recent break ins (insurance, crime, how much)

[namder1]

There has been a rash of home and business robberies in my area. They caught one guy but the trend continues. Since I am gone all day at work, I worry about my place and my dog. I don't care (well I do but,) if they take my stuff....its only stuff. But I do worry about them taking my golden as he is my best friend! Does anyone subscribe to an alarm service? I live in the woods with few neighbors but an alarm might scare them off anyway. Any thoughts or ideas?

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by namder1

There has been a rash of home and business robberies in my area. They caught one guy but the trend continues. Since I am gone all day at work, I worry about my place and my dog. I don't care (well I do but,) if they take my stuff....its only stuff. But I do worry about them taking my golden as he is my best friend! Does anyone subscribe to an alarm service? I live in the woods with few neighbors but an alarm might scare them off anyway. Any thoughts or ideas?

keep this in mind, yes you may be in a remote location, but also, because you are in a "sporting" area, it is assumed most every camp or house has guns in them, and that is a deterrent

I think there are motion detector alarms- at home depot- i wish they had one that sounded like a machine gun

I have friends with cabins in the woods- they have said they leave bogus notes on the door- plainly visible-
a note that may deter a hit and run burgler- such as " to my sons who will arrive anytime, i am out trying to shoot those coyotes thats around"
will be back anytime"-
while this sounds simple- if i was thinking of breaking into your place, and saw a note like that, id think anyone could show up at any time, and they have guns!
not a place id want to be!


dogs i would think is a deterrent- id even place a beware of dog sign outside-

if many robberies have taken place in your area- id put a sign up near your house- robbers will be shot - hope you can run quickly


also a sign "smile you are now on video" put that on your driveway- near your house

[Coaster]

Isolated camps and homes in Maine have long been targets for casual thieves. Island homes are even worse in that regard. But it does seem to be getting worse lately. In my town there has been a rash of car break-ins and nighttime home burglaries while the homeowners are home! One woman woke up to find a hooded man pushing up the screen on her bedroom window. Thankfully he ran when she screamed.

IMO this is going to get worse. Every week tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of unemployed people in the United States roll off the end of their unemployment insurance payments. But they still need to eat and keep a roof over their heads. Plus, with more employers doing drug testing, there's a certain segment of the population who need to feed their habits but can't land a job even if one is available.

It's a national problem, but we're seeing it cropping up in Maine now as the economy worsens even beyond Maine's traditional "we're always in a recession" status. The old ways of "gettin' by" don't work anymore. Speaking personally, we've become much more careful about keeping doors and windows locked. Our neighbor has an outside light linked to a motion detector, and I think that's next on our home improvement list for the backyard and garage.

[kpav]

I wonder how much of the increased break-ins of occupied homes is related to addicts looking to feed an oxycontin habit. It's gotten pretty ugly in some areas of the country. Between drugs and the bad economy it will get worse before better.

[Nor'Eastah]

If you have only one "obvious" driveway but another area where you can park your vehicle and walk to the house, you can try spiking or cabling your driveway. Spiking is driving long spikes into wood strips and laying them across the driveway, with nails or spikes pointing UP. Cabling is running thick cable about a foot off the ground, across the width of the driveway, connected between trees or even posts sunk into the ground. The idea is to prevent any vehicle from getting too close to the house in a vehicle via the driveway, which is where they'll go first.

It's no fun when you have to approach a building on foot and can't put the goodies quickly into your truck or car. Carrying stuff is a drag, especially if it's heavy. For the stuff that is small and/or valuable, bury it or place in a tool shed or whatever other place you have, well hidden. Try buying an older vehicle that no longer runs (usually free, for the towing) and have it towed into your driveway near the house. Keep it clean and looking like it's usable, and someone is home.

It's awful to have to live like that, but as long as you are alone (except for the dog; too bad goldens are so friendly to strangers!) you may have to go this route. These are tough times. You probably won't need to do this forever. But it may save your dog, and your stuff as well.

[ganto_2010]

anyone breaks in my house id'e shoot first and ask questions later. and id'e let my rawt have her fun as well after she takes there arm off. an armed socity is a polite socity

[msina]

You could buy an inexpensive, motion detector camera. A neighbor of ours has a couple that are tied into his computer. He is only here (his camp) part time and can view anything from his property on his computer at home or work. You could also put up a 'fake" camera and a sign saying you have camera's on the propety.

[Three Wolves In Snow]

Definitely keep things lit outside during night time to help ward off predators...as I like to call them.

I know everyone said and still says that many don't lock their doors or windows. I just can't get used to that because as far as I see it, crime can happen anywhere. I lock my doors and windows at night. Why make it easy for them?

Luckily my dogs will bark. The girl dog would double a burglar over in laughter but the boy dog should scare them enough to make them have to change their drawers at some point.

If you think they won't be scared of your dog, (and you might be surprised about your Golden), I've heard of some sort of contraption that you can hook up, a motion detector, that will go off sounding like a ferocious, mean, angry, hungry dog. Set that up along with a few creative signs about a dog on property, make sure they can be read easily, at night time, and that should act as quiet the deterrent.

If people are breaking in for an oxycontin habit, they're going to find the easiest hit, not struggle with a dog.

If one ever does come in to my house...I say this to every single person no matter where I have lived and who it is: You walk in to my house at night time, uninvited, you're going to get shot. If I'm in my bed, hear a noise get up and then see a silhouette in my living room, that silhouette is getting shot. I don't know who that is, I don't know what they want, I don't know how many there are, I can't see much of anything, I don't know if they have a weapon, I don't know if they are facing me or not, I don't know anything except that there is someone in my house that does not belong there and I most certainly would be in fear for my life at that precise moment. And it only takes a few seconds for them to notice me and shoot me first. Hell. No.

[Bigfish57]

Most
thieves by nature are lazy. If you make your house a harder target then the next one they you are generally all good. Dogs that bark when people show up are great. I love motion lights. I have 3 that you would need to set off before you could get to my door. Security signs real or not help. Close windows when you leave. Unfortunately my current house is close to the road so I can't use a gate but if I could I would. It may be over kill but there are lots of lazy, desperate people with no moral compass running around.
Has anyone ever used that company ADT? they have wireless security systems that you can use even if your home was built with it never in the plans.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

I know a motion detector that doesn't turn on a light. It turns on a digital speaker with the sound of a shotgun being racked.