Aftermarket Security

[Lubrown]

You'd hope public opinion influences how/when/if the police respond to reports of crime - after all, we do have policing by consent in the UK - but the failure to respond to reported burglaries whilst simultaneously turning up mob-handed to reports of mis-gendering and or to so-called non-crime hate incidents would suggest that influence is somewhat limited.

I appreciate burglaries are horrendous for the victim and can be unsettling for a long time afterward but, and this ties in with the talk of vehicle trackers, it is surely best if the Police actively pursue ‘live’ crimes?
They consider monitored trackers that are freshly reported live and they will try to catch the criminals in the act as a conviction is then easier. I don’t see what they can do turning up to a house that has been broken into? Sure, it would be great to have a soco come round to gather evidence and it would be nice to have someone to vent to and fix your door/window but operational officers are spread thin and so focusing on live crime makes sense.

I’m not falling for the ‘mob handed’ ‘woke’ nonsense the press jump on for clicks on pages. Plenty of people insulting others online on in person all over the UK, every hour, with some regulars so it’s not like it’s a Policing priority- we wouldn’t see the level we do if it were.

 

[Bav]

I appreciate burglaries are horrendous for the victim and can be unsettling for a long time afterward but, and this ties in with the talk of vehicle trackers, it is surely best if the Police actively pursue ‘live’ crimes?

Active or otherwise, concentrating on crimes is overwhelmingly what the majority of the public wish the Police to be doing with their limited resources. Self-evidently, a non-crime hate incident isn't a crime and so the Police [should] have no business in attending and recording such incidents. Unfortunately, being unwilling to acknowledge the situation and describing those who call it out as a 'mob' does not change the facts.

 

[DXX]

They may know they're being tracked, but if you remove the speaker from the air tag, they won't be able to locate it.

Apple airtags as a tracker?

@Tsixty have you got a curve wired in ? Looks ideal fair play Yes I have, works really well.

www.t6forum.com

Then they’ll trash the van looking for it.

 

[Bav]

Then they’ll trash the van looking for it.

Maybe - there's no accounting for stupid.

 

[Lubrown]

Unfortunately, being unwilling to acknowledge the situation and describing those who call it out as a 'mob' does not change the facts.

I am not calling anyone a mob. I was replying to your comment when you stated Police are ‘turning up mob-handed to reports of mis-gendering and or to so-called non-crime hate incidents.’

That doesn’t reflect my experience with them and friends and relatives who are Police officers haven’t complained of being sent out ‘mob handed’ to deal with reports of mid-gendering. I just don’t think that happens in any meaningful volume. Having said that the government are reducing rights around peaceful protest so these incidents might start becoming more prominent.

 

[Lubrown]

On trackers this one, seen on SportsbikeShop looks good value…

SIZZAPP 2-Wire GPS Max 4G Motorcycle Tracker

I have a Datatool stealth on the bike and really can’t recommend them. They’ve just sent the third unit as the first two failed. The units freeze or drop connection and occasionally give out false alarms as they don’t recognise the transponder. The ultimate was when it told me my bike had possibly been stolen (it hadn’t, my son was riding it) yet couldn’t tell me where it was - just showing it in the same spot it dropped connection for the next seven hours.

Glad they keep sending replacements and a fitter but the phoning around for this and the fact it drops out regularly is both annoying and worrying. Insurance companies seem to like them though as they give discounts on premiums.

Looks like Sizzapp should be easy to connect to a camper as a DIY project?

 

[Bav]

I am not calling anyone a mob. I was replying to your comment when you stated Police are ‘turning up mob-handed to reports of mis-gendering and or to so-called non-crime hate incidents.’

That doesn’t reflect my experience with them and friends and relatives who are Police officers haven’t complained of being sent out ‘mob handed’ to deal with reports of mid-gendering. I just don’t think that happens in any meaningful volume. Having said that the government are reducing rights around peaceful protest so these incidents might start becoming more prominent.

Sorry - I misconstrued your 'mob' reference and got all defensive.

Regarding NCHIs, police shouldn't be attending (in any number) nor should they be keeping stats on non-crimes. Yeah, not all incidents are attended 'mob-handed', but some are - the 6 officers that attended to remove a number of gollywogs from a pub is one example that springs to mind of a grossly disproportionate response.

To be clear, I'm not having a go at those at the sharp-end - this politically motivated mission-creep comes directly down from the ideologically captured senior ranks.

 

[Lubrown]

Sorry - I misconstrued your 'mob' reference and got all defensive.

Regarding NCHIs, police shouldn't be attending (in any number) nor should they be keeping stats on non-crimes. Yeah, not all incidents are attended 'mob-handed', but some are - the 6 officers that attended to remove a number of gollywogs from a pub is one example that springs to mind of a grossly disproportionate response.

To be clear, I'm not having a go at those at the sharp-end - this politically motivated mission-creep comes directly down from the ideologically captured senior ranks.

No that’s fair enough. I too don’t want to see resource wasted.

