In a different thread, @BruceE raised a point I’d never considered. All the houses on his street that had an alarm company sign had been broken, some many times. This is based on the idea that the burglars know exactly how long they have.
I’d always read that the signs/ stickers are the first line of deterrent, and that criminals will choose a house where they don’t expect an alarm.
I have an extensive, hard wired alarm that we treat as our first level warning that something really bad is happening. It’s not about expecting any alarm company to alert the police, as much as the alarm alerting US to take up our defenses and be ready for the SHTF. Still, I do have a sign and stickers.
If an alarm means they have “exactly” whatever length of time, then no alarm means they have “more than” exactly that length of time.
I have seen a lot of sources, not one has indicated that having an alarm sign increased your chances of a break in.
Having an armed and monitored alarm decreases the amount of time a burglar will have vs no alarm. They know this.
I suspect other variables were at play in who got broken into.
Modern day wild card: most alarm systems will immediately send notification to the resident on their phone, and it is probable that a person with an alarm system and a sign has a camera somewhere too. Police residential alarm response may not be quick, but if it’s real time confirmed via camera, that changes.
I wonder if the homes with the alarm signs that were broken into also clearly looked like they had more worth stealing than the homes that didn’t have signs.
I have read some articles in the past by security people that say you don’t want a home that looks like the easiest home on the street to break into, but you also don’t want the only home on your street that looks like Fort Knox because it may make criminals think you have something worth taking a little extra risk to get.
No one else in my neighborhood has alarm signs so I didn’t put a big sign out front. But I do have small stickers on the doors and the windows a criminal would likely choose to break into. There are far nicer homes, with lots more stuff, that are far less protected than ours for them to choose from nearby. So on the off chance they still choose ours maybe seeing the sticker when they get close will make them think twice.
I have similar stickers. And not-glaringly-visible but see-them-if-you-case-the-joint cameras too.
Plus, unseen things
Generous outdoor lighting, locked doors and windows (always), landscaping with clear lines of sight, monitored alarm, cameras, reinforcement for the doors, for-a-residential-application pick proof and bump proof locks with strict key control, cars kept in the garage, etc.
My alarm is there for one reason, it’s there to warm ME, my dogs are there as a deterrent, but mainly to slow someone down long enough for me to be…
A) Aware
B) Time to respond.
Any alarm, any deterrent, anyone, can be overcome. My security steps are there for one reason, and that is to give me the greatest chance at saving my family first, and then me. If that means I go down defending my family. I’m ok with that.
Nathan 57,
You Sir, have hit the nail on the head for me. Multi level security. Sensor lights, Camera’s, cactus in front of my windows etc. Give me time , once alerted we are good to go. If you feel safer with signs, stickers by all means do it. I chose Lo-Viz (except for the camera’s). I look like everybody else’s house around me. But damn people you defeat the efforts of security if you leave the back doors open for air in the summertime at night ! My Shepard’s aren’t dying because of my comfort/negligence they are my kidz not my soldiers.
Most skells in my neck-of-the-woods my lights go on it’s like a solar flare! My camera’s record a who can get there first foot race to their rides! It’s GREAT! That’s what we have out here mostly. Our real problems now are dog-napping, Being lazy and leaving tools/laptops in the open for all to see in their vehicles…, Oh, and least we forget the warm up your car outside while I get another cup of coffee? Expensive coffee brother. I mean who leaves a nice laptop in their cars anyway? At least stick it under your seat ! I’m lucky though. I CLEANED OUT MY GARAGES and both rides stay inside when not in use. I even made these metal spikes for when the garage door is closed they slide into the side slots of the frames so they can’t be pride /forced open or some lucky perp has just the right opener on the right frequency to open my doors. No sir, for a lot of victims I heard the back ‘Patio’ doors and garage doors were the weak points. Mine are armored.
Put the breaks on there fella, I had to back track to your posting to get to the reasoning for your ‘bitch slap’.
