Topic: Home Security advice

[Cvillechopper]

So I have unfortunately had the news on in the mornings with my first cup of coffee for a little over 6 years now.  During that time I have changed jobs, bought a house with my finance, and gotten married.  We are now looking to start expanding our family past the dog and cat and I find myself thinking about family safety more than I ever have.
I was never the type to obsess about security.  I used to walk the worst parts of downtown Richmond and DC on my own and never gave it a second thought.  My windows and doors were usually left open/ unlocked and I slept deeply.
Even though we now lived in a rather rural area I no longer sleep through the bumps in the night and often find myself worrying about my wife (and future kids) safety.  The worst scenario I can think of would be to have my wife come home to an invader.  In the near-by neighborhood they have had several day-time breakins and I'd like to have a way to make sure there's no-one waiting for my family when they come home without me.

Here's my question.  What security system(s) do you have experience with and what would you recommend?  I'm looking for something that would have an option for an audible alarm and messaging notification (e-mail or text to phone).  Since the basement is mostly unfinished I would be able to hardwire some of the system but would like some wireless capabilities too.  Any ideas?

Thanks
James

[PxTx]

Family dog is a pretty good deterrant.

[nickjtc]

A security system is only as good as the response team....the person who is going to react to the alarm going off and who then passes the message to the powers-that-be. Then you have to factor in how long it will take the police to be able to get a cruiser to the scene.

Get a big dog.

[bender01]

Since your somewhat rural get two dogs of varying age. One will sleep and attack when awoken by the younger hyper one. . Plus they really do like a friend to pal with. I think those small lap dogs make great warning devices but Id kill mine from not shutting up...

[fuzzybutt]

Sturm and Ruger as well as Tokarev are my home secuirty. but with kids around that can be a problem.

[BlindJoe]

check out ADT

[Toyman321]

I am actually in the same boat, just had a baby a month ago, my wife works from home some of the time and I've started to look into security systems. Although I haven't made a decision yet I stumbled on this website http://www.diysecurityforum.com/ which has a lot of good info on it. Let us know what you decide, I'd be interested to hear what you come up with.

[AK Cafe]

Statistically, most home invaders will not try a home that has a dog in it, especially if it is a loud one. A good electronic home monitoring system just buy's you time and limits the amount of time the intruder can ransack your place. I am an advocate for gun ownership, but again, statistically you are more likely to shoot yourself or someone you love than a robber if you go that route. I think your protection is alot like your finances, it always helps when you deversify. Get a dog, buy the best monitoring system you can afford, learn how to defend yourself, and educate yourself on how NOT to be a victim and you will be ok. This world if scarry sometimes and the more you know then better you will feel.
AK Cafe

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

German Shepherd male from large stock. Great pet even better protector. The first day we brought our daughter home at birth 11 years ago she required a PUVA light set up due to jaundice. The guy came out to set it up. Looks like a small suitcase. Keep in mind the baby was new to us AND the dog. After placing our daughter in this device the guy reaches across the top above our daughter and the dog gives him one warning by grabbing his arm. ~8 years later pizza delivery lady stands in front of our daughter and her young cousin, reaches in the mysterious red delivery bag to get the pizza, yeah she got the same warning. Grabbed her arm also. Never bit anyone, never had to. Don't think anyone would be stupid enough to challenge my daughter's and my wife's best friend. 100 lbs of love and protection. He was in charge when I wasn't around. I had many security companies call with a sales pitch. They would ask if I had a system and what brand. I'd tell them yes I had one and it was a Zeke brand. "Never heard of that". I'd give him the hand signal command to speak at that point and then I'd ask if they had anymore questions.    

[nickjtc]

I'd give him the hand signal command to speak at that point and then I'd ask if they had anymore questions.    

Very cool!

[tramp]

if you buy a system get the sensors that you need
my daughter found out she has dead spots in her house
the guy had to come back and relocate the sensors

[lordmoonpie]

Sturm and Ruger as well as Tokarev are my home secuirty. but with kids around that can be a problem.

You can get motion activated barking dog machines! It's basically a digital recording of a big dog barking that doesn't loop around too quickly so it sounds like you have a big mutt in the house when someone's getting too close. Work's great with the kids too because it's just electronic jiggery pokery!

[Cvillechopper]

Good call on the dog(s) everyone.  We are a dog family but I'm not convinced that our current bundle of furry joy will do much to deter a would-be intruder.



My dog (Lab/English Bull Terrier) now lives with my parents due to the little one trying to be the dominant female and she reacted with pure instinct.  We couldn't risk the little getting hurt and my parents kept threatening to steal my dog anyway.  I'm trying to talk the wife into an English Bulldog but she's not a huge fan of large dogs (we won't be getting rid of Truffles until it's her time) and they are just so damn expensive.

