Burglarized!

Dee S
by Dee S
Don't necessarily want to jump to a monthly monitoring system. Other than strengthening ground-level doors and frames (one was kicked in), how can we make ourselves a hard target? I'm particularly worried about a picture window.
  39 answers
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jun 18, 2011
    Burglars hate lights...motion lights or regular security lights. Well lit areas are safer...this is a proven fact across the whole country. You can also get motion audio alarms these are sometimes called door squealers...the make a lot of noise when moved. Another route is the "home protection" route. You may have seen the bumper sticker sign ..."Security provided by Smith and Wesson" There is a small town in Georgia that requires all qualified homeowner to own and maintain a firearm. Since this law was passed the crime rate in that town saw a drastic drop and it has continued to stay low. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1818862/posts There is also the "castle doctrine" which allows homeowners to defend personal property with the use of deadly force. about 2/3 of the states have adopted some form of this law. http://tekel.wordpress.com/2007/10/09/the-castle-doctrine-a-state-by-state-summary/ Obviously the castle doctrine would only work if your there to defend ( and chose to do so)..passive measures like light lights, metal bars..etc can cover your home in your absence. I grew up in a home with my dad being a cop for over 25 years, I would have to pity anyone trying to get in.
  • Kennesaw, GA. Home of "The General" train and the Southern Museum. Law says homeowners MUST own a handgun. Got a '38 from Harolds Pawn. Good folks! A cop stopped a Kennesaw homeowner who handed his drivers license and concealed carry permit to the officer. Cop asked, what guns do you have with you? His response..." a 38 on my ankle, a 9mm on my hip, a Mossburg shotgun in the trunk and a semi-automatic in the glovebox". Cop looks at him and asks, "are you afraid of something?". To which the driver replied, "not anymore" ! LOL !!!
  • Dee, Most local law enforcement agencies have a crime prevention unit that will come out and give you a free survey on the security aspect of your home. Most burglers are "lazy"; that is, they aren't going to pick the hard target when they have easier ones available. Give the local agency a call and see if they can't help. Tim
  • Having a gun in the home is not the answer for all. As noted by the Brady Center, keeping a gun in the home increases the risk of injury and death. Gun owners may overestimate the benefits of keeping a gun in the home and underestimate the risks. http://bradycampaign.org/facts/gunviolence/gunsinthehome However there are tips from police departments that may be helpful: http://publicsafety.ci.akron.oh.us/police/crime_prevention/home_security.html Some other tips: Make your home look occupied, and make it difficult to break in. Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed. Even if it is for a short time, lock your doors. Leave lights on when you go out. If you are going to be away for a length of time, connect some lamps to automatic timers to turn them on in the evening and off during the day. Keep your garage door closed and locked. Don't allow daily deliveries of mail, newspapers or flyers build up while you are away. Arrange with the Post Office to hold your mail, or arrange for a friend or neighbor to take them regularly. Arrange for your lawn to be mowed if you are going away for an extended time. Check your locks on doors and windows and replace them with secure devices as necessary. Pushbutton locks on doorknobs are easy for burglars to open. Install deadbolt locks on all your outside doors. Sliding glass doors are vulnerable. Special locks are available for better security. Other windows may need better locks. Check with a locksmith or hardware store for alternatives. Have adequate exterior lighting. A motion-sensitive light is recommended for backyards. Trim trees and shrubs so that they cannot be used as hiding places for intruders.
  • KMS got it on the light and motion alarms. Also planting properly works well also. You want to plant shrubs that typcially have lots of pointy edges, such as holly next to or under windows. This type of plant will keep people from pushing through to get to a window area. It hurts them when they try. Keep plantings low on other areas so they cannot hide behind and surprise you as well. You can also purcase faux alarm stickers and yard signs to keep people away. They are not going to attemp to push in if there is some evidence of alarm system. Also there are several do it yourself alarm systems that are wireless and can be plugged in. Some of which have auto dialers that can call you or any number you select when you set it up.
