Security

There was a study done where they talked to over 300 repeat offender rapist about what the #1 deterrent was when deciding on a victim. Most said that if they heard a dog bark (no matter what kind of Dog) they left that home and found another target because the barking could have already alerted the intended victim or a neighbor of his presence.

Let me preface this by saying that I am not telling you this to scare you, but to illustrate the importance of awareness.

My family was robbed at gunpoint in our own home, in broad daylight. My dad had been working in his garage with the garage door open, and went into the house momentarily to use the bathroom. The open garage door without a person in sight apparently presented a moment of opportunity for the 2 men who robbed us. They pulled into the driveway and probably intended to quickly grab somethings from the garage and run, but my dad walked out as they pulled in the driveway. One man got out, and asked my dad for directions. My dad sensed something was not right, and as he was providing directions, he was walking to where he kept his gun. At that moment, the man placed a sawed off shotgun to my dad's head, walked him into the house where my mom was cooking, took them at gunpoint through the house and took all small valuables he could find (i.e. cash, jewelry, etc.)

In our situation, no lock, alarm system, etc. would have prevented this from happening. We have a dog, who had gone with my aunt for the day (our dog "vacations" at my aunt's house - a whole different story - lol), but the robber saw the dog bowls and said if a dog comes after him, he'd shoot it.
And if my dad had made it to his gun, someone would have undoubtedly been shot that day, maybe killed. With no real way to defend themselves, my parents gave the guy anything he asked for, hoping he'd get enough and leave peacefully. Thankfully, that was the case.

My son and I were napping in the apartment that is connected to the back side of my dad's garage. I heard the rukus in the garage, but it is common for there to be noise in there, my dad does a lot of work and projects in his garage, and his friends stop by regularly. Thank God, they left without realizing the apartment was there, or I feel sure they would have come to my apartment also. The first I knew of what was going on was when my mom busted in screaming to get the baby and get out - that we'd been robbed at gunpoint.

Needless to say, this experience changed our worlds forever. It changed the way we think about our security. We learned that awareness and prevention were the only things that could have possibly changed the course of events that day. As a result of this awful experience, we have installed security cameras with a tv monitor in the house, so that we can see any cars pulling into our small street or driveway, as well as anyone who is at any of our entrance doors. We installed a gate across the top of our driveway to deter anyone who is not invited from pulling in. Will the gate stop someone from getting in who wants to? No, you simply have to get out of your car and open it, but it discourages anything like turn-arounds, etc. We placed a NO TRESSPASSING - DO NOT ENTER sign at the entrance of our dead end street. Of course, this had to be agreed upon by our only neighbor, but after our incident, everyone was on the same page about safety. On that same note, we are now more keenly aware of our neighbor, and he is of us and what is going on at the other's property. And if anyone is going to be alone in the residence for any significant length of time (i.e. overnight), we alert the neighbor for just a little added sense of security. We have thought and planned in detail what we would do in the event of a break-in. Where we would hide, or how we'd escape and where we'd run. We installed more outdoor lights, again, just as a deterrent. And we learned to call 911 at even the slightest twinge that something is amiss.

I know, it's all very scary. But in reality, the only thing that might have helped us in our exact scenario, would have been preparedness. Even that might not have changed things on that day, but locks, alarms, dogs, etc. would have done nothing.

We have changed our awareness level. When outside, we become keenly aware of a car passing by more slowly than typical. If an unfamiliar or suspicious car stops by our drive, we are proactive and not afraid to call 911. We don't answer the door - we don't even go to the door - if we can't see and recognize who is knocking. Those kinds of things.

I would just suggest to you that to "up" your security factor, you keep these kinds of things in mind. I am all for installing bigger locks, and getting some ferocious dogs, but just be aware that they may not be enough. Have a plan. Discuss it in detail with your family, if they are old enough to understand but not be too frightened. If they are little, plan for what you'd have to do if you needed to hide or escape from your house.

Best wishes to you. This is a tough issue for me.

I have a dog, security system that is monitored, but I live rural as well & it would take at least 20 minutes for police to respond & that is if they aren't already on another call, so I have a gun as well that I am proficient with. I practice about every other month. I have a locked gun safe & trigger locks. My husband competition shoots & has a gun store, so we teach safe gun handling all the time with the kids. They have shot a gun at 3 & 4, which was done for the sole purpose of breaking their curiosity. They now have a healthy respect for them & understand they are dangerous.

