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I ask because another thread asked about installing security cameras. And it made me think of fake cameras, and signs saying you have an alarm system.
I'm no thief (or burglar), but even if they're not hooked up wouldn't just seeing a camera or sign, deter 99% of burglars? Unless you don't want the cameras to be visible, but then you lose the deterrent of them being seen.
One neighbor has cameras outside, and I guess they're hooked up and recording. But even tif they're not wouldn't anyone who is casing a house on the block, just pick another house? Besides if a burglar REALLY wants to get in and you have visible cameras, can't the person just be covered from head to toe and you won't know who it is anyway.
We lived in a rough but gentrifying neighborhood in California. We were by far the wealthiest people in the neighborhood and that made us nervous so we hired a security consultant. He was really good and gave us some great deterrent ideas. He said an alarm system is moderately useful, but the sign for the alarm system is a great deterrent. Fake cameras are also a great deterrent. Real ones cost a lot more and will allow the police to figure out who killed you, but they are no better deterrent than fake ones.
A few of his other tips:
Leave a $20 on a table in plain sight near each door. If you open the door and the $20 is gone - get out of the house and call the police (unless you have teenagers). Someone breaking in cannot resist picking up a loose $20. Do not leave it in sight of a window, or it can encourage someone to break in.
Put double tumbler deadbolts on all the doors and do not leave a spare key where it can be found. When you are home, leave a key in the tumbler inside so you can get out if you need to.
trim all your bushes so you can see under them. Most thieves put your stuff int he bushes and come back for it later. Plus it prevents them hiding in the bushes.
Grow thorny plants like Bouganvilla outside windows.
Leave on very large man's shoe on the front porch. (this says a large man lives here and he is home). Two shoes might get stolen
Leave a large dog food bowl and/or chew toy on the front porch or visible in the entry room even if you have no dog. Better if there is half eaten food in it.
Alarm sign or beware of dog sign even if you do not have either.
put a metal security door over or inside each exterior door.
If you answer the door, hold a phone and pretend to talk into it as you answer the door. Say to your pretend (or real) caller "Just a minute" before you greet the person at the door. If they are thinking of forcing their way in, they will have second thoughts if you have someone on the phone. Also you can keep you car remote in your hand and set of the panic button if there is a problem. Actually he suggested setting off the panic button regardless. If they are just girl scouts with cookies, you just say oops and turn it off. Bad guys will usually run away.
Motion sensor lights all over outside and inside the house. But do not leave lights on. They allows them to see inside and see what you have. It also discourages them form using flashlights or walking around in the dark. They think walking in a dark house or using a flashlight is being sneaky, but it actually attracts attention. People walking around with the lights on does not seem unusual.
Make sure your neighbors know you and can recognize you. Then if someone is removing a TV who is not you, they know something is wrong.
Furniture placement so it is difficult to climb in a window can be useful.
In general, locks window guards window alarms, etc are of little use. Particularly on newer homes where it is just as easy to go through a wall as to break a window.
Getting a little paranoid:
Have a code word with friends or relatives that says you are in trouble and they should call the police.
Put a piece of toothpick or something tiny in the door or put a piece of fresh tap over the door each time you leave. Put either one in a place where they are not likely to get noticed. Then if you come home and the item is gone or tape os broken, you know the door was opened while you were away.
A police union support sticker may be an effective deterrent. and NRA sicker is not. It says I have some nice guns you can steal. Guns are one of the best things to steal. Second only to cash.
From our personal experience - motion sensor alarms will make you broke. We never had a real alarm but hundreds of dollars in fines form false alarms where our system called the police. IN our city you got two false alarms per year for free, then they charged you $150 for every time.
Signs and fake cameras have their limits though. First a lot of thieves cannot read and/or do not take the time to read signs. Smart thieves know real cameras are usually going to be hidden and not advertised with signs. If you hide fake cameras, the thieves may not see them. If you make them obvious, it may be obvious they are fake. People with real cameras hide them and do not put up signs becasue it allows good thieves to thwart them (cover them, cut wires etcetera. The purpose of real cameras is really more catching thieves, not for stopping them. The purpose of fake cameras is stopping thieves. Thus if you see a sign advertising cameras on private property, they are probably fake.
Naw, they just cover their faces or look down the whole time.
And they know they have at least 15 minutes after the alarm goes off for police response.
If a lot of thieves can't read, then how can the sign be a "great deterrent."
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Thus if you see a sign advertising cameras on private property, they are probably fake.
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First a lot of thieves cannot read
Interesting that you assume that. Is there any documentation, study or poll to support that?
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He said an alarm system is moderately useful, but the sign for the alarm system is a great deterrent.
If just having a sign is a deterrent in most cases. then having a sign (even if there is NO camera or alarm system) is all you need in most cases.
That I do agree with. Since there may be no way to know if the sign is a bluff, and the camera IS a fake, I think most would be intruders will just pick another target. It's not like there won't be plenty of other easier places.
I will say thanks coldjensens, some of those consultant's tips I'd never thought of (most I had, but some I had not)
They deter, even a Beware of Dog sign is a deterrent. Thieves will move on to the easiest home to break into.
I think the idea of the deadbolt where you need a key on both sides is good. Unless they broke the back door down to get in, but if they sneak in thru a window and can't unlock the doors from the inside they can only take what they can fit thru the window to get out.
we were getting people coming into our neighborhood breaking into cars and garages. Several of us put up cameras (mine are wireless and I can watch on my Iphone. They also have motion detectors).
No more break-ins.
Several years ago I took a crime watch prevention course from my local police department. Coldjensen's tips are spot on.
When we first moved into our house, we did not have an alarm sign from our alarm company. One day about10:00 in the morning, our front door was kicked in. The alarm went off, the dogs in the back yard started barking and the burglar fled.
I learned two things. I got to the house, met the cops who cleared it. I then walked outside and took a look at my neighhbors. That's when I realized I was the only house without a yard sign. I ordered one and I always make sure the bushes are trimmed around it. From the neighborhood watch training, I learned that nearly all burglars are lazy. I'm convinced mine was picked because I didn't have a yard sign.
Second, my external hinges and strike plates are now secured with 3 inch screws, not the itty bitty ones the builder used. The next guy may be able to kick the door down, but he'll probably bust his ankle first.
Yes, cameras and fake cameras are deterrents. Are there some burglars smart enough to know the difference. Sure. But not all of them do.
My final tip has to do with gun owners who like to put out signs that say, "This home protected by Smith and Wesson!" First, that advertises that you have guns in your home. Second, the attorneys I've spoken to about that advise against it. If you shoot someone in your home, even if it is justified, some overzealous prosecutor may use that sign against you in attempt to show that you shoot first and ask questions later. Even if you're totally justified, it could make things harder, and more expensive for you.
Most criminals aren't that bright or motivated so they choose the easiest target. The more you can make your home a less easy target the better. Security cameras, signs, dog signs, lights etc. all will deter a great number of criminals. The hardcore criminals will not be as deterred I'd imagine but they have people picked out already. How to not be singled out is another story.
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