Intruders

[buckshot721]

Well it was bound to happen somebody pushed a window out of the frame to get in my man cave. They stood on a bench we have under the window pushed it in some how then climbed in. They just walked around (foot prints on a dusty floor) and jumped back out with taking or doing anything else, that I can tell for now. Called the cops, they told me it was maybe kids looking for guns and I just took the barn gun out 2 weeks ago to clean it. So now after replacing the windows my wife wants to put in a security camera, but I'm thinking an alarm system. The size of the barn is 120 ft long by 40ft wide. and its about 200 ft from our house. I have most of the goodies like welders and tools in the front half, back half is used for storage. I am thinking with an alarm at least we have a good chance of hearing it if somebody breaks in, if we are home. And with the wireless cameras, reading about them you need an internet connection. Which I think we would be a little out of range. So I need some ideas on what types of systems you guys use. Yes we have lights on the barn and it still did not stop them.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

You don't need Internet to run your own local wireless, or wired, network. You could also install a DVR camera system in the building without hooking up to any kind of network at all.

 

[2458n]

Harbor freight has a 4 camera system that records 2400 hours on dvd. One of their driveway alerts acts like a motion detector and could sound in the house. You feel violated now wait till they haul your stuff away and the sheriff could care less.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

Of course, "recorders" do nothing to make your property safer or more secure. They do, however, greatly enhance the likelihood of catching the bxstards for prosecution and recovering your belongings. Lights, alarms and firearms provide the "safer" and more "secure."

 

[MikeInEburg]

In the end, your goal should be to prevent theft, not to catch criminals after the fact. If you can trigger an alarm before perps get in, chances are that they'll take off. I like classic photoelectric beams as they're less prone to false alarms. Sometimes an innocuous blinking red LED mounted on a box is enough to keep honest people honest.

 

[square1]

They may have been taking inventory for a return visit?

 

[Ted Summey]

A monitored alarm is the best choice IMHO. I've had a break-in and lost a lot if irreplaceable stuff.

The alarm with monitoring is the best way to ensure police are on the way if you do have a break-in again. The cameras would be an excellent supplement/backup.

 

[Boiler74]

Look into DropCam. I just got one and it's pretty cool. You do need internet, but you could run a wire 200' without much trouble. It can sense noise and motion and send you an alert. You can schedule when it's working. And they do have a recording option but you don't have to do that. Will let you monitor from any smartphone. All you have to do is plug it in. No computer or hard wire needed. And a UPS will keep it running when power is cut if you want that.

I also have a monitored alarm system.

 

[weldingisfun]

Take a look at this outfit, RanchCams: Barn Cameras, Horse Trailer Cameras, Wired/Wireless. We use it in the barn during kidding season. Our house is about 500 feet from the barn. It is wireless.

 

[timster2]

The alarm with monitoring is the best way to ensure police are on the way if you do have a break-in again.

At best this is wishful thinking, responding to a burglar alarm is very low on the police priority list. Your best bet is to have a good set of pictures to hand over to the responding officer so he can have a head start in investigating and recovering your stuff. Pictures can be video from a security system or stills from game cameras placed on the most likely access and egress routes. A picture of a vehicle with license plates will go a long way in finding the perpetrators.

Speaking from experience the guy will be back. My garage was robbed and the guy came back the next day to finish what he started, he must have seen stuff he liked and came back for more. The only thing that stopped him were new stronger locks and the garage door was chained and screwed shut. He was finally caught but my tools were long gone. This was several years ago before cheap video systems and game cameras.

 

[mikim]

I'd sure like to have an alarm system that would go off if disturbed. My barn and guest cabin are 400 ft from the house. Problem is - deer, rabbits, turkeys, hogs, dogs ...would keep me up all night. Definitely need cameras.

 

[dmccarty]

At best this is wishful thinking, responding to a burglar alarm is very low on the police priority list.

That may be true in your area but it is not true in the areas I have lived. Alarms and 911 hangups are taken very seriously in my area. It may or may not be true in the OP's area.

Later,
Dan

 

[nybirdman]

Fairly inexpensive game cameras.Digital and can take thousands of pictures for up to a year on batteries.Bushnell MP8 around $150-$200.00.Hide them in a "bird house"

 

[Sodo]

Your best bet is to have a good set of pictures to hand over to the responding officer so he can have a head start in investigating and recovering your stuff?? A picture of a vehicle with license plates will go a long way in finding the perpetrators.

I had the bad luck of being burglarized, but great luck with game cameras. Emailed pics to the sheriff who recognized the perps, said normally it's the same small group of local thieves causing most trouble in the area. They preferred to amass a bunch of evidence so they can get solid warrants and go after them in one shot (and make it stick). They don't like to go after the guys with half-assed info, which the perps shake off (and learn what they did wrong, and hide better after that). So they were thankful for my game camera pics.

Sheriff felt my evidence of the perps casing the night before, their truck (lic plate); then doing the deed & carrying my belongings, were very strong evidence. Also that the perps were so young (~22) they felt the kids would sing, which they did. Next call I got from Sheriff was that the guys were hit so hard (with my pics) they implicated 4 other people in 6 other burglaries, also identified who bought the stolen stuff, all-in all got 25 names from these kids, and the whole investigation started by my great pics. Cops raided their (ex-con dad's) house; got stolen guns, chainsaws, reloading eqpt, a fresh bearskin & other poaching evidence.