I still think there was a lot of press missing out the full story just for clicks on pages and seeing as though there had been action from the landlord since 2016 that could be seen as racist (hanging the dolls from the shelf and saying that’s what they used to do in Mississippi) then waiting until 2023 after several more complaints including one of abuse, then maybe the Police didn’t overreact? Especially as the place was vandalised - it was clear tensions were rising. Add in the alleged abusive/threatening language and the fact the pub might be full of tipsy folk four officers and one trainee might be a good number in the risk assessment.

But yeah, if people just focused on positive things and getting along there would be no need for Police to even consider these daft things.

 

[BuilderJay]

Fitted this today.

 

[KR.]

Just saw this on the telly this morning.
ARMD Guard Smart Van Alarm & Tracker

Not the complete answer but another tool in the box.

 

[Sabre]

Once again, visible and flawed security being sold to the public who just don't get it. First place a thief looks is the obd port. Pull that quickly and that's job done. Chuck it out the window as you head for your cooling-off parking spot.
This is why the police can't be arsed to show up. The scumbags have long gone before they can put their cuppa down.

 

[Dav-Tec]

100% agree willth @Sabre waste of money and 3 seconds to defeat. If you want peice of mind and/or something insurance approved look at a tracker immobiliser system from the like of MetaTrak

 

[GruB]

I think the police would take an owners view if it evident on their phone where the tag is showing location? I have a load of police friends and will ask but I suspect it’s reasonable for police to take into account the information passed on them. I don’t think it look good publicity if the papers printed the police ignoring clear information on a stolen vehicle location ?

True story : December 2022 a motorcycle was stolen from a garage in a fairly rural location. The garage was part of the house so this was classed as a burglary. The owner of the motorcycle alerted the Police to an Air Tag being hidden on the motorbike - and this was monitored remotely by the owner and when it stopped moving at a business in London the Police were alerted. An urgent search warrant was obtained and the Police travelled to the location and executed the warrant. The motorcycle was recovered along with 4 other stolen vehicles of varying description. 2 or 3 people were arrested. This was all done within just over 24 hours of the theft.

I have CCTV that alerts me when motion is detected, I have a StopLock fitted and I also have an Air Tag within the vehicle.

I think the Police response will depend upon which force covers your area, what else is happening at the time and how loudly and repeatedly you complain if no action is taken.

 

[GUMY]

I have a Stoplock (believing visible deterrent and prevention rather than recovery is best).
I also have Smartwater with stickers on the windows announcing it.
Hopefully it will never be called into action, but I also fitted a cheap tracker from Halfords. No idea how this compares with the more expensive options, but after researching a bit I was quite shocked at the monthly subscription charges for some. This one comes pre-loaded with a SIM from 1p Mobile with £1 credit on it. At 1p per mb of data (using the free app) that lasted 3 months before I would have to top up with a minimum £10 for another 3 months, so I swapped the SIM for a £1 prepaid SIM from RWG Mobile. Slight disadvantage is that as yet they don't have access to your data usage / costs on the website yet (apparently coming soon) so to check your daily data usage, you have to email them (they reply within 24 hours) or take the SIM out and stick in a mobile to check your balance (hassle!) But at 1p per mb of data, no daily minimum and no expiry on the remaining credit, it would appear I won't need to top up (minimum £5) for a year.
It was easy to install, seems to work as expected, includes ring-fencing etc., so seems like a very economical option for added peace of mind.

 

[Sabre]

Good luck with that.
I can't be having with all that faff. An annual contract with software that works and a recovery team on standby if something does happen is a good way to go.
Put a top line immobilizer on so the scrotes can't drive it away in the first place.

 

[GUMY]

Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere previously, but I am curious to know what other members think about the various tracker options available, and in particular cheap ones like the one I have (details a couple of posts ago), and more specifically, the contracts that accompany them. I noticed on another thread @monkeybusiness bought one by Trutrack - not sure which model, but from their website I see they do one that appears quite similar to mine, which you can bag for around 20 quid. BUT - as with most I've looked at, you're tied in to their SIM / contract, at £4 or £5 per month.
I've just checked my data usage for July, which came in at under 4Mb. With the SIM I've installed (RWG Mobile), that cost me literally 3p. The SIM came with £1 credit; the provider had an offer in July - top up (minimum £5) and they double it. Credit has no expiry date, so for a fiver I now have over £10 credit, which I estimate would last about 27 years! So effectively, a free tracker (after intial purchase cost).
I am aware of it's limitations, and it's not approved by insurance companies. Am I missing something else?

 

[T6Gary]

Trackers have become next to useless when you can buy a gps blocker for £12! Visual and physical deterrents are my preferred option but most of them can be removed in seconds or minutes.

 

[Bav]

Trackers have become next to useless when you can buy a gps blocker for £12! Visual and physical deterrents are my preferred option but most of them can be removed in seconds or minutes.

View attachment 253320

Interested to know if such GPS blockers also prevent mobile phone comms?

 

[T6Gary]

I'm not sure would be good to know but as the jammer technically makes a small Faraday cage I assume it would

 

[Bav]

I'm not sure would be good to know but as the jammer technically makes a small Faraday cage I assume it would

Faraday cage? I thought they worked by overwhelming the GPS signal with a high-powered output signal.