Incident at my house last night

[jimdigriz 580]

Last night my wife roused me at about 1:30 am, and I hear some sort of alarm. It was the proximity alarm we installed on the back porch in a screened-in room, although I didn't realize it at first. When someone enters the room and sets off the motion sensor, a wireless signal is sent to an alarm in the house (separate and distinct from the house alarm system).

 

The really disappointing part about this whole thing is how the thing went off (rather loudly) for 20-30 seconds without impinging on my consciousness, and even after my wife woke me, I was too disoriented to react quickly. I told her this morning say to "Code red! Emergency! Wake up!" as that would probably bring me to alertness faster than "That thing is going off."

 

By the time I was fully awake, the alarm had stopped going off. Maybe it was going off for a nearly a minute before it ceased. It has yet to have any sort of malfunction, and has never sounded without someone actually being within the screened-in room/back-porch. I believe someone was definitely there, possibly one of the workers who was cutting down my trees yesterday. The alarm is loud enough to be heard outside, and that probably frightened the person off. But our response time was frighteningly slow.

 

We did get some positive take-aways. My wife is now taking security more seriously, and we have a better plan for when something like that happens again. I still need to install the proximity alarm for the front porch, and get an approach alarm for the driveway as well. This definitely deserves more thought about how to improve our warning time and the quickness of our response.

 

Jim

[janusthephoenix 24]

Not cool that someone tried to burgle you, but cool that your system worked. I wonder how sensitive it is though...could it have been a raccoon or cat or something?

[jimdigriz 580]

Not cool that someone tried to burgle you, but cool that your system worked. I wonder how sensitive it is though...could it have been a raccoon or cat or something?

 

Not unless it was inside the screen-in back porch room. (The 115 pound dog never sets off the alarm when walking around on the outside of that room). Only a human could open the door.

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

The dog alarm didn't go off?

[DogMan 2,343]

Possibly a moth or something like that landing right on the sensor?

[longhorn 81]

I used to have my wife set our bed side alarm at random times, so I could practice response time to break-ins. Once in awhile, when she hears something in the middle of the night, she has a special way of saying my name that is much more effective in waking me up than alarm practice. Last week My dad, son and me were at a motorcycle dirt flat track race and he received a call from my stepmother, who was pulling up to their house. She said, there is a car with two men in it and they seem to be scoping out the house. My dad told her to circle the block and we would be there in a few. When she pulled out of the drive way the two men drove away and she pulled in the garage, went inside and started to turn on the lights. While my dad was still talking to her he heard her scream and say someone was in the backyard. He told her to run to the bathroom, grab the gun, lock the door and call 911. We were driving 170 mph down the I-15 fwy in his brand new Porche 911. The police got their within 5 min. but found no one. The next day dad's neighbor called him and said, there is a man in a car watching his home. Both times his wife and neighbor failed to get a full licence plate and vehicle description. It seems that these burglars are very aggressive and have little to fear. Anyway, be careful and I hope you catch that guy.

[TO THE FLOOR IN A 63 121]

I know what you mean about waking up in the middle of the night.

 

I just found a spooky one last night...someone is pool hoping in my hot tub in my back yard...they keep leaving the cover open. This is the second time I have noticed but the wife says she has seen the cover off about 6 times but thought I left it open. It's a hard cover and it doesn't fold back by itself. Dog alarm didn't work.

[Lone Star Arms 2,047]

Don't be too hard on yourself Jim. At least you HAVE an alarm and use it. And, if it put the intruder on alert and sent him packing -- it did its job as a deterrent.

 

That your wife is now more security conscious is a huge bonus. Hopefully she knows how to shoot in self defense, or will be motivated to learn.

 

Hypervigilance can lead to sleep deprivation, and sleep deprivation to paranoia and depression. You're only human Jim, and you're doing what you need to do. Give yourself a pat on the back for creating a defense system that works even when you are fast asleep.

 

WS

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

Plus one WaffenSchmied

 

 

Damn that sucks To The Floor..my hot tub is my private place of peace and rest. The thought of someone sneaking in there while I'm away and doing who know's what would make me get pretty upset. I believe some sort of stakeout or surveilance would be in order there.

[jimdigriz 580]

The dog alarm didn't go off?

 

He was in the garage on account of the cold.

[jimdigriz 580]

That your wife is now more security conscious is a huge bonus. Hopefully she knows how to shoot in self defense, or will be motivated to learn.

 

I bought her a Saiga 5.45, which she shot for the first time last month. She likes it a lot, but needs to get to the range much more often, since she is starting with such a deficit.

[DogMan 2,343]

I know what you mean about waking up in the middle of the night.

 

I just found a spooky one last night...someone is pool hoping in my hot tub in my back yard...they keep leaving the cover open. This is the second time I have noticed but the wife says she has seen the cover off about 6 times but thought I left it open. It's a hard cover and it doesn't fold back by itself. Dog alarm didn't work.

 

You could dump about ten gallons of extra bleach in there. Your perpetrator will be the albino walking down the street.

[RalphXL 9]

I know what you mean about waking up in the middle of the night.

 

I just found a spooky one last night...someone is pool hoping in my hot tub in my back yard...they keep leaving the cover open. This is the second time I have noticed but the wife says she has seen the cover off about 6 times but thought I left it open. It's a hard cover and it doesn't fold back by itself. Dog alarm didn't work.

 

You could dump about ten gallons of extra bleach in there. Your perpetrator will be the albino walking down the street.

 

 

Or die for that matter.

 

Yes officer, just look for a wet blue man.

 

RalphXL

[Paulry 50]

TO THE FLOOR

 

I'll remember to close the cover!

