What home security system are you guys using? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: house, living in)

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by LABornandRaised

I'm sorry but bars over windows look so tacky. I guess I would do that if I had a lot of break-ins, but so far (knock on wood), I haven't had any problems. My security system is through Brinks, who renamed themselves Broadview and I heard were recently purchased by ADT. So far, the service seems the same and I like Brinks. Good quality stuff.

It depends. My mother owns a house in Simi Valley in a nice neighborhood and all the windows are barred, and they look fine. However I've seen houses in seedy neighborhoods that looked really tacky.

The ultimate tackiness I've seen is a house with 8 foot tall chain fence completely surrounding it, even in the front yard right up to the sidewalk. Chain link fence??? Tacky, tacky!

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

California has a justifiable homicide(or castle doctrine) law that states that you are not required to retreat in case of a burglary and that lethal force is acceptable. It is conditional, though. In order to use lethal force, you must be threatened(perceived) with great bodily harm. If someone breaks in with a gun, that is justification. If someone breaks in with a wiffleball bat, that isn't.

That's pretty much it. You can defend yourself (even with lethal force) if you or your family/friends are threatened by great bodily harm. Risk of getting punched out would qualify in my opinion as great bodily harm. Risk of getting punched out by somebody 10 feet away would not.

Originally Posted by bhcompy

As far as handguns, it is a poor idea to defend your home with a handgun because it requires precision aiming and lower calibers don't have great stopping power. Handgun bans have been overturned as unconstitutional as well, earlier this year. If you're using an unlicensed weapon I'm sure you'll still get in trouble though. I don't think shotguns require a license

Requires precision aiming? Anybody who can't hit the middle of a perpetrator's body (chest) from close quarters shouldn't be handling a gun. Multiple shots are generally how you address stopping power issues (i.e. "double tap" or as many as it takes).

We don't have gun licenses here. You're supposed to register your guns but IMO even that would not be a problem unless the gun was stolen. You are legally allowed to have any kind of handguns, rifles or shotguns as long as the weapons themselves are legal weapons. We can thank our Constitution for that. Of course you have to keep these weapons in your home or follow legally required procedures when you transport them.

Originally Posted by bhcompy

/I am not a lawyer, I am not giving advice that should be taken that way

I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6.

[West of Encino]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

It depends. My mother owns a house in Simi Valley in a nice neighborhood and all the windows are barred, and they look fine. However I've seen houses in seedy neighborhoods that looked really tacky.

The ultimate tackiness I've seen is a house with 8 foot tall chain fence completely surrounding it, even in the front yard right up to the sidewalk. Chain link fence??? Tacky, tacky!

What color are her bars? Are they black, white, what? Gotta have the right color bars so it can blend in with whatever color the house is.

[Lovehound]

Black bars, and kind of beige exterior (with red roof tiles) so typical of Simi Valley. I don't know why the bars don't stand out but they don't.

My mother was a widow living alone for several years and got the bars installed then. There's no way to break in that house without smashing the patio sliding glass doors or kicking in the front door. In a safe community like Simi Valley that's almost total security.

They remind me of Spanish iron work.

I've seen other houses elsewhere that looked like inside-out jails.

[West of Encino]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

Black bars, and kind of beige exterior (with red roof tiles) so typical of Simi Valley. I don't know why the bars don't stand out but they don't.

My mother was a widow living alone for several years and got the bars installed then. There's no way to break in that house without smashing the patio sliding glass doors or kicking in the front door. In a safe community like Simi Valley that's almost total security.

They remind me of Spanish iron work.

I've seen other houses elsewhere that looked like inside-out jails.

Then maybe steel doors for the front and back would help. I told my mother to get one but she refuses because she thinks it's ghetto and tacky. It's funny because everybody on the block has one.

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by West of Encino

Then maybe steel doors for the front and back would help.

You know what .... i really like the idea of the steel "screen" doors. I usually don't leave my screen door open (front door), but I would love added cross breeze. I think they look tacky as well ... i live in a great neighborhood, but i wish i had one!

[West of Encino]

Originally Posted by 1200RT

You know what .... i really like the idea of the steel "screen" doors. I usually don't leave my screen door open (front door), but I would love added cross breeze. I think they look tacky as well ... i live in a great neighborhood, but i wish i had one!

Does everybody in the neighborhood have one? Someone did cut through a screen door of my old home once.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by West of Encino

Then maybe steel doors for the front and back would help. I told my mother to get one but she refuses because she thinks it's ghetto and tacky. It's funny because everybody on the block has one.

It's not a problem and anyway my mom remarried to a guy who is a gun owner. And anyway they're moving to assisted living in the next 1-2 years. And anyway Simi Valley is one of the safest areas in the whole US (along with Thousand Oaks). It was only a problem when she was a woman living alone.

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by West of Encino

Does everybody in the neighborhood have one?

no, i dont see many around here. maybe on some apartments.

[impala666]

In California Taurus Magnum Judge with super X and in Arizona FN 5.7 with SS190/SS191.
For electronic systems I use systems I design myself using Siemens components.
Dogs are the best first line defender but can be a great liability if they are not trained properly.