We have dogs. I do not need a doorbell at all. They have distinct barks...1)barking for attention 2) someone is on the property 3) wildlife outside
We lave a large home on a large lot and it does not matter where I am in the house, they let me know what's going on.

I feel secure with my dogs.

We do have an alarm system but we are not monitored and rarely use it. There are so many false alarms, people just ignore it. My neighbors know if they hear my alarm...it is real. You do get a small discount on homeowners insurance for being monitored.

We use deadbolt locks on the main doors.

We don't do anything extreme, just common sense.

You can call your local police department and they will come over and take a look at your house and make suggestions. Free!

Security systems are the best for your family. Make sure they are monitored. Local is best. If you have Sonitrol in GA call them. They are the best.

We have dogs and an alarm system. I have to say, dogs are the best thing you can have for security. All of the "reformed" burglars who now give tips to law enforcement say they had rather deal with just about ANYTHING during a break-in than a dog. Of course you should want to own a dog and love it and play with it if you're going to have one, but they're wonderful! We've lived in "gentrifying" areas of Atlanta for the last 12 years, and I am confident that the reason we've never been broken into is our two dogs. They're sweet as pie, but they're big, loud and look scary to strangers. One street we lived on proved the point -EVERY house on that street was burglarized during a spree except for the 4 with dogs.

Huzzah the Canine-Security-System!! (Our lab doesn't retrieve, but he's *fantastic* about monitoring everything going on). As someone else said, we REALLY don't need a doorbell. He's on full alert the moment anything crosses onto "his" property, and (sigh) unfortunately all of our neighbors' properties.

We live in a safe urban area, so we just have regular locks. For in house we have mace (bear mace technically, it will shoot up to 30' and is stronger than people-mace. I don't see how 30 feet does much good with a bear, but it's perfect for the running spray for people). We also have multiple cellphones and escape routes. If I lived in the country, I'd have firearms. (BTDT). I greatly regret the lack of exposure to weapons (and therefore lack of respect) that our 7yo has... but for where and how we live, it's just not possible right now.

We have insurance, so honestly I'm pretty casual about security. Nothing of real value is kept in our home except for US, & we have backups (like photos) saved in a few places. The only time I REALLY care about security is when we're IN the house asleep. Since we have glass windows ($2 to buy a glass cutter at the store, less for duct tape), anyone who was determined to get in could, quite easily, and quite noiselessly. LOL... well, not really, with Uber-dog.

We have dogs. Not to eat whomever comes over but to warn us of anythingi unusual.
I just feel more secure with the girls around.
We also take the necessary precautions like locking doors, leaving the lights on outside when we are gone at night, keeping the bushes trimmed in front.

I am the daughter of a policeman and a sister and wife of military men. Personal safety and property security is a priority education in our family.

Safety is not mechanical, as the criminal mind is usually able to easily master any lock, barrier, animal, or electronic alarm system. Personal safety is BEHAVIORAL, and must be secured by clear thinking and good decisions. First we must prevent threatening situations, and then we must recognize when a threat presents itself, and finally we should make sure we are prepared to run or defend ourselves if the threat turns to action.

Of course, lock your doors, this is a real deterrent to some, and at least buys time and requires noise to overcome. But, more or heavier locks are not cost effective. Some people are comfortable with various weapons in their home or vehicles. Though I caution that weapons are more often stolen than successfully used for defense of property. Alarm systems do bring emergency personnel, but more often for false alarms and rarely in time to prevent harm or loss. Dogs usually just get shot.

Security is a state of mind, personally and politically. Be prepared, be willing to make quick and tough decisions, and be sensitive to people and circumstances around you.

This will allow you to live safely, feeling secure wherever you are, and have the funds you would have spent on mechanical devices to use for other family comforts!

All the best,
A.

We live in Augusta and just moved here from a major city so not so much of a concern for us. Pretty small town/rural feel. I have noticed far more people have security systems here than in Chicago, not sure why that is.

We keep our doors locked and that's about it. Not a major concern for me since we are away from any high crime areas.