midjd
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Post by midjd on Aug 15, 2014 19:47:44 GMT -5
Our neighbor just came over to let us know that he called the sheriff's department this morning because he saw a guy park his car at the church across the road and then come wandering up our driveway. He says he caught the same person hanging out at his picnic table at around 2am last Sunday. This person apparently lives up the road a bit and is mentally handicapped and allegedly harmless. I'm pretty sure I saw him staggering down the road last week when I was driving to work (it almost made me turn back and go home, because he was headed right for our house - but then I thought, "do I really want to confront a guy trying to break in while I have the baby in the car?" and just went on to work.) DH had mentioned finding an empty pack of cigarettes down by the fire pit the last time he mowed the lawn, so at least this explains that.
Anyway, neighbor said the sheriff told the guy if he set foot on either neighbor's or our property again he'd be arrested for criminal trespass. I'm assuming no criminal case was opened since I can't find anything on Doxpop.
So my question - what type of security system would you recommend for a house that is way out in the country and has a super-long driveway?
I'm not sure we need an actual interior security system, but it would be nice to have a couple of trail cams or other motion-activated cameras and a driveway sensor. I think "No Trespassing" signs are tacky, but it looks as though to have someone arrested here you need some sort of indication that they aren't wanted. Maybe scarecrows dressed in riot gear?
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milee
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Post by milee on Aug 15, 2014 20:32:32 GMT -5
If someone really wants to get in, they will. You're not trying to stop a professional thief, you're trying to deter a mentally handicapped neighbor and possibly random troublemakers in the future.
So if it were me, I'd focus on setting up systems that are annoying to unwelcome intruders. Motion detector lights are a good start, but also think about motion activated and LOUD alarms in a few places outdoors and around the perimeters of your property or inviting outside areas. Sounds like this guy wanders around and hangs out; you want to make your house too annoying to bother with. Loud alarms are a good start, especially since you're out in the sticks and not likely to annoy neighbors with them.
Not trying to freak you out and this guy could be perfectly harmless, but I would be very uncomfy with the situation you're describing. He sounds like he does not understand boundaries and it would be very scary for me to find him on my porch or walking up to me at night while I was taking the garbage out or something. I'd want to shoo him away before any of that happens.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Aug 15, 2014 20:43:09 GMT -5
I agree. When Bill was describing how he saw the kid sitting at his picnic table (in the pouring rain) last weekend, and just wandered outside to ask him what was up, I was like . But he said he wasn't worried, because he had a baseball bat. Oh, to be a large man. Noise alarms would be good. It would be nice to have motion lights too, if only because the switch for our outdoor flood lights is in the garage, and if you go out the front door it's a PITA to try to navigate in the dark. I miss our dog.
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dannylion
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Post by dannylion on Aug 15, 2014 20:53:00 GMT -5
You could get another dog. Dogs are good.
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cranberry49
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Post by cranberry49 on Aug 15, 2014 21:04:05 GMT -5
i have Vivint home security alarm, and I really like it. It also has alarms on the windows with sounds you can set to make a 'noise' for a moment to let you know when the windows are open and/or the doors, when the alarm is not set. When the alarm is set, any window opened or door and the alarm goes off and it is very loud! The vivint people will come on over the intercom and ask you to give them a 'code' name so they can turn it off for you if need be. If someone doesn't know the 'code' they call the cops! Go to the website and check them out. We pay 59.00 a month and it's well worth it to me. This also includes a fire/carbon monoxide detector that they monitor.
www.vivint.com/en/solutions/packages/home-security
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 15, 2014 21:10:45 GMT -5
i have Vivint home security alarm, and I really like it. It also has alarms on the windows with sounds you can set to make a 'noise' for a moment to let you know when the windows are open and/or the doors. Go to the website and check them out. We pay 59.00 a month and it's well worth it to me. Vivint-used to be known as APX Alarm Security Solutions Inc. Good luck with them especially if you ever have to move. I was fortunate to get out of my contract with them through the help of the BBB. Hundreds of complaints filed against APX/Vivint. Loathsome company.