I’m sorry brother, but in all honesty I didn’t even read your post about your dogs. I missed it the first go round, I just said what I have always been saying since I started reading/commenting on this site…i.e: “for me”, " “this is what I would do”, “My opinion” etc I DO NOT Pick on ANYBODY, degrade ,put down for their comments, opinions feelings , etc…so, let’s keep going with what I said. “My dogs are MY kidz! Not MY soldiers !” Well man, My dogs are also rescues also, they always have been and always will be. My (2) HUGE Shepherds sleep in my bed , go with me everywhere except work (and I feel lost sometimes without their presence)…but that is also me ,not anybody else, What I meant is I am the head of this household , well almost as far as security is concerned anyway, sorry my dear if you read this… My Guy’s, My family I would die for also (I’d rather live for them), I wouldn’t send them into Harms way anymore than I would send somebody else to do my protecting. Too many people have dogs, kids, whatever for the wrong reasons, treat their dogs like s—, starve them, make them fight etc BUT that’s on THEM! . I wasn’t commenting on anybody/ especially YOU specifically. I just stated I don’t do that. Like everything else I post it comes from my beliefs, my upbringing, my actions. People do what they want with their kids, wives, dogs, cars, life ITs NONE OF MY BUSINESS. I just focus on how we live to the best of our abilities and frankly is also none of anybody else’s business either. So, Sorry man, That was NOT a slap on you or your actions. What anybody does in this weird existence we call life is hopefully for the betterment of all of us. But, I don’t tell ANYBODY how to live, criticize what they do, that’s not my way.
So, I apologize if you took what I said as a slap.
It was never meant to be.
Wait a minute…I re read what I posted and the line before said "But damn people you defeat the efforts of security if you leave the back doors open for air in the summertime at night ! " THAT’s exactly what I meant, My dogs (Buddy/Holley, named by the shelter) would be out of the room like a shot if they heard evil @ our door… MY COMFORT, MY NEGLIGENCE … not anybody else’s actions.
I hope that helps.
I had a sign at one point, I don’t know what happened to it. But I have since hardened my home to the degree that if an assailant, burglar, vandal, miscreant (whatever) makes entry, it’s because he or she or they truly intended to gain entry. Which also means that they have considered what may be waiting for them on the other side. Just say’n.
This is exactly my POV. If you are in my home, it’s not an accident, you didn’t mistakenly wander in. If you are in my home you made a determined and concerted effort to be there.
One thing we did that gives a decent early warning is put motion sensors around the property that trigger an audible alarm in the house. Motion sensor lights won’t wake me in the night if someone comes on my property, but this way I hear it and can be awake and on the lookout. Each sensor triggers a different alert sound so I know what area of the property to check.
I don’t see it. I have a sign in the yard as well as on Windows as a deterrent. Seems to me if I’m a criminal I would select a property I knew was not armed and have unlimited amount of time compared to telling myself how good I know exactly I have 15 minutes for whatever.
But that’s the whole point isn’t it Rick? Whatever works, whatever helps us to sleep better @ night. I think a little creativity and effort goes a long way in keeping your Castle secure. Perp’s don’t want a hassle, they want our stuff. If you make it difficult they may go elsewhere, that was the norm just a few years ago. Today all bets are off on what skell’s use to do and the craziness of what we are experiencing today. My security system …um…‘upgrades ‘are just a reflection of the of the de-evolution of man. Audible tones, Extreme Lights, Cactus etc…even the stupidest Neanderthal has to grunt “What?” at the disturbance… My neighbor to the left angles away from all this (the sounds I already shown all neighbors will happen ) (2) of them said “Cool” let’s do my house next (and we did). Bottom-line, I just don’t want to shoot anybody in my house…all that gore and blood is a bitch to get out of the grouting between m tile floors!
Editor’s note: The neighbor’s nixed my proposal for the “Moat” and Drawbridge…was it the crocodiles?
maybe I shot too high for everything all @ once (my bad). The world WILL right itself, it just won’t be today. So until then I want my family safe, my neighbors safe, until then the unwelcome will experience a smaller version of Spielberg’s Industrial Light and Sound…jus’ sayin’
I have a full alarm system on my house and I advertise it. That’s not enough then they have to deal with a 80 lb black mouth cur dog. As soon as they enter my property all the outside lights come on and they’re being videoed. I just think they would go to an easier house to deal with.
(RAWR Dinosaur’s)
as far as security is concerned anyway, sorry my dear if you read this… My Guy’s, My family I would die for also (I’d rather live for them), I wouldn’t send them into Harms way anymore than I would send somebody else to do my protecting. Too many people have dogs, kids, whatever for the wrong reasons, treat their dogs like s—, starve them, make them fight etc BUT that’s on THEM! . I wasn’t commenting on anybody/ especially YOU specifically. I just stated I don’t do that. Like everything else I post it comes from my beliefs, my upbringing, my actions. People do what they want with their kids, wives, dogs, cars, life ITs NONE OF MY BUSINESS. I just focus on how we live to the best of our abilities and frankly is also none of anybody else’s business either. So, Sorry man, That was NOT a slap on you or your actions. What anybody does in this weird existence we call life is hopefully for the betterment of all of us. But, I don’t tell ANYBODY how to live, criticize what they do, that’s not my way.
is for Ring doorbell camera.