THEFT- prevent it or pucker up and live w/it.

[tec]

I hear about from many people who complain about loss, theft of their items from around their home or even in their home. I just read about a newb here concerned about losing another crotch rocket from in front of his abode.

We live in a pretty advanced world, we can reduce the chances of this happening, if your willing to spend some coin.

How?

Go to www.netmedia.com, or even more specific go to http://www.netmedia.com/pr_vid_cammod.html.

They sell a self contained camera and modulator that converts the video signal to a selected television channel. One wire powers the camera and carries the signal from the camera to the television. You can get black and white or color, day only or day/night cameras. This Will cost some money. No it will not PREVENT the lows of items, but it will deter it or make it easier to locate and prosecute the perp who did the five finger discount with your items.




I had one commercial building that was getting hit about every weekend. I had a good hunch it was a tenants employee, but had no proof. The building owner hates installing cameras IN his buildings, but I did it anyway. I cut a hole in the wall facing the door they always pried open, then installed a dark Plexiglas cover with some bogus wording on it. Behind the wall I installed a motion sensor still 35mm camera. Then I told the tenants what I was doing. I never got a picture of the numbnuts who was doing it, but I have never had another theft there again. total cost, 2 hours labor and $80.00 on a camera. I stopped two tenants from leaving due to the thefts, all said, it cost the owner $160.00 to save two large tenants from moving out.

We just installed a 5 outdoor camera setup at a college apartment complex. One building in a "L" shape. I spec'd out the camera by the buildings only drive to be able to be zoomed in to get a good picture of license plates as cars enter and leave. We're adding on to the complex and took down about $5000.00 worth of fence and stored it. Now here's the neat part, we got a phone call that somebody was stealing it in daylight, we went to our web site and viewed the action live as the guy was doing it, then viewed it live as the police showed up. We're now going to add a computer in the main office that is always viewing that property, but if we miss seeing it, we have a 180? gig hard drive, it all gets recorded to. Yes this system was expensive, but already saved the cost of replacing $5 k in fence. The building owners did not know we installed the camera system, until after we told them about the fence. They were happy we did. The crime rate at this property was about 4-6 smash and grabs from cars every week, WITH security doing random patrols. With the cameras we have gone down to none (at least none reported as far as we know). This says a lot about the power of a camera, or In this case 5.

If your on a budget, go to harbor freight tools or some such store and buy a system for less then $100.00. it will have a camera, cable and a monitor.

If your concerned about a 5k bike or a 25k boat, spending $100.00 to $1000.00 should be nothing but piece of mind. You should even contact your insurance agent/provider and inform them what you are doing, they may drop your rates.

Or, you can sit there and pucker up. then bitch. then replace. then pucker up again.

You carry a gun so that you are not a dead victim, install a camera so your house/car/boat/crotch rocket is not a victim while you are gone.

You can even install cameras to watch your back yard while your kids are playing, or aimed at your front door, or your driveway. Live in an apartment, they even have cameras that install IN the door peep hole. Somebody knocks on your door, turn on the TV and VIEW the person BEFORE you GET OUT OF BED to let them in.

They have some really neat systems out there, many of them. look around and protect yourself.

Something else you can do is have a film installed over your glass windows that prevents the window from shattering, thus preventing somebody from knocking in your windows to get into your house. Products similar to this http://www.solarcontrolcompany.com/page.asp?page_id=21 can be found locally. Just call around and find somebody who installs it.

[JesterXD40]

good info. sounds like you like your job

[nick19]

I lived in an neighborhood a few years back that started out nice but went downhill fast (why we moved). My neighbor kept his boat on the side of his house. After his boat was broken into a few times he bought a camera setup.

A few weeks later he goes to let the dog out and finds all his electronics are gone, RF, fishfinder, spotlight etc. He checks the tape and finds the kid living behind us climbing into the boat and ripping all the stuff out.

While the PD were interviewing him and his Dad (the kid was only 15) both denied it claiming my neighbor had it out for the kid. He was confessing his innocence right up the point the PD started the tape.

Oops

[one-eyed-fatman]

Excellent work tec.

[east_stingray]

I'll second what tec said about DOING something about protecting yourself and your stuff. I would like to throw in a different angle, however. I posted this somewhere else on the site a while ago, but over Christmas break this year I decided I wanted to see if I could learn to pick all the locks in my house. $30 for a kit, $10 for an instructional booklet, and 1 week later I could do them all in less than a minute. Gave me a real appreciation for the fact that ANY lock can be bypassed; the fancier ones just take longer. Also, any perp with initiative, $40, and a week to practice can get into just about any lock you can put on your crap. Having them on video or having a .40 on your nightstand makes the difference.