  • TonyaM Williams TonyaM Williams on Jun 22, 2011
    Hi Dee S, Im sorry to hear that your home was burglarized...fortunately it sounds like you and your family were not home at the time! Dee, I would strongly suggest you invest in a security system with monthly monitoring. For the price of a tank of gas in your car that would last a week you can have peace of mind for you and your family. In this day and age no plan is failsafe..however, burglars like easy targets and a home without an alarm system and or a BIG Dog is an easy target. Alarm systems dont prevent homes from being burglarized they are just a VERY strong deterrent..as are the motion lights, certian types of plants/vegetation planted near the house, etc...theives like easy targets they dont want to have to work too hard. I would shop around for a reputable company that may offer free installation with a term monitoring agreement or just a reputable company with a low monthly monitoring fee. I have seen some as low as $18 per mo. a lot depends upon the equipment. Lastly, having an alarm system installed in your home can save you anywhere from 10-20% on your Home owners insurance premium...you can also receive discounts for living within 500feet of a fire hydrant and/or less than 5 miles from a fire station(check with your Home Owners insurance). I hope this information is helpful and I wish you the best of luck. TMW
  • Vicki Vicki on Jun 22, 2011
    Fence around house, several light sensor motions on each side of the house which are good for night time, not day time if break in during day time, no trees or shrubs among house. My few neighbors had break ins due the woods near their houses, no fences. Do not know abt to have guns in the house cuz of tragedy accidents @ homes. The Electronic Watch Dog Alarm, is it good?????? By the way, sorry u had ur house breaking in.
  • SawHorse Design Build SawHorse Design Build on Jun 22, 2011
    I got a dog that barked a lot and that seemed to help when we lived downtown. Criminals tend to shy away from dogs since they are noisy and they "might" bite
  • David David on Jun 23, 2011
    I'm sorry, but anything the Brady Bunch says is extremely suspect, as most of what they spout is fiction, slanted to their ends. Having a gun in the house means exercising responsibility and knowing how to use it. Fla has seen a big drop in crime, due to responsible citizens being allowed their 2nd Amendment rights to protect themselves. Remember, criminals won't follw ANY laws or rules and having a gun and knowing how to defend yourself is the best deterrant. When secinds count, the Police are only minutes away!
  • John H John H on Jun 23, 2011
    Perception is reality. If you get a alarm sign and some stickers on your windows....it will scare-off the dumb thieves (most of them are). A front door camera is also a good idea. Motion sensor lights are a good idea too. If a pro-robber wants in your house...he will get in, no matter how good your security is.
  • This thread has raised a lot of good ideas and concerns. Dee, apologies for my earlier levity. I've been a victim all too many times in the past. Initially, the feeling of being victimized was overwhelming, thereafter, it became a process. Its all a part of life in the big city, I guess. Main thing is that you are safe and things can be replaced. Good Luck with putting the pieces back together. As you can see in this forum, there are a lot of folks out here who care and are willing to share their thoughts with you.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jun 24, 2011
    I remember reading a survey conducted on burglars , felons and other criminal types. When asked whether they would rather encounter a Police officer or an armed homeowner the overwhelming response was the cops....Burglars know that cops are trained not to "shoot first ask questions later" ...a nervous armed home owner with an intruder in their home Is far more likely to "defend" themselves and the bad guys know this.
  • 58n58 58n58 on Jun 24, 2011
    This is one of the best threads ever!!! I am moving to Kennesaw :) In all seriousness, I agree with John, anyone that is a real thief, not am amateur, will get in and get what they want. I am a believer in the sticker/sign/motion sensing flood lights, but as a former gun owner and dog owner (large ones), DOGS with a mean bark to them will scare most people off and if you are home will alert you and protect you as well. A pro will most likely NOT target a house that has a dog over one that does not.
  • SoulCraft Systems SoulCraft Systems on Jun 27, 2011
    Hey, I live in southwest ATL, our neighborhood gets burgled constantly. let me tell what i've done... I keep my front and rear porch lights on all night (get a CFL bulb). I have security bars on all the rear windows of the house (got em at ye olde Home Depot/Lowes), I have a security door on my back door, I bought a $300 security camera kit (I can view my cameras on my iPhone), I have a great security system with an OUTDOOR siren mounted in my eave, when my alarm goes off, the whole neighborhood knows. Hit me up in a message if yuo want some further advice...
  • SoulCraft Systems SoulCraft Systems on Jun 27, 2011
    Oh, and one further thing, i don't advertise I have a gun. It just gives opportunistic young robbing crews a reason to break into your house to steal your gun... others are welcome to their opinions...
