Need additional security measures for my home.

[B yond]

Recent events lead me to believe that I need additional security measures for my home. Please point me in the right direction(s).

What I already have:
-suitable firearms and ammunition for most likely scenarios secured and accessible in strategic locations.
-strong exterior door locks
-vibration alarms on windows
-motion light on front gate that will illuminate an intruder and also my bedroom (to alert me)

What I think I still need:
-I have a nightvision video camera I intend to mount to the front of my roof, so I can observe in front of my house without exposing myself.
-I'd like some kind of motion sensor on/near my driveway that will alert me if someone approaches my vehicles. I'd like it if this could activate a buzzer inside my house rather than a light outside. Where can i obtain something like this?

Is there anything else i should consider?

 

[JDoe]

Is there anything else i should consider?

What kind of threats are you looking to counter?

 

[LiveLife]

Is guard dog an option? Hard to avoid/defeat these thinking, highly alert, fast, determined and territorial furry animals if you are an intruder.

How about a safe/strong room that's armored, reinforced, stocked with communication equipment, food/water, weapons, etc.?

 

[Cornbred]

If your building your home, how about ICF. Good security benifits as well as others. Mylar films on windows, not bullet proof, but if installed correctly can effectively prevent or slow down intruders getting through the windows. Strong locks are not that effective if you have a weak door and frame. So how bout a good steel door and frame. I definately like the dog idea, dang good alarm and sometimes deterant. Safe room or hardened area.

 

[B yond]

Thanks guys.

I don't own the home, I rent, so im a little limited on modifications I can make to the home itself.

I like the idea of a dog. Unfortunately, my daughter is terribly allergic to them.

Moving is a priority, but it's going to take time.

As for specific threats; I have some neighbors that like to throw parties all the time, complete with drunken fights. There has been a string of car burglaries in the complex. One of my neighbors was held up at gunpoint in his own driveway. Another home was broken into while the owner was away. There is a concern with transients squatting nearby and using the complex as a thoroughfare to get from their camp to the corners they beg on. Several times while walking the complex at night I've smelled someone smoking meth. I know several people in the complex are drug dealers, mostly selling marijuana but some are known to sell pharms too.

So yeah, I really need to get my family out of here. In the meantime, I need to keep them as safe as possible, provide some kind of deterrant to keep my vehicles from getting burgled, and to come up with some kind of early warning system so we know when someone is approaching our cars and/or home.

 

[LiveLife]

But you can still do a lot until you move. "Never Give Up!"

- Put up several prominent "Beware of Dog" signs (especially at key entry points) - intruder not familiar with your house won't know whether you have a dog or not. Tell neighbors you may "dog sit" for friends/family from time to time and may have dogs not familiar with the neighbors and potentially bite them - hence the "Beware of Dog" sign
- Borrow a big dog and show off to neighbors that you are dog sitting and walk the dog around the complex/neighbor hood so people will think you do have a dog. Many dog owners will gladly allow you to walk their dog for free or even pay you. For your daughter's benefit, the dog don't even need to go inside your house - just your car.
- Pretend/think like an opportunistic robber/thief and do a walk around/through of your house and see where you might be able to get in the house the quickest/easiest without being noticed/making too much noise (and beef up those areas - ever seen "It takes a thief" TV program?)
- Make yourself/family less of a target/victim. No flashy/pricey items around your neighbors (When I was young living in apartment complex/wrong part of town, I was robbed several times by my neighbors).
- Hide/secure visible valuables around the house and tell neighbors "times are hard" and you had to sell most of your valuables. In fact, look/talk needy/poor.
- No car detailing/wax jobs. Let the dust settle and make your car look bad.
- If you have a garage, clear out the garage and park the car inside the garage all the time to secure the car and to make it harder for neighbors/thieves know when you are not home.

I hope this will get you started.

 

[Trebor]

Look into "Door Jamb Armor." Even with good locks your door can still be kicked in. The idea behind Door Jamb Armor is to reinforce the door to resist forced entry.

Check with your landlord. When he sees the benefits he may install it himself or at least allow you to do so yourself at your own expense.

 

[The Tennessean]

Great suggestion on the Door Jamb Armor. You can search YouTube for product demos with some pretty large men that are unable to kick the door in with the armor installed. In fact, if you have a fiberglass door it will fail before the armor will.

 

[The Tennessean]

Here's the video for Door Jamb Armor. Before anyone asks, no, I don't work for these people, it just seems like a really great alternative to getting a steel door frame and steel door, which is still my preferred method of securing an entry. Obviously if you rent you won't be able to go that route so the Door Jamb Armor seems like the next best solution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQWDZzQfe7I

 

[BULLSI]

http://www.cabelas.com/p-0038446521996a.shtml

 

[JDoe]

Door knob security devices may buy you an additional few or more seconds if someone is trying to bust the door down.

 

[Magoo]

There are lots of breeds of hypoallergenic dogs that your daughter may not be allergic to. Many of them are (standard) poodle hybrids and are quite smart and loyal dogs. If you really want a dog and can train and care for it, it might be worth looking into. Make sure to take your daughter to meet potential candidates to evaluate her allergic response.