Break-in

[blksn8k]

Had an interesting little incident the other morning. I had a Dish Network technician working on my system up on the house roof and I just happened to glance over at my enclosed trailer in the driveway and noticed that the side door was open. I didn't remember not closing it, which is something I would never do anyway. When I walked over to it I noticed the padlock lying on the ground and it had obviously been cut off with a bolt cutter. When I looked inside I could not see anything missing or damaged.

Then I noticed that the service door on my detached garage was also open. There was a fresh mark on the door frame where someone had used a pry bar or large screw driver to force it open. I did not find anything missing or damaged in there either until later in the day when I could not find a 1/4" drive ratchet.

The same thing happened to the next door neighbor's shed. The only thing missing there was a gas can spout.

Very strange. Not sure why they only took insignificant stuff but it did prompt me to replace the outside lights on the garage with motion detector lights. I called the local police department and the officer they sent out took our information but I doubt anything will come of it. One of the other neighbors told me afterwards that another nearby neighbor had a similar incident with his shed. Probably just bored kids but who knows?

My semi-auto shotgun is now standing in the kitchen. It makes a very distinctive sound when the action closes...

 

[Gary DiPietroSr]

Get yourself a Foscam. It can text you or email you when there is motion in it's view.

 

[Richard L]

Gary D is right. I have several wireless WiFI surveillance cameras. The are fairly cheap and have night-vision and motion detectors to start recording when something moves within their field of view. They can also be configured to send you an email with a photo of what triggered the motion detector and their are several free apps that let you monitor all your cameras from your mobile devices. You can even use the camera's pan-tilt motion from your cell phone. Setup for internet access is a little trickier since you have to have a Host site, and do some port-forwarding. The cameras come with a free hosting website, but I also have a free Hosting service from D-Link...just as long as you have a D-Link router. It's even smart enough to find your IP address if you don't have a Static IP.



I have about 6 cameras. The first two I bought I want to put outside, but found out after I got them that they were not weatherproof....so I use one to monitor my front door from inside the house and I can also pan the camera to monitor the back door as well.



I have since bought 3 weatherproof cameras for the outside. They are great, but they are on a fixed mount and do not have any pan-tilt motion or sound, but they do have IR night vision, motion detection and a higher resolution image.



The cameras come with a basic camera monitoring software, but I decided I wanted something a bit more sophisticated and purchased Blue Iris software to manage my cameras.



...Rich

 

[Gavin Allan]

12-gauage shotgun with a trip wire can be very effective.

 

[EddieS'04]

Gavin,

I heard a farmer in Illinois did that. Lost his farm in a law suit.

 

[Gary DiPietroSr]

I just downloaded a new Foscam app to my iPhone and I found out I now have audio along with the video. The free app didn't have it, so I guess it was worth the 5.99 cost.

 

[blksn8k]

I already have several trail cameras that I use on my other property in PA. I might bring one of those back here but I suspect the motion detector lights will deter whoever it was that took my 1/4" drive ratchet.



I also put this sign on the garage door:



[Broken External Image]:

 

[Richard L]

Signs don't work since you probably won't know when they come back since you did not hear them break in the first time. And they may have broke in when nobody was home?



Trail cameras don't really work since they can just steal them too and you have no photo evidence. Trail cameras only work for wildlife who don't steal.:grin:



The same crooks probably won't come back since you did not have anything of significant value for them to steal...so it's not work the risk.



...Rich

 

[Gavin Allan]

A True Redneck Security System





In an effort to keep your home and belongings safe and at the least expense to you, we?ve come up with this easy home security installation:



1. Go to a second-hand store and buy a pair of men?s used size 14-16 work boots.



2. Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns & Ammo Magazine and the NRA Directory.



3. Put a few giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazines.



4. Leave a note on your door that reads:



Hey Bubba:

Me, Big Jim, Duke and Slim went for more ammunition and beer. Back in an hour. Don't mess with the pit bulls. They attacked the mailman this morning and messed him up real bad. I don't think Killer took part in it but it was hard to tell from all the blood. Anyway, I locked all four of 'em in the house. They has calmed down some, but you better be real quiet and just wait outside.