  • Michael C Michael C on Sep 23, 2011
    These are all great ideas... However, if you want to be safe in your home you need to get a monitored security system. Ligts, guns, dogs, burglary bars, are all well and good. I can beat your dogs with a well placed steak, burglary bars also prevent you from getting out of your home quickly in a fire... Oh and by the way, according to the FBI, 50+% of all breaks in happen during the day time... so the lights are great at preventing home invasion, but not robberies. Look into a security system, they are as affordable if not more so than these other options and decrease your chance of a break in by 1400% per the FBI. feel free to contact me if you need help with a system,
  • Michael C Michael C on Sep 23, 2011
    "Burglars know that cops are trained not to "shoot first ask questions later" ...a nervous armed home owner with an intruder in their home Is far more likely to "defend" themselves and the bad guys know this. " Just be prepared to use the gun. If after breaking in they see you have a gun, they will not hesitate to shoot. oh, and if they break in while your not home, you gun just became the property of someone that is probably going to use it in another robbery.
  • Sui S Sui S on Nov 19, 2011
    Get a pitbull! Seriously. And some really GOOD "Beware of Dog" signs. Not just "dog" signs, but, "Security Dog," "Guard Dog," or, some scary breed. A real professional can probably get past anything, even very protective dogs (throw them a steak), but most burglars are just punks. They pick the house that looks EASIER to get into than the other ones around it. Plenty of good lighting,maybe motion-detected, with siren, no shrubs to hide doors or windows, etc. There's a LOT you can do to reduce the odds that they'll pick your house. Why break into a house with a dog, when they can break into the one next door that only has cats? Many homes had been burglarized in the suburban neighborhood I'd lived in for 30 years. Not mine. I always had a dog.
  • A dog such as a Pitbull is not necessarily the answer. The problems associated with having a dog such as this, regardless of how nice it is, is going to raise your insurance more then being in a crime ridden area. However any dog that barks a lot when they hear a noise works best. People who break into homes do not want to be heard or noticed. And nothing like a little barking from a dog keeps them away better.
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Nov 20, 2011
    I have security cameras but I also have BIG dogs. I believe the dogs are the answer. In addition, I have the Lady Smith gun. Something I hope I never have to use. Would I use it - YES. I read if you don't have a gun and/or dog use WASP SPRAY as it sprays 20' and can hurt the perp. I think this is better than nothing. Anything to save yourself.
  • Michael C Michael C on Jan 16, 2012
    Just an FYI, A monitored home security system will typically lower your home owners insurance premium depending on where you live and who the carrier is.
  • nobody's system beats sonitrol - even adp owns sonitrol franchises - often police don't respond quickly to burglar alarms because so many are false - sonitrol monitors ' hear ' what tripped the alarm thru stored audio & can also pipe what's happening now into responding police cars,,, in the end, its the responsibility of the h/o to protect themselves as police often arrive AFTER the fact
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jan 17, 2012
    I remember reading an add in a Gun magazine...the copy read...."When seconds count...help is only minutes away"
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Jan 17, 2012
    Michael C & Its Really Concrete, I don't mean to be condescending but lowering insurance is not what people really want. They want to be protected at that second - not 5, 10, 20 minutes later when a security company notifies another agency to respond. Sometimes it is life or death, not just a stolen object.
  • sherrie, pls take a look at sonitrol - its FAR different than other passive burglar systems. who mentioned lowering ins premiums ? nothing protects you at that ' second ' but yourself relying on what you've prepared in advance. you break into our home &, if in our power, you'll leave on a stretcher under a sheet as each room has legal defensive equipment available immediately !
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jan 18, 2012
    Castle doctrine...or the "make my day" law is valid in many states, and provides "protection" from prosecution when defending your own home
  • Michael C Michael C on Jan 19, 2012
    I only mention the insurance discount because many people simply do not get a security system because they think it will cost to much. Most people do not realize that many companies do the system free of charge and monitoring is only about a dollar per day. As far as the police response, I have over 20 cops as security clients of mine, and they will all tell you the same thing. There response time depends on the type of alarm going off. If it is a motion, they have a slow response. If it is a glass break, heat/smoke, contact they have a much faster response time. Our response time is 45 seconds and police are dispatched. How long it takes them to get to the house is up to the police. The FBI states that the window decals and properly displayed yard signs alone make your home 1400% less likely to get broken into. Security Systems do not stop crime, they simply pass the crime off to your neighbors who do not have a system.
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Jan 19, 2012
    KMS - Yup, "make my day" is law in Florida. A 90 year old man just saved his own life because of the law.
