I think my house may have been cased yesterday

[Cougfan2]

It's good to be situationally aware, but I might not be so quick to say that thieves opened your gate.

If you read my original post you'll see I say I MAY have been cased. That being said, I agree with you. I surely hope it was just some kid.

 

[KiltedClaymore]

i just have one question. why, other than not wanting a contract, do you NOT want a monitored system?

 

[Cougfan2]

kiltedClaymore, If I could get a monitored system for a reasonable price with just a month to moth billing I would be interested, but I just haven't found anybody that offers such a service, although I must admit, I'm only familiar with the big players like Brinks and ADT. If you have experience with a company that offers reasonable monitored service with month to month billing I would love to hear about it.

 

[KiltedClaymore]

sorry, i've the same experiance.

 

[dralarms]

Shoot, I'll monitor your alarm system for $170.00 per year. No contract, you pay, I monitor, you write cancel on your bill. I cancel. No big deal.

 

[rugerman07]

Well, If I thought my house was being cased I certainly wouldn't make it public by posting it here. I'd contact a lawyer.

 

[KiltedClaymore]

why?

 

[Caipirinha]

+1 to locking your gates. Unless you're being specifically targeted, most thieves will just move on to an easier target rather than climb your fence.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

http://www.safemart.com/


And security lights for the night time, always!

 

[smee781]

What about this?

Most of the installed house alarms will still work if you turn them on, the alarm will go off if the sensor is tripped but it will not send out a signal. Give it a try and put a speaker out side for all the neighbors to hear!

 

[murph50]

I've had several places that I've lived in cased before. You can put your guns in the attic under the insulation or hide them in a crawlspace along with other valuables until you get a safe.
For windows that cannot be seen by neighbors or from the street--you can get a pine 1 x 6" and put a bunch of 3-4" nails through the board and place the board under said windows and cover with dirt or grass.
I now go with Apex security. I did sign a 1 year contract but I've had the system for over 2 years--it's worth the $30 a month just for peace of mind when I'm gone. I also have 3 safes--2 for firearms and one for other valuables.
Good luck and talk to your neighbors and alert them to keep an eye on the neighborhood as well as your place

 

[Aren't we all]

You could get some steel doors

Trip wires seriously

and put tape on the bottom frame of the door so you'll know if someone has opened the door.

or get a bigger dog

or get some attack geese

marsh

 

[KiltedClaymore]

or get some attack geese

dude, seriously. i got mobbed by them once, they will make a grown man cry.

 

[Cosmoline]

I have them in a gun rack as I haven't been able to afford a safe yet.

You should at least be able to afford a small safe for the bolts & actions or a heavy jobsite box like I use.

 

[Dave B]

In the house I used to live in, I had a unmonitored system. I had a siren inside and one in the attic facing an outside vent. I had an inside motion detector, but the best one was a magnetic switch on the unlocked screen doors front and rear. They would always try those first. This happened several times, and I was never broken into after I installed the system. I got a few calls at work from neighbors saying a car pealed out of my drive.

 

[Rmart30]

I bought my last 2 gun safes at Academy sports. They are the smallest fireproof safe they had and it holds about 15 long guns and plenty of room for important papers and such. They had them for $699 ? and it was 12 months w/no interest so it was easy to make payments on.
Stack ons bolted to a wall are better than nothing but can be pried open fairly easy.

Like Cosmoline said a heavy "job box" would be better than a stack on and you can find them for under $150.

 

[86thecat]

A quick measure until getting a good safe is removing the bolts from rifles and some shotguns (like an 870) and storing them separately in a small safe or well hidden.

 

[never_retreat]

A friend of mine thought he was being cased the other night also.
He rigged his backyard with 60lb monofiliment. connected to a air horn from a tug boat. Powered by the compressor in the garage.

If he does nothing else it should at least make the perp have to go home and change his underwear.

 

[CBS220]

That's great!

I know a man who ran into some trouble with the law more than a few years ago.

Someone broke into his house, and he was pretty sure he knew who it was. So he spreads some information to the tune of, "At least they didn't get into the back of the house, where the valuables are".

Well, sure enough, the crooks get back, and when they open the door a shotgun attached to some pulleys and other gizmos puts one of them in a world of hurt!

The guy got charged with secret assault, I believe it was, for doing it, but damned if those burglars will try it again- they were caught at the hospital.

 

[KiltedClaymore]

is secret assault a felony?

 

[jaytex1969]

If you end up buying the Stack On type unit for now, it won't go to waste. I bought one until I could afford the more serious gun safe and now my Homak steel box serves as the ammo dump.

+1 for attack geese and doggy doo landmines...

 

[C96]

Cougfan - You may want to consider one or more small(narrow) RSC's that could fit into your closet. Something small enough to fit in the end of your closet. Put them in a closet that is NOT in your master bedroom. Bolt firmly to walls.

The first place in the house to get tossed is the master bedroom. One of the last places is closets in lesser bedrooms.

If you can bolt it in the end of the closet to two walls it will be tough to attack quickly.

I did this and it has already been tested once. Worked well, got a bit of time to talk with the investigators. I was one of a string of customers.

 

[SSN Vet]

I'm kind of in the same boat....can't afford a respectable gun safe, but need to lock my long guns up.

So I picked up a 10 gun stack on sale at Dick
s for $89. If you can install it in the end wall fo a narrow closset and get all of the lag bolts into studs, it would be a major bugger to rip it out and the closset walls impede easilly using a long pry bar.

If you can hide the unit from view with a long coat, that's even better.

I think this would definately deter a smash and grab type attack. And if nobody knows it's there, then you avoid inviting violent cohersion of a love one.

A safe it's not....but imho it's better than nothing.

Don't count on getting as many guns in their as they state though. I've got six long guns in mine and it's pretty darn full.

 

[Guns and more]

I know money is tight, but you'll sleep a lot better when you have a safe. Heavy enough so it can't be carried out and big enough to store other valuables. and the wife will like that too.

 

[CBS220]

is secret assault a felony?

Apparently. This was at least 20 years ago, so it may have changed since then. I don't know if he lost his firearms or not.

http://law.justia.com/northcarolina/codes/chapter_14/gs_14-31.html