The Glade 4.0

(Long post, don't say I did not warn you)

It's been something I've thought about, off and on, over the past several years. Crime in my neighborhood hasn't been much of an issue in the 4 years I've owned this house. The worst I've had was an Amazon package stolen off of my back porch (enjoy your Cat Genie refill cartridge!). This happened pre-fenced yard.

However, on Saturday as my wife and I were meeting with our doula around 6:30pm, we heard a noise. We didn't think a whole lot of it. But after the doula left, I took a trip to the store. As I pulled out, I noticed something odd. A car was "parked" in front of my house. I use the term "parked" loosely, because it was at least 4 feet from the curb, nigh in the middle of the road. I didn't recognize the car (but I am terrible with cars and their owners.. I couldn't tell you what my best friends drive). The dome light was on, the driver's door was slightly ajar, and nobody was in the vehicle.

"Odd." I thought. "But, maybe someone ran out quickly and will be coming back."

I came back 45 minutes later, and there it still sat. I decided to call the cops since, to me, that is kinda suspicious. Maybe someone was abducted from their car a-la Grand Theft Auto style. Maybe someone was drunk. Either way, I figured the cops should be getting involved at this point regardless.

An officer arrived and began inspecting the vehicle. After a few minutes I noticed him shine a flashlight on my neighbor's house (my literal next-door neighbor) but not really do anything beyond that. I saw him ticket the vehicle and drive off after about 15 minutes.

A couple hours later, my doorbell rings. It was my literal next-door neighbor asking me if I had heard or seen anything. In his hand, he was clutching a ticket. I told him no, more out of confusion as to what he was asking about.

He explained the car in front of my house was his. His back door, like mine, has a 2' x 5' pane of tempered glass. His house is on a corner, with it's back to a main road. He only has two sides of his back yard fenced.

Someone (or multiple people, likely) took a rock and smashed the giant window pane and broke in while he and his family were away. They grabbed a lot of stuff. Jewelry, large television sets (55"), etc. and loaded them up in my neighbor's truck. Then they backed out their car in a hurry, "parked" in front of my house, and then stole his truck with his goods loaded on it.

Again, this happened somewhere between 6pm and 6:30pm. And my neighbor had not left his house for long, which also meant that it's possible they were casing the place.

Needless to say, something like this landing close to home (pun intended) and the fact I will be having more family depending on me to keep them safe expedited my thoughts on home security. And if you were to ask me who did this, several blocks down our road is an apartment complex. Based on my own experience of apartment living, I can almost guarantee that it was done by someone living their and likely along with their friends. And the mildly racist side of me has an even further suspicion. But, there's nothing that I can do about it. Nothing, other than making my home less desirable a target.

I am no stranger to having property broken into and the benefits of an alarm system (again, part of the whole apartment living). I've had two cars broken into and even witnessed another person about to break into a different vehicle (apartment living). I know full well that a security system is not guarantee against crime. But I do know from experience that it lessens the chance greatly. When a criminal sees that your property is armed with a security system, their usual thought is to seek out a less risky target. Unless you have something they absolutely want, then no security system in the world is going to stop them.

So I went into this with two main thoughts: 1. Essentially I wanted to display that my house is armed (via the little sign in the yard and some stickers on windows). And 2. I wanted something to alert me while I slept in the event an invader decided to come in while we were home. Utah has a Castle doctrine/law and while I am not a person who thirsts for blood, I am of the full belief that an invader has 100% forfeited his right to live once he has entered my domicile. I will, without hesitation, defend my family by dropping them to the floor. An alarm will serve two purposes in that latter event: It will either scare them away before any harm can befall my family, or it will give me more time to arm myself and face the attacker. Preferably (and likely) the former. But I will be ready, regardless.