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cranberry49
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Post by cranberry49 on Aug 15, 2014 21:12:50 GMT -5
i have Vivint home security alarm, and I really like it. It also has alarms on the windows with sounds you can set to make a 'noise' for a moment to let you know when the windows are open and/or the doors. Go to the website and check them out. We pay 59.00 a month and it's well worth it to me. Vivint-used to be known as APX Alarm Security Solutions Inc. Good luck with them especially if you ever have to move. I was fortunate to get out of my contract with them through the help of the BBB. Hundreds of complaints filed against APX/Vivint. Loathsome company. Really? I haven't had any problems with them. But then again I haven't moved either. Oh, and I've fulfilled my contract, so no problem there.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 15, 2014 21:19:31 GMT -5
Vivint-used to be known as APX Alarm Security Solutions Inc. Good luck with them especially if you ever have to move. I was fortunate to get out of my contract with them through the help of the BBB. Hundreds of complaints filed against APX/Vivint. Loathsome company. Really? I haven't had any problems with them. But then again I haven't moved either. Oh, and I've fulfilled my contract, so no problem there. Lucky you on completing the contract. There was one complaint filed against them where the customer was being sent to fight in Iraq and he had to move out of his apartment. He had no need for their service in Iraq. They told him too bad-pay up the rest of your contract.
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cranberry49
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Post by cranberry49 on Aug 15, 2014 21:48:29 GMT -5
Maybe this is under new management since the name has changed too? I don't know. Anyway, like I said, I haven't had any problems and the monitoring works very well! I've had the smoke alarm go off a few times because of cooking and they came on the monitor quickly! Finally came over and moved the alarm to a different area to keep the thing from going off! My DIL came over to check on our dogs when we went on vacation and forgot the pin to turn the alarm off. She said it went off and security came on over the intercom and asked her for the code name and she gave it to them and they turned the alarm off. Worked like a charm!
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Aug 15, 2014 22:07:30 GMT -5
Infrared cameras and a DVR are pretty cheap these days, but they aren't a deterrent unless you make them really obvious. You can get a 5 camera setup with 500g DVR for around $250-300. It includes an app that will let you log in remotely from any computer or smart phone and watch the feeds in real time.
Audible alarms are a better deterrent, but you can get cited for false alarms and noise violations. Around here it's a $100 fine for a false alarm if the police are dispatched. If you get unmonitored alarms it's not very likely the police will be dispatched, but a lot of them will stay on until manually turned off which will drive your neighbors crazy if they go off for hours while you aren't home.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Aug 15, 2014 22:28:08 GMT -5
I was looking at the system that Lowe's sells - noisemakers, cameras, lights, and everything connected to your cell phone. Once you buy the system you don't pay monthly fees. It was the first security system I have ever wanted. I think it is Iris, or something? That said - hearing "harmless mentally handicapped man" made me think about the guy who was a "menace" to our neighborhood. During the work day, he would go to people's house and do yard work. Only in the front yard. I've never wanted to be a victim so badly.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Aug 17, 2014 7:48:05 GMT -5
Ours let us know, at 4 am, that our water heater was busted. First good nights sleep I've had in days and interrupted. But I was glad to know it.
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Blonde Granny
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Post by Blonde Granny on Aug 17, 2014 8:10:51 GMT -5
We have ADT. It was about our only option when we built the house last year.
Similar to Zib, late one evening a few weeks ago the alarm went off. I jumped up, wondered if once again DH had opened a door without thinking, ran to the key pad, turned it off and the alarm kept blasting away. Tried it again, no luck, ear shattering that late at night. Alarm off, all doors and windows closed, not a darn thing to set this off, and I still couldn't get the alarm to stop its crazy loud screaming..................
As I ran back into the kitchen, I discovered the culprit...........the damn weather alert radio was screaming at me. That was the last time for it. I turned it off, if I want alerts now, I go look outside and see what the weather is doing.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Aug 17, 2014 14:40:11 GMT -5
Infrared cameras and a DVR are pretty cheap these days, but they aren't a deterrent unless you make them really obvious. You can get a 5 camera setup with 500g DVR for around $250-300. It includes an app that will let you log in remotely from any computer or smart phone and watch the feeds in real time. Audible alarms are a better deterrent, but you can get cited for false alarms and noise violations. Around here it's a $100 fine for a false alarm if the police are dispatched. If you get unmonitored alarms it's not very likely the police will be dispatched, but a lot of them will stay on until manually turned off which will drive your neighbors crazy if they go off for hours while you aren't home. You're out in the boonies so if you use regular cameras you'll need to also have some sort of lighting - motion sensor?.
FWIW: neighbor on the corner was at war with another neighbor from a couple blocks away about the 'away' neighbor's dog. The away neighbor was letting the dog pee and poop on the parkway grass (I think he WAS picking up the poop). The corner neighbor was having fits because they were having trouble getting grass to grow (ala the dog pee/poop was killing it) AND the corner neighbor's kids had swings and an obvious 'play area' around one of the parkway trees -- where the dog would do his business. (mind you I live in a densely populated area - there were probably no less than 20 to 30 dogs going past the corner house.) The corner neighbors managed to get all the other dog owners to go a different way - except for the one guy. The police were called, there was a lot of confrentations. The corner house put up video cameras, motion lights, strapped notices to the trees about the City's rules on dogs/parkways etc.
