What's it going to take, severed thief heads on a pike???Follow

So, I just found out that 4 houses on my road, all within literally 500 feet of me at this very moment, were broken into and robbed last week. Those of you who remember my little appartment theif breaking in whilst I was still inside adventure from what, 2 years ago now? will understand that this is kind of really freaking me the hell out right now.

I've decided to beef up all the locks, add window locks, motion lights, all that fun stuff and upgrade the alarm system a bit. I'm also seriously considering installing a video surveilance system on the front and back door. The cost of the latter isn't so much the issue ($130 + hard drive for a Power Over Ethernet IP based setup and 2 external camera housings). Installing such a system would be well within my skill set, but the reason I hesitate is that it just seems kind of creepy to me.

I think if I saw a neighbor with a camera on their house that might possibly be able to see mine, I wouldn't think "oh, that will help keep my property safe!". i'd actually think "wow, what does that person have to hide, or why are they pointing a camera my direction"

I don't know. Am I over thinking this? The cameras I would install if I did would be partially concealed under the eaves, but if somoene knew what they were doing they would find them (mostly because springing for fully concealed cameras seems even more creepy to me, not to mention the maintenance issues of keeping the pinhole lense clear of bugs and dirt.

What would you think presented with the same situation, either as the neighbor or as the homeowner?

I see nothing wrong with what you presented. Concealed or not, I would just make sure the cameras don't record anything beyond your own home entrance(s). I'm not sure why the idea seems freaky to you. Businesses do it all the time and if the houses in your neighborhood are being targeted, it sounds like a perfectly reasonable counter measure.

Assuming you don't intend to set up booby traps, cameras and deterrent systems are pretty effective.

I'd recommend going over and to explain the situation and to ask your neighbors if they'd mind you setting up such a system. If they know why you're setting them up, it won't seem all that creepy.

Easier method: shotgun shell+ mousetrap, and you've got yourself a makeshift low-yield claymore mine.

I'm pretty sure a mousetrap doesn't have enough force to ignite the shotgun shell. Maybe MythBusters should do an episode on it?

You're too kind. I'm thinking a base plate with a harness for the shell and a firing pin underneath. Mousetrap fires, forces the plate downward, driving the pin into the shell primer. BAM.

You don't need all of that junk, just one of these:



Remember to keep it on the ground floor though, and off the road, and to announce yourself loudly before approaching it.

Only on the advanced model.

Just pretend you're in "Home Alone" and rig your house up that way.

I really think that Motion Lights are placebos, just like car alarms. First, the neighbors go "Hey, what's that?" then in a week, it's down to "That ******* light at Tim's is driving me crazy!" No one pays attention to that **** anymore.

Quit ******** around, get motion sensing machine guns.

It's not about locking up your house as tight as can be, it's about making your house the least vulnerable and unappealing target. If you're going to get cameras, make sure they are visible since they aren't going to deter anybody who doesn't know they are there. Keep in mind that if you don't catch them in the act, your probably not going to catch them at all. With that in mind, use your cameras as a preemptive tool.

A good idea is one of those doorbell/intercom/video camera things. Aside from being highly visible to anyone approaching the front door, you can avoid dealing with any salesman or bible thumpers. High decibel motion AND glass break sensors wired into the house alarm are another good idea, and fairly cheap.

Just take a walk around your house, if you find any access points that can't be easily seen by your neighbors or from the street, make sure you protect them. Glass laminate or laminated windows are a good idea if the windows are hidden by a bush or a fence. Also, go ask the neighbors who got hit and find out how they got in, it'll give you any idea of what you need to work on.

Keep your blinds closed at night and any expensive toys out of plain view. If your alarm company offers those "Protected by" signs or stickers, grab a few.

I Second notions to contact your neighbours who would be affected by any installations you want to install. I'm the sort of person who would write a friendly letter and drop it in their mailbox rather than knocking on their door and explaining face to face, but that's me. The neighbours may not enthralled by your ideas and actions, but if you explain up front about being at home when a housebreaker entered two years ago, and finding that unnerving, and not liking the recent spate of burglaries in the street, I'm sure that they'd be more co-operative than they otherwise might be.

Personally speaking, I wouldn't be concerned about the front of my house and me and my guests being caught on some-one else's security camera. I don't know if I'd be irritated by lights coming on and off frequently across the street. It would depend how bright they were, and how often the animals crossed.

I like the poll on the sentry turret page. "What did you think of our software?" Not a single positive option on there.