As to guns, I have my CCW and carry whenever it's legal to do so.  It's been a long time since I have had to protect myself from a physical attack (not using a gun) and I'm very comfortable with my ability to do so if need be but that won't help when my wife comes home without me. 

Thanks Toyman.  I'll check out that site when I get home from work today and see what I can figure out.  My main concern is not for our stuff.  It's all insured and can be replaced.  The real need is to alert us if someone is in the house so we can protect ourselves or just not go in until LE gets there. 

[kirkn]

Statistically, most home invaders will not try a home that has a dog in it, especially if it is a loud one.

A good electronic home monitoring system just buy's you time and limits the amount of time the intruder can ransack your place.

I am an advocate for gun ownership, but again, statistically you are more likely to shoot yourself or someone you love than a robber if you go that route.

I think your protection is alot like your finances, it always helps when you diversify.

Get a dog, buy the best monitoring system you can afford, learn how to defend yourself, and educate yourself on how NOT to be a victim and you will be ok.

That's the best advice I've seen:  Diversify - a barking dog (doesn't have to be an uber-killer), an alarm that hooks up to doors & windows with external signs (strictly an effort to make your home a less desirable target than the next home) (again, doesn't have to have internal/external motion sensors, lights, armed response, etc....) and EDUCATION.

Good luck with it all.

Kirk

Oh, and quit watching the local news every morning!  The real world isn't as awful as the local sensationalists leads you to believe.  If you consume a steady diet of fear, you're led to believe there's a crack-head lurking around every suburban house.  Now, I'm not naive enough to believe that it can't happen here, but statistically, unless you LIVE in that kind of neighborhood, you're most likely going to be OK, especially with the basic precautions outlined above.

[74cb750]

The best advice I can give is to have nosy neighbors, and a dog for when you're home.

When I first moved to Vermont, someone barrelled pass me, up my long driveway, middle of the day, ran into my house with my young kids and my guns inside . Luckily the dog scared her out and the neighbors called the cops. Lady was high on something and thought she lived in my house??? and was looking for her drug money.

Neither a security system nor guns would have stopped her if she intened harm. It happened so quickly. Thank God for the dog.
peace,
michel

[MCRider]

Since your somewhat rural get two dogs of varying age. One will sleep and attack when awoken by the younger hyper one. . Plus they really do like a friend to pal with. I think those small lap dogs make great warning devices but Id kill mine from not shutting up...

+1 on the dogs. But really, a "beware of dog" sign in strategic spots is 90% of it. I would put up the signs even without the dogs. Mine have silhoettes of a Doberman Pincher on them.

And small can be OK. We have 2, sub 20lbs, ours make noise, but stop when told to. Firm authoritative training.

Our alarm is there but not hooked to anything but sirens. Again the "Alarm" stickers on every window and door is 90%+ of it.

Based on surveys of bad guys on TV shows, they say they just keep on going when they see dog and alarm signs.

Oh yeah, a 357 magnum, with proper training doesn't hurt. Though you may have kids to worry about there, we don't.

I have 3 locks on each door. Spaced 24" above and below the door knob. With extra long 4" screws that reach through the jamb into the studs. With the lock reinforcements bought from Lowes. Nothing short of a firemen battering ram will open them.  I have rentals and I've seen how doors break open when the deadbolt is near the knob and short screws just go into the jamb. Easy to kick open.

Nothing is 100%.

[Bodi]

Nothing is going to stop a serious thief.
What's the threat in your neighborhood? Teenage punks doing "thrill" trashings, professionals cleaning out valuables (generally this is only in "rich" neighborhoods), junkies grabbing anything for a fast $20 at the pawnshop, home invasion gangs...? There's no point in having a tank-proof door if your real threat is kids booting at it hoping to grab your DVD player. An unusually strong door lock can be a sign that you have something expensive inside. Unless you install armored windows, making the door stronger just makes the glass look weaker.
Already said - an alarm is only as good as the response. Pros know how long it will take for police to arrive and will smash in, clean out whatever they can, and be gone in minutes. Kids who piss on your rug and spraypaint your clothes will take a lot longer, so an alarm is pretty good for convincing them to run as soon as they break in.
Don't have anything obviously valuable and easily carried & sold in plain sight through the windows - an xbox will get a junkie a fix after a trip to any pawnshop.
Don't leave your garage door open while you work on expensive toys with thousands of dollars of nice looking tools. Thieves cruise through town looking for the golden geese.
Close drapes and blinds when you're out.
Alarm stickers and a fake keypad visible through the window are decent deterrents if you don't want the hassle of a real alarm system. And they are a hassle... you have to pay for one thing, remember to turn it on and off, motion sensors don't get along with pets, and the day you forget to turn the damned thing on will be the day you get burgled. Plus the kids will press the panic button sooner or later.
If you're in a high crime area or you are rich and/or have a lot of valuable stuff, definitely get an alarm. The big companies are usually best... check out the names on the stickers at banks, liquor stores, and pawnshops: these places need a good alarm and use the best.
Keep the doors locked when you're home, be aware of what's going on on your street, don't open the door until you know who is there and trust them.
Keep an eye out for your neighbors and call the cops if something strange is happening at another house. Sure people have plumbers and cleaners come but if the plumber is loading a plasma screen in his truck... If there's a neighbor you know, ask them to do the same for you.
I don't like dogs but I appreciate that one might help get attention. My experience, though, is that they bark at anyone approaching the house and you just get used to it. A professional burglar or seasoned home invasion gang will know how to handle dogs easily.
Personally the bigest threat to me is punks trashing the place. Real burglars usually just take the valuable stuff and leave, punks will destroy everything and maybe burn the place down as well. My alarm stickers might work, anyway our place has been untouched although a group of teens was doing B&E jobs in the neighborhood.
And don't love in fear! Unless you are an exceptional target the probability of getting robbed is really pretty low. Just don't be stupid - driving a new convertible through cracktown with the top down on saturday night is rarely a good idea.

