Home Security

[rainysparadigm]

Hi,

Recently our neighborhood had a small robbery spree, which luckily seems to have been put to an end yesterday when a home owner shot and killed the intruder. But there's never really an 'end' to it, and it hit very close to home for us. We were packing to leave town for 4 days and perchance remembed the arcadia door was unlocked. The house on the corner was robbed during that weekend, via the arcadia door. It was a crime of opportunity. They very well may have been in our yard.

That being said, and a few too many late night To Catch a Thief reruns, I'm becoming increasingly paranoid about our house, especially since we are often away many hours or even days.

We rent. That makes a big problem with security, such as installing security doors, bars over windows and house monitoring systems. Anything that affects the overall look or structure of the home is simply a no go. We have HOA and the house we are renting is new so the landlord is double paranoid.

Moving will not solve anything. This is a very nice suburb; it is just everywhere.

If anyone has tips, frugal preferred but in general, I would greatly appreciate them.

Thanks!

//R

[Looby]

I think you will never be 100% protected so first off I would make sure you have adequate insurance- have you purchased any expensive items since you got your policy? If so update it. Take photos of your belongings and save them in an email account or a private online account- this will help with any claims should it come to that.
Maybe rent a deposit box at a bank for important documents if you can't get an appropriate safe for your house?
I'm sure your landlord could put some deadbolts or chain locks on your doors.
I think the main thing is to be vigilant, check all windows and doors everytime you leave. Can you get a friend/ neighbour/ landlord to check the property if you are away for a few days and lift your mail for you? Timers for your lights may make you feel better but I'm not sure how effective they are.
It's not very comforting but there is only so much that you can do to prevent burglars, do it and then hope for the best, my friends and family (including myself) have experienced varying degrees of this crime- it's horrible but it does happen. To be honest I'd be a little more concerned about trigger-happy neighbours.

[wildgift]

Tenant recently got robbed. Happened in the daylight, and they took only specific things. Got in through a window. What would have worked is some way to keep windows from opening. They could still break the glass and remove any barriers though. An alarm system with cameras would have helped. Security bars could work, though some windows are large and really wouldn't look nice.

[lucille]

I have seen people put out those "protected by ADT" type signs in their yard even though they didn't have an alarm system. We leave yard lights on at night and put a security camera on our front doorway. It certainly doesn't solve everything. We try to keep the ground level windows closed & locked and the blinds down so a potential criminal can't see inside. We also use the old broomstick in the patio door.

[Julie Rains]

Nosy neighbors have worked best for me...they watch everything you do, and notice anything unusual. If you don't have them, it can be good to get to know your neighbors and people in the neighborhood. Even if they don't watch your house constantly, they can help you to know more about break-ins, who to trust (sometimes break-ins are by kids in your area). This might not work for you but being chummy with neighbors is frugal.

[purplefdu]

We have a fake ADT sign My husband works in security and mom is a cop and you wouldn't believe the statistics for the fake signs working pretty well. We also have a couple fake security cameras (the housing and a light powered by a battery, no actual camera). We rent as well and unfortunately the people we're most worried about are the landlord's kid and his pothead friends so its a fine line between what we can pretend to do and what they know we can't do.

We do also have two big rottie mix dogs (80lbs each) who sounds like hell hounds when disturbed. Based on mom and dad's mutterings they have learned to associate anyone walking through the yard or driving in the driveway with a loud radio with an intruder

[Jason830]

Yeah the fake signs and fake systems work very well...I think everyone should use them.

[DistilledRose]

Yeah you can get the little decals for the windows too.

[Gypsypunk]

We make sure entry points are securely locked, all of the time... it will always be a problem that challenge every neighborhood, and as we have been robbed inside our own office a few months back through modus operandi, I have taken it as part of life itself.

[Bernadette]

Dogs, big or small. (But only if you love them for other reasons, of course. To get a dog just to be a burglar alarm would be a terrible thing.)

Oh, that reminds me -- a recording of a dog barking that's triggered by a motion sensor outside a window or a door could work, too.