use when you live in a country where self defence is an offence. You sound like the sort of guy who can only understand the sort of logic you use when holding a weapon, living the stereotypical dream , probably best to leave the discussion there.

Thank you, I fixed the spelling.

That was my point; a rapist (and likely a burglar) is coming upstairs, regardless.

My ORIGINAL point was that I treat my keys like my guns and they never leave my side even when sleeping or out of the house unless they are locked in a safe SO THAT A BURGLAR or anyone else WILL NOT FIND THEM.

I was simply suggesting to keep them on you or keep them in a safe when not at home (forget about the gun, if you will). In my defense, I did not realize the OP left the keys behind as bait and that is common practice in the UK.

You are probably right about my logic.

I guess I'll just count myself lucky to be "living the stereotypical dream".

///Cheers

[delvek]

OP feel bad you had to go through this experience, its pretty violating.

As for the arguement about guns, keys, and lead ...

I think part of the problem is we have many members from various countries some of which allow you to pump a guy full of lead the second he enters your home and others where you will get hammered for it.

In Germany, where I live, luckily home buglarly is nearly obsolete. I leave my keys on a wall hangar thing (Idk my wife bought it) right by the front door. I am aware that due to the higher theft deterrent items on cars theives are bypassing them by going for the key itself. I dont have a gun here, used to when I lived in the States, but I do have an aluminum baseball bat coupled with skills acquire after many years of baseball #4,#5 batting order that I feel confident the end result will be the same.