Need some advice

[IonicDOG]

Let me give a bit of back story,

I live in the city and, I rent a 2 bedroom house from my grandfather, he hired a couple of carpenters that previously did some work on his house, to do some renovation to my house(the carpenter has a set of keys to my back door which is the one i go in and out from). Three days after they got there my alarm system went haywire, i've been living in this house for over a year and havn't had any problem with it, I talk to the alarm company and they suggested that i replace the backup battery, so i did and the system worked for 1 day and i havn't gotten a chance to gat the alarm company to come out and check it.

Yesterday i notice that my front door was unlocked and open a little but not to the point of being noticable. I call said carpenter today to tell him about the door and he said that he didn't use that door yesterday and its been like that all weekend. Its my fault for not checking it, i worked really late over the weekend and just forgot about it.

So tonight as i'm about to go to bed i check all the windows and doors. All windows in my house are double insulated and double locked. The 2 windows in my spare bedroom, which face towards the street were open. The outside pane was all the way up and the inside one was unlocked. Do you guys think that my house was a target to get robbed tonight? What should I do?

 

[apollosmith]

Get a new carpenter. Changing the locks might be a good idea also.

For tonight, I'd leave all the lights on, maybe lean some noisy items against the doors and windows, the sleep tight with your gun close by. If you're really worried, call the cops.

 

[Gustav]

Could be a simple mistake workers often open windows for ventilation or other reasons and many times doors do not get closed solidly as the work day ends.

I would be very cautious though because it could also be someone planned to come back for a quick smash and grab shopping spree.

Change the locks and alarm code and if possible as soon as possible set up one of those VCR camera recorders that splits the screen in four with four cameras hidden you can cover allot of ground you can not always be home but your camera will catch pictures when you are not there it may amaze you to see what turns up when you are not in your home.

Also having anything bad on tape provides evidence that can come in handy later on its much easier to get a conviction and your stuff back the tape does not lie!

Best of luck and do what you have to in order to remain safe.

 

[shouldifail]

The first thing that I would do would be to contact my grandfather to inform him of what has been going on (is it possible he came over and opened some windows to let the house air out?). Also, I would inform him that you will be changing the locks on the house as soon as you can possibly do it. Let him know that you feel uneasy knowing that someone has potentially compromised the safety of your home, and I would hope that he would be understanding.
In addition to that, if you are friendly with the neighbors, ask them to keep an eye on your house for you...even if you are at home. Explain the situation if necessary.

Personally, I would not feel comfortable having someone I don't know in my house while I am not there. Perhaps you could talk to your grandfather and arrange work only to be done if you are home??

If possible, take tomorrow off and replace locks, have the alarm company come out, and be there to confront the laborers as to why windows and doors were left open.

other than that, leave a light on, have a phone handy, and sleep lightly.

good luck, chris

 

[BMacklem]

If you don't have to work tomorrow....
I'd personally make a fresh pot of coffee, grab my SD equipment, and have an all night vigil with my back to the wall watching the windows that were left open.
It may be a little paranoid, but that doesn't mean you can't be , or shouldn't be prepared for an invasion.
Also have a cell phone handy, but that should be part of your self-defense equipment anyways.
A video camera set up facing the windows wouldn't hurt in case someone comes to that spot to "just look" inside might give you a clue as to whether or not it's someone you know...i.e. carpenters
and the taped evidence could help to prosecute any intruders later on.

The only caveat I could see to this would be a clever prosecutor might use the videotaping as "premeditation" in that you knew someone might be coming through that window, and you were fully prepared and ready to shoot the possible intruder. might turn a justifiable shoot into a murder rap.
I personally would rather deal with a murder rap than be murdered myself....but that's just me.

 

[IonicDOG]

"Could be a simple mistake workers often open windows for ventilation or other reasons and many times doors do not get closed solidly as the work day ends."

That could be feasible but, they wern't working in that room and had no buisiness being in there

"Change the locks and alarm code and if possible as soon as possible set up one of those VCR camera recorders that splits the screen in four with four cameras"

As soon as i can i will have the alarm company here to fix alarm and install surveillance camera

"If you don't have to work tomorrow....
I'd personally make a fresh pot of coffee, grab my SD equipment, and have an all night vigil with my back to the wall watching the windows that were left open.
It may be a little paranoid, but that doesn't mean you can't be , or shouldn't be prepared for an invasion."

I do have to work tomorrow but, i'm still staying up and gonna try to catch whoever it is that would try to break in

 

[Nix]

do you have a friend with a dog? if not... put glass glasses next to the windows (so if they are opened they will break on the floor) also put a glass on top of the door knob and a small piece of scotch tape to hold it there... it wont be enough to hold it if the knob is turned but enough to hold it from gravity along with the bottom being on the doorknob itself... i do this every night.