So, the hunt began for a security system. The first thing I found was that there are a LOT of registered domains out there that seemed rather fishy. Like (and I am paraphrasing, and not citing specific ones, so if some are real it's just a coincidence) "homesecurityreviews.com" or "besthomealarms.com" or "toptenhomesecuritysystems2014.com" and many others. They did not seem legit at all. And my first thought was that it was run by one specific home security company to trick the googlers into thinking their product was the best of their class. So, deeper digging was required.

Some offered some home automation. While cool, I have a friend who works for Nest that is hooking me up so it was a lot of overlap. It boiled down to me wanting door sensors and window-breaking sensors, being able to interact with the system via smartphone, and having the system work off of cell towers (I have no voice land-line). With the option to upgrade to cameras and motion sensors if needed.

I did eventually decide on that that fit my needs the best while also being one of the higher-rated (of real review sites). Here's hoping it's enough.

Now, how to win the argument of replacing that stupid back door that is 2/3's window. My wife does NOT want that replaced. That will be a tough battle.


Edit: Putting my though process into print, has made me rethink some things. I think I may return the one I got for a full refund and go with a simpler, cheaper, no-contracts one.

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Les Zombis et les Loups-Garous!

I suggest Canary, sounds awesome and there's no subscription fee. They aren't shipping until July but I'd be willing to wait, or get something temporary in the meantime.

http://canary.is/

If you need some specific security advice, PM me - its actually my job XD

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I do like that idea. But I may still be leaning towards something that let's folks know at a glance that "This house will make a noise like a whiny ***** if you come in here" so the more likely they are to just move along. And I am not sure if a "Protected by Canary" sign would send off the right message. But I do appreciate the the suggestion.

I'll also see what Crim has to say.

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Les Zombis et les Loups-Garous!

Time to get a real dog.

Also, noise makers are fine but if the alarm doesn't go anywhere, what is the point? How fast will your neighbor call 911 if you are not home? A good criminal will know what your alarm system doing.

Also...**** people, talk to your neighbors. You don't have to like them but if you don't know what they drive you need to put more points in your spot check. You have to be paranoid.

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Raell Kromwell

I'm just going to leave this here (thank me later)

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Yeah, ok, I agree. That said, we're not talking about good criminals. Odds are, nobody will break into your home. On the off chance they do, it will be a smash and grab. If an alarm goes off, they'll bolt and smash and grab somewhere else.

If you're a high-value citizen, get a high-value alarm, because you may be targeted by high-value criminals.

Otherwise, the odds of criminals sticking around after an alarm goes off are very, very slim.

I'm having a noise-maker alarm installed soon. My brother gave me a bunch of ADT signs. I'm not getting ADT, but I'm putting up the signs.

You can install some fake surveillance cameras with a blinking red LED to use as a deterrent.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... Caps%2C223

I think that if you put up the signs here in California, the guys who drive around in company cars will take them down. We inherited one with our house, and it disappeared about a week later.

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

Use the window stickers.

If they left the car behind it was probably stolen. They might have just been one guy, otherwise why not take the other car too?

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

I assume it was two guys because moving two 55" inch televisions by yourself is a pain. But I suppose it could have been done.

My dog is 125 lbs. But a dog is not enough, unless it's been specifically trained to deal/respond to intruders. This much I know. Although they are certainly a part of the whole "perception" deterrent that a home security sign is also a part of.

I am terrible with cars. Horribly bad. My brain does not make the connections to makes and models nor do I easily remember who drives what. Even if I try, they just appear as uncolored vehicular blobs in my memory. Sometimes it can be severe. "When did you get this new truck, my friend whom I have known a long time?" "A year ago." "I thought you had a cross-over?" "No." I am not, nor will ever I be, a "car guy" and this only adds to that tenfold. I know what I drive, what my wife drives, and what my mother-in-law drives. But other immediate family? I couldn't tell you.

Likely this is the price I pay for having an exceptional long-term memory where I can recall mundane things, thoughts, and emotions from period of my past all the way down to age 2. It's a price I am fine with.

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Les Zombis et les Loups-Garous!