  • michael c is absolutely correct - most will install free as the $$$$$$$ is in monitoring,,, if you don't have much to protect, any system will satisfy your needs - if you have more to protect, get sonitrol !
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jan 20, 2012
    Sherrie...Home security can fit easily in a bedside table drawer. http://www.networx.com/article/tips-for-firearm-storage-at-home
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Jan 20, 2012
    KMS, I bet you these nice people think you & I are gun crazy people. They also think a nice monitoring system with nice police will be better than our idea of survival. Monitoring & police are very important but only if they can be available in that second or minute you need them.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jan 21, 2012
    Sherrie...I would consider my self a pussy cat compared to some of the folks I know or have read about in some online groups...those people could be considered the "gun crazies" My dad was a cop when I was growing up...guns were just part of our every day life. Believe it or not I just recently purchased my first gun...about a year and a half ago. http://kmswoodworks.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/black-powder-and-round-balls/ As a part time Jewelry maker, mechanical tinkerer...I am attracted to the precision of the firearm and their mechanical details...There is also the Physical or sporty part of shooting...some consider placing a 1 1/2" dimpled white ball in a cup 250 yards down the fairway "sport" ...I'll take sending 250 grains of lead into a 3" circle of paper at 25 to 50 feet. as my sport. given the option to defend my family with a 9 iron...or a .45...I think the range and placement of my .45 is a bit better.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jan 21, 2012
    "The 82-year-old resident did something that the criminal justice system couldn't do," said Mike Chitwood, the chief of Daytona Beach police. "And that's put this burglar out of business this morning." Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/12/florida-senior-citizen-shoots-dead-suspected-burglar/?test=latestnews#ixzz1k7LFJXzg
  • David David on Jan 22, 2012
    The WORST nightmare to a bad guy is an armed citizen. A well trained, responsible citizen does not have the restrains of a cop and in the states when Liberals haven't made citizens easy targets, they defend themselves quite well. A dog can be distracted, alarms can be defeated and security companies still have response times. Responsible people do not leave firearms around for burglars to steal, they carry them and secure them when not in use. States that recognize the 2nd Amendment show their people that the 2nd doesn't not give us the right to be armed. It acknowledges the given right to defend ourselves and that this right can not be infringed. So when you hear politicians say they support the 2nd, listen carefully. Remember Kennesaw, GA? When the town mandated every home be armed, the crime rate plummeted. Look at every liberal major city that has gun control and see how high the gun-related crimes are. NYC is the greatest example with the mayor they deserve since they allowed him to run again.Only you are responsible for your safety and you have to decide where you want to live and adjust accordingly.
  • Michael C Michael C on Jan 23, 2012
    I fully support having a gun in the house for protection. I carry a little 22 and my wife carries a desert eagle. The only time the firearms protect you though are if you are home during a burglary which then becomes a home invasion. In Central Florida, Orlando and the surrounding areas, 60% of all break-ins happen during the day time. Most of the time they do not want you home. Also, as stupid as it sounds, the yard sign and window decals are protecting your home, not the security system inside. Most criminals are going to pick the home with no sign of a security system vs the home with advertised security... Why?? Because they don't know if you have a free system or a 1k security system on the other side.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jan 23, 2012
    A few NRA stickers work pretty good to.
  • Starlett L Starlett L on Mar 03, 2012
    My research on the same topic revealed that most burglars won't try to enter through picture windows because of the risk of injury cutting into the glass or attempting to shatter the glass for entry. I decided that the best way to ensure it's protected is to install a motion sensor security light that shines on the window. That and the addition of planting things would make it more difficult for burglars to work through. There are an abundance of plants that have pointed leaves that stick them, thorns, leaves with edges that cut, etc. Your local nursery can help you decide what to plant that won't run you out of the house. If you have children or pets, let them know, so that can be considered as well. I would also consider an NRA sticker, and, if you know someone who has recently installed a burglar system, see if they have an extra sticker you can have. I've given them to friends before. I know some folks who have printed them out and added sticky to the "good" side, that will face out, and stuck them on. They look good, if done properly. That's my two cents worth.
  • Trevor R Trevor R on May 30, 2012
    use the type of home surveillance that gives alarms only when movement is detected in certain areas like xeoma for example. I use it ever since I was burglarized too and am happy with it. If you're just against the idea of monitoring, get a dog. You know one of the kind that others think when looking at it, 'wow, I should stay away'