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OT: House got broken into on Tuesday
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:32 pm
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:32 pm
So, my wife came home Tuesday and found one of our sidelight windows beside our front door broken and the door sitting slightly opened. She got back in the van with the kids, locked up, and called the cops. They cleared the house, but the thieves got away with three TV's, blue ray players, my dad's Colt pistol that he left me (was in a small safe and they just took it with everything in it), and got my wife's valuable jewelry, most notably her engagement ring which she didn't wear to work that day (thankfully, we had a separate rider on our insurance just for it). Of course, all is replaceable and no one is hurt. Can't replace the sentimental stuff as easily, but they're just "things".
Question is, what should we do to prevent a repeat? Signed up for a security system yesterday along with a video cam system, so we've got that out of the way now and that seems to be the most effective thing we can do. I've also replaced my gun. There's one cypress tree between us and a neighbor that blocks their view of our driveway closest to the house and I will be removing it soon. There's actually a security light that the tree has grown up around which is no longer on, but I'll have it turned on as soon as the tree is down.
Funny thing is, we're the last house at the end of a quiet, five house cup-de-sac neighborhood, not in a problem area or anything.....never would have figured we'd have to worry about this kind of stuff. But these guys were pros. They only took specific items, nothing that wasn't an electronic or jewelry, and were likely in and out in 10 minutes or so. They timed it to avoid running into anyone (which I appreciate).
On the bright side, I'm flattered they thought my house looked nice enough to rob.
Question is, what should we do to prevent a repeat? Signed up for a security system yesterday along with a video cam system, so we've got that out of the way now and that seems to be the most effective thing we can do. I've also replaced my gun. There's one cypress tree between us and a neighbor that blocks their view of our driveway closest to the house and I will be removing it soon. There's actually a security light that the tree has grown up around which is no longer on, but I'll have it turned on as soon as the tree is down.
Funny thing is, we're the last house at the end of a quiet, five house cup-de-sac neighborhood, not in a problem area or anything.....never would have figured we'd have to worry about this kind of stuff. But these guys were pros. They only took specific items, nothing that wasn't an electronic or jewelry, and were likely in and out in 10 minutes or so. They timed it to avoid running into anyone (which I appreciate).
On the bright side, I'm flattered they thought my house looked nice enough to rob.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:38 pm to S1C EM
Sorry to hear that - the thought of somebody rummaging through my house would really piss me off.
What time of day was it? About all you can do is have an alarm that is tied to the PD and hope the noise runs them off.
What time of day was it? About all you can do is have an alarm that is tied to the PD and hope the noise runs them off.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:45 pm to SquatchDawg
I think the addition of the system and the camera will be enough to make them move on, but yes, it's very unnerving. It's at least a bit of a relief to know that they weren't interested in hurting anyone, they just wanted the stuff and wanted to get in and out quickly.
And the best we can narrow it down to is somewhere between 1pm and 6pm. Neighbor was in her garage until about 12:30 and saw nothing unusual. Another neighbor right beside us was home all day and only saw a cop car roll through earlier in the morning. Strange stuff.
And I don't think they cared to rummage through much. If it wasn't out in the open, they didn't touch it.
And the best we can narrow it down to is somewhere between 1pm and 6pm. Neighbor was in her garage until about 12:30 and saw nothing unusual. Another neighbor right beside us was home all day and only saw a cop car roll through earlier in the morning. Strange stuff.
And I don't think they cared to rummage through much. If it wasn't out in the open, they didn't touch it.
This post was edited on 11/23/17 at 9:46 pm
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:46 pm to S1C EM
I've been told that smart criminals don't like dogs (they can disable alarms at the power source or phone lines).
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:48 pm to meansonny
Fwiw, there is nothing that you can do to prevent dumb criminals from a break-in. Desperation leads to stupidity which leads to them or someone else getting hurt.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:49 pm to meansonny
Have a dog in the back yard, which is likely why they went in the front. I've heard some just kill the dog if there is one, but that's a pretty brazen criminal if they do that.
System will be on Wi-Fi and not a phone line. Not sure if that helps. Statitically, it seems the security systems deter most of them. It's too much work for a quick in-and-out.
System will be on Wi-Fi and not a phone line. Not sure if that helps. Statitically, it seems the security systems deter most of them. It's too much work for a quick in-and-out.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:51 pm to S1C EM
Do you employ a maid service, landscapers, Visiting Angels, anything like that?
Got any shady nephews?
Got any shady nephews?