Ultimately the courts 'traded' my specific case away for guilty pleas in other cases they deemed more important. So they were never tried on my case. Which was fine by me I wanted them 'out of the neighborhood', didn't need to see the sad reality of dumb kids who injured their their futures beyond repair. Perps were in jail for a month at least, awaiting trial, but once I heard my case was traded away I stopped following. I thought (at first) that nothing would happen at all. So getting half my stuff back, and now it appears different people are living at "the trouble house", so I'm glad they're gone.

=======

A new $599 Bushnell trailcam is interesting, will txt a low-rez pic to your phone. It also keeps the hi-rez image on the SD card, but at least you can tell if it's a deer or human snooping around, maybe recognize the human. You could tell friends who drop by your place to always walk up to the camera for a mugshot, so when you get the txt you know its friend not foe.

Agreed the camera needs to be hidden, which can be difficult because all the game cameras are a big box. They need to put the motion sensor and camera lens on a remote wire so it's easier to hide.

 

[Ted Summey]

At best this is wishful thinking, responding to a burglar alarm is very low on the police priority list.

If you don't have responsive law enforcement that is unfortunate. I live in a location where we do. Response time to our alarm is less than 10 minutes. Cameras without a monitored alarm, including an audible alarm, would only be partial coverage and counting on the robber to be identifiable.

 

[timster2]

Just talked to a neighbor that was robbed on Wednesday. Advice from the state troopers get a good camera system don't bother with an ADT type system "by the time we get here they will be long gone". The neighbors are now investing in a camera system.

 

[Jstpssng]

Hopefully they were just curious and won't be back... but as "they" say; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

When the remote camp we work out of was new somebody kicked the door in, looked around, and left with a six-pack of Gatorade and a flashlight. They then pulled the door shut behind them. (luck for us... it was January and the place would have frozen.) I showed up Monday AM, "unlocked" the door, and upon entering espied the deadbolt lying on the floor.

The following Monday when I showed up there was a six-pack of Gatorade setting on the doorstep frozen solid. Somebody must have either broken down and needed someplace warm; or had guilty second thoughts.

 

[turnkey4099]

Well it was bound to happen somebody pushed a window out of the frame to get in my man cave. They stood on a bench we have under the window pushed it in some how then climbed in. They just walked around (foot prints on a dusty floor) and jumped back out with taking or doing anything else, that I can tell for now. Called the cops, they told me it was maybe kids looking for guns and I just took the barn gun out 2 weeks ago to clean it. So now after replacing the windows my wife wants to put in a security camera, but I'm thinking an alarm system. The size of the barn is 120 ft long by 40ft wide. and its about 200 ft from our house. I have most of the goodies like welders and tools in the front half, back half is used for storage. I am thinking with an alarm at least we have a good chance of hearing it if somebody breaks in, if we are home. And with the wireless cameras, reading about them you need an internet connection. Which I think we would be a little out of range. So I need some ideas on what types of systems you guys use. Yes we have lights on the barn and it still did not stop them.

Lights on at night IMO are only an assist to the thieves. Helps them see what they can steal. Now if they are on a motion detector switch and come on while they are there it just may scare them off.

My neighbor had a brand new truck full of his professional electrician tools stolen from right under the yard light and only a few feet from the master bedroom. I kinda appreciated his habit of leaving the keys in it as my place was the next one down the road a few hundred feet.

It turned out to be a couple juvenile runaways that had stolen another old truck about 20 miles away and ran out of grass right near my neighbors. They would hae been looking at my place next if no luck down there. The kids totaled the rig about 100 miles away.

Neighbor? Insurance? Sorry bud, you aided and abetteted by leaving the keys in it.



Harry K

 

[YardBikeBob]

I support my son's 7 retail stores in the city with 10 $250 Geovision cameras tied together to a central server. Cameras all ceiling mount dome cameras. Sharp color with good light.

He's been hit 4 times. Each time at night. Each time got grainy, blurry B&W images of bad guys wearing hodies and keeping their heads down. Useless. So were 'detectives'.

Maybe a trail camera with high-res stills would be better but still, if its dark, it will be hard to get prosecutable evidence.

No good solution I can see.

Bob

 

[two_bit_score]

I support my son's 7 retail stores in the city with 10 $250 Geovision cameras tied together to a central server. Cameras all ceiling mount dome cameras. Sharp color with good light.

He's been hit 4 times. Each time at night. Each time got grainy, blurry B&W images of bad guys wearing hodies and keeping their heads down. Useless. So were 'detectives'.

Maybe a trail camera with high-res stills would be better but still, if its dark, it will be hard to get prosecutable evidence.

No good solution I can see.

Bob

Recently saw a story in the news about a store burglary in a small East Texas town where the security guy at a corporate office in another town about 40 miles away saw burglars in one of their stores on a camera system. Called the local cops in that town and they were there in minutes. Had a standoff situation with the burglars when the local cops arrived but they gave up when the Texas Highway patrolmen showed up.