[seaweb11]

Dig a large moat, worked for me

......dito on the dog.

[Cvillechopper]

If we lived in a neighborhood where it was probable that someone would see anything strange I wouldn't be worried.  I've never thought anything more than a lock on the door and friendly wave to anyone that walks by was necessary... until now.  My wife and I are hoping to expand the family and we're just too remote for the neighborhood watch template to work.  I'd just like something that would either let us know if someone opens a door or smashes/opens a window if we're there or alerts me if it's happened and we're not home.  I really don't worry about loosing stuff but would not be able to take it if my wife came home to an intruder.

I've found some good stuff searching online but haven't decided on which set-up to use yet.

[mark]

I thought this one was kinda neat..........



If you're in an isolated area, it has a range of over 4 miles.

 

[Cvillechopper]

I thought this one was kinda neat..........



If you're in an isolated area, it has a range of over 4 miles.

 

LMAO!!!  That and some SWAT spot lights should do the trick.

[rbmgf7]

just to be silly...

there's the show "it takes a theif" on the discovery channel. it's kinda stupid but does show a lot of alternatives in securing your house and valuables.

[fuzzybutt]

hmmmmmmmmmm that one in the video would be great for comic relief at my house, bet the illegal immigrants across the street would quit cutting through my yard if i had it 

[flybox1]

I work for one of the largest residential and commercial security system installation/monitoring companies in the world.  My job is false alarm reduction, and working with City/County Municipal Codes and Ordinances. My wife and I wouldnt live in a house without one, and a dog. I think the presence of signs and stickers are the first deterrent.  The second would be to be aware that when doors, garage bays, windows, blinds...etc., are open, your belongings are visible.  I'm not saying keep locked up like fort knox, but be conscious of what people can see from the street.  Dont give a crook a reason to pay a visit.

As far as a security system for your home, one place to start is your local PD or Sheriff's office.
Walk in, and talk to someone.  Many cities have Municipal Codes, or Alarm Ordinances, which can have a major effect on response time.  If they do have an ordinance,  response time and number of alarm responses from year to year is public knowledge (this is good and bad). So, go in, and ask them... "if the alarm is going off right now at my house, there is a full moon, and its a friday night around closing time, how long is it going to be before someone is at my house?  Seattle, publicly states average response time is 45 minutes.  For the majority this is not acceptable.  So most realize a security system wont completely stop crime, but it will lower your chances.  Ask them if alarm registration is required. Many municipalities will not respond to home alarms unless you buy them coffee and donuts each year.  Find out all you can from the PD/sheriff.

Know your neighbors.  The good ones and the bad ones.  Find out who stays home all day.  Who works late.  Who the nosey ones are, you know, the ones peering out the windows anytime a car goes buy.  They can be an asset when noticing things are out of the ordinary.  I recently found out, at a holiday "beer-bonfire" at a neighbors house, that there are 6 cops in my neighborhood, and 2 of them are on my street.  I handed them beers.

Personally, the greatest benefit for us is the fire protection.  If someone is going to break-in, they'll steal stuff that can be readily replaced.  Electronics, jewelery, etc.  If there happens to be a fire, and you have no monitored smoke/heat detectors, how long will it be before one of your neighbors notices your house is on fire?  By then its too late. If a fire takes place, nearly everything is destroyed and has to be replaced. Now, think of everything you have that cannot be replaced if its destroyed by a fire. Most of these items have no value to a burglar.
I dont want to experience either, but i'd take a burglary over a fire anyday.

Get a security system. Teach your family to use it.  Use it every day.  Keep your contact information updated with the monitoring company.  Get a maintenance agreement (much cheaper in the long run, especially if you run iton a faulty device and you are subject to any false alarm fines from the PD) and service your sytem every 2 years.