 

 

Seriously,

You got to be kidding me! someone is jacking your hot tub in the middle of the night? Get an alligator and install a motion detector with lights and don't forget the bouncing Bettie's! Trip flares and bear traps!

 

Maybe you can put some kind of spring loaded pop up that will scare the hell out of who ever moves the cover! (if you like me you'll forget and be the one who has heart failure)

 

Wow, crime might be on the rise!

 

Good luck all!

[Motopilot1 37]

i had 2 guys come to the house just the other night it was 10:30 pm and they said they were carpet cleaners, i answered the door with my 45. they said oh i see you have hard wood floors and left in a hurry. i thought it was wierd.

[jimdigriz 580]

i had 2 guys come to the house just the other night it was 10:30 pm and they said they were carpet cleaners, i answered the door with my 45. they said oh i see you have hard wood floors and left in a hurry. i thought it was wierd.

 

Probably not a good idea to actually answer the door at that time of night.

[diamondback 56]

Damn that sucks To The Floor..my hot tub is my private place of peace and rest. The thought of someone sneaking in there while I'm away and doing who know's what would make me get pretty upset. I believe some sort of stakeout or surveilance would be in order there.

Might be fun to lob a hunk o' solid sodium in there with 'em... sodium burns upon hitting water, so you may need to clean their voidage out afterward, but I think it'd be effective at dissuading return visits...

 

You got to be kidding me! someone is jacking your hot tub in the middle of the night? Get an alligator and install a motion detector with lights and don't forget the bouncing Bettie's! Trip flares and bear traps!

 

Maybe you can put some kind of spring loaded pop up that will scare the hell out of who ever moves the cover! (if you like me you'll forget and be the one who has heart failure)

Good premise, but nothing lethal, though--trip flares, noisemakers/alarms and maybe an array of paintball-Claymores loaded with a mix of paintballs and those pepperballs Dog the Bounty Hunter likes...

[TO THE FLOOR IN A 63 121]

yeah no booby traps...I do like the aligator idea.

Edited January 16, 2010 by TO THE FLOOR

[kdbutler 563]

Don't be too hard on yourself Jim. At least you HAVE an alarm and use it. And, if it put the intruder on alert and sent him packing -- it did its job as a deterrent.

 

That your wife is now more security conscious is a huge bonus. Hopefully she knows how to shoot in self defense, or will be motivated to learn.

 

Hypervigilance can lead to sleep deprivation, and sleep deprivation to paranoia and depression. You're only human Jim, and you're doing what you need to do. Give yourself a pat on the back for creating a defense system that works even when you are fast asleep.

 

WS

 

What WS said, Jim. Glad you and your family are alright.

[havok 21]

Surveillance camera's are one of the best tool's to fight crime, I would invest if I was you.

You would know what happened right now, which direction they came from, decription of the person and maybe a plate #.

Without a 24hr cam your just left guessing what happened.

[diamondback 56]

Yep, layered defense--cams for video evidence and remote monitoring, paintballs triggered from a bedside remote to stain the perps, sodium-chunk to say "Get Out" and pepperballs to say "And STAY Out, Assholes!"...

 

Information & Evidence are always key in getting an arrest and conviction against these jokers.

[paprotective 362]

This is interesting.. I live in an apt/house and apparently our upstairs neighbor came in around 2am and the foot steps on the wood wrap-a-around porch woke me up & quik... I sat up and waited a few minutes and replayed in my head the noises and scenerios in my head (for the solutions/causes) and went back to sleep..

 

Knowing your surroundings with/without lights helps me even after all these years.

 

I used to practice 'night drills' in my house with the ex and door knob shooting in the dark...

 

She thought I was a nut too. But I get paid to be a NUT sometimes. Entertaining going back to work in the field this year. Clients are getting tight in recent years and insurance kills me.

 

Good to hear all was ok on your end.

[G O B 3,516]

Motion detecting lights, 'pool guard' floating child alarm -makes loud alarm when water is disturbed, motion activated photo flash nothing startles and triggers the run away response like a blinding flash of light. And of course video recording to verify and identify.

[Paulry 50]

Jim and Floor,

GOB's got it, you both need one of those wildlife recording camera's! They can do some pretty amazing things and you could buy cheap this time of year on Craigs List or Ebay.

 

 

I like the floating alarm idea as well!

 

Be safe all.

[havok 21]

Wild life camera? thats a joke. The camera's will be taken along with the film and your guns and jewels. Get a good surveillance cameras that are hidden and visable with remote access. You can watch your house on your cell phone if you want when your not home with good a cellphone. My brother and I have had it for years now. It's best to record your house at another famliy members house or work computer. The cost was cheap years ago when I got it. Mine are now 7 years old and I just bought a new house so I 'am on the hunt for better cams.

 

When I live in the local town on the main drag. On my cams I have seen alot of shit from 3 car crashes , countless drug deals, a dozen are more attepted breakins at the drug store on the corner, to a guy slappin up on his wife in the street in front of my house and me and my friends went outside and stop it. I also have video of a gas company worker looking into my windows, that are inside a lock 6ft privacy fence that he climb over.

[GeorgiaPD 408]

Jim,

 

I'm glad that everything worked out in your favor, but don't be too hard on yourself. As with any type of security, there will always be better plans or gaps in coverage. You have recognized some gaps or faults with your initial plan and have taken appropriate measures to correct them. Good job on that end.

[bigcec1 72]

That sucks but atleast you did get up but alarms are nice but I do like the aligator Idea have a few in the pond out back not attack ones they just live there but would be nice when you are out of town to have one watch your hot tub hehe

[Paulry 50]

The wildlife camera thing was for catching who was jacking the hot tub, didn't mean for it to be a security device. Just a means to catch the damn kids in the act. I guarantee, once the flash goes off they'll beat feet.