See ya in just a bit.

Cooter

 

[blksn8k]

Some of you guys take yourselves way too seriously. :grin:



By the way, Rich, although I didn't mention it, there were several items in both places that were broken into that were way more valuable than the small items they did take. If they were trying to only take items that were easy to conceal, which seems to be the case, then why did they bring bolt cutters that would be kinda hard to hide? The one item they did take of mine was lying right beside a pair of Vise-Grips, a 12" long punch, a couple of box end wrenches, a hammer and several other relatively small tools. The garage and trailer also contain some expensive parts for my project cars as well as the cars themselves. As I said, very strange.

 

[Richard L]

blksn8k,

The sign only flexes your Macho muscles and makes you feel tougher, but does little to deter anyone, especially when it's pretty easy to figure out when you are home and when you are not. Anyway, after some time, you will likely drop your guard and it will be easy for them to strike again...if they choose to.



I'm not saying that what you had was not valuable, only that what they took appears to be of minor value. They obviously did not know the value of some of the stuff they left behind, or they felt that they were too easy to trace back to you, too bulky to carry, or too hard to sell. If they did not take it the first time, it's probably not worth the risk for them to come back to get it later? Most items stolen are things that can be quickly converted to cash.



The point is that a sign does little to deter thieves, a gun only works if you catch them in the act, and a simple motion sensor trail camera only works if they can't steal it.



A digital wireless security camera works because if they see it, it will often deter them from proceeding, and by then they were probably already detected and recorded....If the cameras are placed where they cannot gain access without being recorded, then it's too late. They could take the computer, but if you use a hidden laptop or small Netbook PC for recordings and sending emal alerts they can't avoid being detected. You can also record on servers over the internet. I hid my little Acer Netbook and a wireless router in my attic for recording what my cameras detects, and I can access the Netbook from my main PC. The attic access is in the garage and also covered by a security camera.



...Rich

 

[Andy Chase]

My dad's house was broken into when I was younger. They took an old .22 in his closet, but left our brand new 12 ga's that we had just cleaned on his bedroom floor. Took a hand full of CD's, a jar full of pennies, but left the jar, frozen pizzas, an old plastic bowling ball, not his nice new one and a laundry basket. I think they had the wrong house because they went up to my bedroom and cut my pillows with a knife where drug dealers will stash some of their drugs. They obviously didn't find that stuff.

 

[blksn8k]

Rich, Like I said, some of you guys take yourselves and this board way too seriously. The sign is more of a joke for my friends who know what happened. I honestly doubt the perpetrators will ever come back. Chill, please. :sad:

 

[Richard L]

blksn8k,

I am chilled! You posted that BS ? You never said it was joke, so how is anyone supposed to know? I was just to help by offering you some advice....You are free to take it or leave it.



...Rich

 

[EddieS'04]

My home was burglarized once about 30yrs ago. It is a strange feeling, the loss of security.

Police caught the one's that did it. They busted a person fencing things. He ratted everyone out. I got most of my things back. The ones that did it plead a deal and got a slap on the wrist.....:angry: No jail time..:fire:

 

[Jackson Ellis]

I can't say I've ever had anything stolen, except for $20 when I was a kid (which was a lot of money to a 7 year old in 1977). We feel safe leaving doors unlocked while we're away for errands, etc. Generally, they're locked at night, but not 100% of the time. The trucks outside are mostly never locked. I have two dogs, and truly believe no one gets neat this house without them knowing it first.



My brother was robbed about three years ago when a guy a few houses down ransacked his unattached shop to make some rent money. He got about half of his stuff back when the guy went to jail for breaking into his own rented home after an eviction. He confessed to several robberies and told the investigator which out of town pawn shops he sold to. Since then, my brother has installed locks on his shop, built a fence around his back yard, locks his home's doors religiously, installed cameras on the house and shop, got a dog, and just generally has a different outlook (headache) on leaving his property unattended for work or vacation, etc. Peace of mind is a valuable thing, and you realize that once it's gone.