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:56 pm to S1C EM
If it is a random hit, they will take the neighbor without the alarm system.
If you have something they want, I've been told that the system is a variable more easily controlled than an animal (smart criminals avoid variables beyond their control).
That said... my intel may be with older technology.
If you have something they want, I've been told that the system is a variable more easily controlled than an animal (smart criminals avoid variables beyond their control).
That said... my intel may be with older technology.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:56 pm to S1C EM
quote:
System will be on Wi-Fi
WiFi doesn't work if they flip your breaker or cut your cable.
What you do is get a camera pointed at your neigbhor's house, and they get a camera pointed at your house.
Unless your surveillance system is on a non-cloud VMS backed by a UPS, like real commercial applications, true pros will render them useless. Especially on wifi, where they can hack in from the culdesac and disable them. WPA2 be damned.
I wish you would have consulted me on this before you bought a $250 Costco surveillance system.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:57 pm to deeprig9
Nah, thought about all of those possibilities. Could be one of the guys on the garbage truck. Or a city water meter reader. Have had one repair guy out a few weeks ago who had a helper, but he was an older black guy and seemed pretty nice.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:57 pm to deeprig9
And by the way, I'm sorry this happenned to you.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 9:59 pm to S1C EM
quote:
Nah, thought about all of those possibilities. Could be one of the guys on the garbage truck. Or a city water meter reader. Have had one repair guy out a few weeks ago who had a helper, but he was an older black guy and seemed pretty nice.
If nobody else in your neighborhood was hit, except you, there is a high high high probability this was an inside job. Especially being broad daylight during a holiday week where there are alot more people at home during the day than usual.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 10:00 pm to S1C EM
Yea,holidays are peak times for break ins. IF it wasn't an inside job it's more than likely they cased your house a couple of days in advance and maybe more than once.
Find out if your neighbors have camera systems you can access.
Find out if your neighbors have camera systems you can access.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 10:01 pm to deeprig9
Yeah, sucks. I'm sad to hear it for you.
For some reason, I'm believing that crime is up. May just be effects of more people. But things don't seem to be trending better.
For some reason, I'm believing that crime is up. May just be effects of more people. But things don't seem to be trending better.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 10:03 pm to deeprig9
quote:
I wish you would have consulted me on this before you bought a $250 Costco surveillance system.
I wish it was that cheap!
Going to the side of the house with those connections would put them in clearer view of the neighbors. I can also put a camera there, too, if needed. The camera will alert me and send,me,video,as,soon,as they trip it and that data is backed up on the cloud, so they could destroy the camera and it wouldn't matter. I'd already have what I need. I just think that would be more work and risk for them than they'd want to deal with. We don't really have anything special that anyone would want. They can get decent TVs anywhere.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 10:06 pm to deeprig9
quote:
If nobody else in your neighborhood was hit, except you, there is a high high high probability this was an inside job.
I felt the same way. But literally one friend of ours even knows where we live. No one else shady has been out, at least not that I'm aware of. But could be the repair guy. Could be an A/C tech (of which we had two out in the last month). Hard to say.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 10:07 pm to RD Dawg
quote:
Find out if your neighbors have camera systems you can access.
They don't.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 10:10 pm to S1C EM
Any traffic cameras around?You live in the metro area?
Posted on 11/23/17 at 10:10 pm to meansonny
Yep. A dog that has a loud, mean-sounding bark deters break-ins. Our Border Collie would lick a burglar to death but his bark is deep and gruff. Sounds like he would eat them alive.
Put a food and water bowl outside even without a dog.
Put a food and water bowl outside even without a dog.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 10:15 pm to S1C EM
quote:
The camera will alert me and send,me,video,as,soon,as they trip it
You are going to get tired of 70 alerts a day when the wind blows leaves across the view and squirrels running around.
quote:
that data is backed up on the cloud
I'll try not to be too nerdy here. First of all, that will require a monthly fee. Secondly, the video is probably stored at a frame rate of 1 or 2 fps with much lower resolution than what the camera itself is advertised as being. This pretty much renders the video useless. Thirdly, that cloud is useless if your cable line gets cut by a guy in a ski mask.
quote:
they could destroy the camera and it wouldn't matter.
You'd have 3 frames of video of a guy in a ski mask cutting your cord.
quote:
I just think that would be more work and risk for them than they'd want to deal with.
The presence of cameras often tips off thieves that you obviously have something to protect. For really cheap, you can buy dummy cameras that do nothing except look like real cameras.
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