So, I know you can put up lights and cameras. It seems the Guy with the Dog has started avoiding walking on the side of the street with the Corner House People. Unfortunately, their grass still isn't doing well (it's pretty obvious the city trees are blocking the light/rain... cause that's a problem for EVERYONE) and there are a whole slew of possums, skunks, and raccoons that potentially could be leaving poop/pee behind and that might dig up the 'grass' looking for yummy grubs and worms.... Hopefully their cameras caught that going on.
FWIW: the evil part of my heart wanted to stage a "Fellini Parade" late some night dancing past their house - so they'd have something interesting on their camera footage.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Aug 17, 2014 14:41:12 GMT -5
What about a motion sensored spray of water? The kind that's suppose to keep deer, dogs, cats, off your property? Although if he was sitting out in the rain... it might not be much of a detterant.
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ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ
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Post by ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ on Aug 17, 2014 15:05:24 GMT -5
The motion-detector lights are good - but only are effective after dark - if someone's roaming your propery during the day, they wouldn't come on. I wouldn't go with the loud motion-activated alarms - especially if you aren't using a monitored security system - if you're not home and those got triggered they'd be blasting away for who-knows-how-long and you could be cited with a noise complaint or nuisance noise. With a monitored system, they call the house if one of the alarms (entryway, indoor motion detectors etc) gets triggered - and isn't shut-off deactivated using the keypad within a couple of minutes. They usually will dispatch FAP (Fire, Ambulance, Police) if no response to their call.
We had a monitored Chubb system in our first home - with the outdoor motion-detector spotlights installed - again, they only get triggered at night.
Our second monitored system in the next house was ADT - our next door neighbor was the Regional Manager for ADT in our city.
Sounds like your "visitor" is harmless, but you don't want him making a nuisance of himself or inviting himself onto your property anytime he feels like it.
Do you know where he lives or who is responsible for him who can tell him to stay out of other people's yards unless invited? You may even need to get the police/sheriff to speak to him about trespassing.
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drivingaround
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Post by drivingaround on Aug 17, 2014 16:04:42 GMT -5
Off ebay you can buy the window and yard stickers for a home security system. We had a rash of break-ins two years ago and the policeman said burglars will choose the house without the signs first. So even if you don't have an actual system you could put the stickers in the windows and the plaque sticks near your front door and may end of your driveway. Could also get a "Security camera in use" sign at Lowes or Home Depot.
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Aug 17, 2014 17:34:00 GMT -5
The cheap cameras they sell now are infrared so they work without lights. Pretty well too. We had a break in at our softball snackbar. Pitch black inside and the police officer responding to the call recognized the guy right away from the camera footage. He's a genius though that walked right up to the camera and ripped it off the wall. Apparently nobody told him those things record so he should have jacked the DVR, and he never noticed the other camera that also recorded the whole thing.
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Artemis Windsong
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Post by Artemis Windsong on Aug 18, 2014 19:23:52 GMT -5
My GrD was really nervous all the time even when she invited us over to visit the place she'd just moved into. When they installed the Vivinet, she was much calmer.
They did shut off the annoying "front door open" when we were last there.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2014 21:14:05 GMT -5
I would find out more about the mentally handicapped neighbour. Maybe all it takes is for him to be told his behaviour isn't appropriate.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Aug 19, 2014 11:44:51 GMT -5
I'm not a fan of the motion activated lights or horns. I lived near a house with the lights for a while and a strong wind whipping up the trees and bushes, a dog passing by or a deer were all it took to make the lights flash on. All night long it was on/off, on/off, on/off.
We have an ADT system to let the cops know if someone breaks in when we aren't there, but since your problem is a mentally challenged person, I would probably just get a big dog that barks. I'm guessing that would make him stay clear of your hard - unless he gets friendly with the dog, I suppose.
I agree with laterbloomer that it would be worthwhile to get to know more about this person. I assume he lives with a relative, perhaps they don't even know this guy is wandering onto your property. They may be able to do more to curb his wandering feet than you can.
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Pants
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Post by Pants on Aug 19, 2014 11:55:48 GMT -5
My security system is named Buster. 100 lbs of fearless lab who barks like he's 150 lbs of Rottweiler. Also I live behind the police station.
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