I have "good intentions" to install a camera system, and hope I do before I learn a lesson the hard way. It seems the technology is moving fast, and I want one that works seamlessly with my phone and has easy wireless installation. I also want the electronic door locks, with monitoring and remote lock. Need to get to it....

 

[H D]

Our house is under construction and I wasn't considering surveillance because we're not in a high crime area, out in the county and waaaay back off the road. Then I started looking at the cost of baby monitors. Figured I'd get more use out of this.

 

[Richard L]

Hugh,

That is expensive and overkill. 8 cameras is a bit much for most homes and they are all hard-wired cameras..Easier to install when the house is under construction, but the cables lead the crook to the DVR where the recorded evidence is.



Where I worked, they had a remote location and they had me install the cameras and DVR. Someone broke in and stole the computers and the DVR....they just cut the cables.



I think the Wireless wifi cameras are the way to go for residential security. One camera for each entry door, and perhaps one or two more to cover the front or back yard...or the avenues of approach to your house. Being wireless, they are easier to install and an inexpensive laptop in a hidden location can connect to the wifi and record from any triggered cameras.



You can get as good or better security with wifi cameras at half the price.



...Rich

 

[H D]

The wifi cameras have spotty reviews at best for picture quality and app usability. I also don't have a spare laptop with 1TB of storage. I also wouldn't be using all eight cameras but would store a few as extras.



I look to save money on other things. This doesn't have to be one of them but I still think this is a pretty good deal. Your suggestion would have me buying a $250 baby monitor and two $100 wifi cameras, one for each door. How does that save me money and give better security?



That's a serious question. I'm all for both, but I just haven't found good baby monitors for less than around $200-300. Quality wifi cameras are hard to find cheap as well and the apps seem to fall short. To make it worth it, I would need to find an excellent baby monitor for under $100 and wifi camers for under $50. Even still, saving $300 isn't life changing.

 

[Richard L]

Hugh,

I never suggested a Baby Monitor??? In fact, there are a number of reasons not to use Baby Monitors for home security.



I suggested only WiFi cameras for the each door (Front, Back, maybe the garage) and perhaps the approaches to your yard/home (front yard, back yard) So we are talking about 4.5 cameras depending upon you house, number of entrances, and areas that need to be covered. If you record them breaking into your house, do you need to record them walking through every room of the house?? Interesting, but not really necessary



You can buy good quality outdoor WiFi cameras for as little as $50 and installation is much easier with WiFi. Even if you have the guys building your house install the cables, they are going to charge you for that, and it will probably cost as much as your whole security camera/DVR system.



As for hard drive space: You can buy a 1 TB hard drive for $80 or less...and 2 TB for about $100, but then you don't need that much storage since the camera recordings are only triggered by motion and you can control how long to record. If someone breaks in one of your doors, you only need less than a minute of recording, and that can fit on most computers without the expense of a new computer. My Netbook in my attic only has a 160 GB drive and has never come close to filling up. With Blue Iris software, you can control the day and times when the motion detector on each camera is armed...so it's not going to record you while you are home or mowing your lawen.



Most of the bad reviews on WiFi cameras are based on the included software. Spend an extra $40 for a security software package that makes monitoring and recording much easier. Also, the expect a turnkey system, but WiFi cameras take a bit of setup and netowork knowledge, especially if you want to monitor you cameras over the Internet from your cellphone or other mobile device. A little effort can save you a lot of money.



Most newer WiFi cameras are capable of sufficient resolution to identify anyone that it records and even work in total darkness.



Until you have installed and used a WiFi security camera, you cannot rely on the reviews of others.



I knew I did not want a hardwired Security Camera and DVR from past experience, so I ordered one inexpensive camera for about $40 and found out that it really worked great...software was only so-so. I also did not know that the camera I order was for indoor use only, so I purchased an Outdoor WiFi camera and it was even better. I now have 3 Outdoor fixed mount cameras and 3 Indoor movable cameras including the original cheap test camera. None of the indoor cameras are set to record when triggered by motion (I have a dog), but if any of the outdoor cameras are triggered, I can monitor the activity inside my house on my cellphone and start record as necessary.



...Rich