[one-eyed-fatman]

Gave me a real appreciation for the fact that ANY lock can be bypassed; the fancier ones just take longer.

Your young. If you want to pick a medico lock start now. You'll still be trying to pick it on your 90th brithday.

[tec]

Originally Posted by one-eyed-fatman

Your young. If you want to pick a medico lock start now. You'll still be trying to pick it on your 90th brithday.

ah-men to that.


east stingray, dude, . I have a 150.00 gizmo that will open most any lock in under 30 seconds. I used to pick locks the way you mention , and still have about $1k in lock picks to do that with, but I use my electro pick 98% of the time. Many locksmiths don't use them as it is not keeping it real or something. I use the hand picks only when the customer is watching me, then it takes mucho longer. Don't watch and I am in in seconds. I don't want to freak the people out by letting them see how FAST I can get into their place.

Have a kwikset brand lock?? yea for 49.95 I can buy a tool that will remove your lock from the outside in less then 15 seconds, with no noise.

Trust me, I CAN get into most any house faster then you can wipe your butt. businesses with the large windows and aluminum frames, yea, 1 minute 2 guys $200.00 in tools, I am in, minimum to mild noise.

From the other side though- kwikset locks are now following in the footsteps of many other manufactures and using "pick resistant" pins in there locks, this pretty much eliminates the use of hand picks on a lock. but my electro pick doesn't even flinch when I use that on one of them.

A lock is ONLY as good as the door and the DOOR FRAME. remember, most doors are only installed using 1/2 inch screws, thats it. The door strike plate on the door jamb, yea, same thing, 1/2 inch screws. Do yourself a favor on your entry doors, put in 3 to 4 inch screws into the door jamb. And DO NOT USE DRYWALL SCREWS. Use screws that have shear streantgh, check in the decking section of home depot.

Also, remove the door trim on the inside of your house on the latch/striker side. Install a piece of metal at least 6 inches long to give further strength to the striker latch in the door jamb. I have done this many times and this DOES prevent MOST attempts to kick in the door. last place I did it too just had the LEO's there to do a raid in the last two weeks. They had to hit the door many times with their 50 pound door key to get in. When I was there last week, they had beat on the door and frame soo much that they actually damaged the wall and drywall about 5 foot into the apartment. It didn't go like they show on TV, bang and your in.

Do NOT get cheap and install some foreign knock off lock purchased at big lots or some other discount joint. those things are sooooooo cheaply constructed it is not funny.

Another thing to consider if you have a basement, Put a metal bar over the window on the inside to reduce the size of the opening that way a kid or small person can't kick in the window and slide in. Put in a bar horizontally and you just shut off that manner of entry.

Also, if your an idiot like me who occasionally walks out of the locked house without your car or house keys, spend 30 bucks on a Realtor key lock box (home depot or lowes) and put it somewhere with a house key.

Keypad on the garage door? I generally can get in this way by looking for the dirty keys, and pushing them a few times. Wash em off every now and then.

If I were a crook, I would be sooo rich, but not able to sleep at night.

[Oni]

Originally Posted by tec

I hear about from many people who complain about loss, theft of their items from around their home or even in their home. I just read about a newb here concerned about losing another crotch rocket from in front of his abode.

We live in a pretty advanced world, we can reduce the chances of this happening, if your willing to spend some coin.

How?

Go to www.netmedia.com, or even more specific go to http://www.netmedia.com/pr_vid_cammod.html.

They sell a self contained camera and modulator that converts the video signal to a selected television channel. One wire powers the camera and carries the signal from the camera to the television. You can get black and white or color, day only or day/night cameras. This Will cost some money. No it will not PREVENT the lows of items, but it will deter it or make it easier to locate and prosecute the perp who did the five finger discount with your items.

Yes cameras will deter criminals from stealing property, although they are more effective when they record the activites, I'd love to sit by with a loaded rifle with any type of ammunition just to scare perps away, but recording the criminal in action is great for future use when prosecuting(perhaps they are repeat offenders and a description of them can be sent out to all enforcement agencies)

Originally Posted by tec

I had one commercial building that was getting hit about every weekend. I had a good hunch it was a tenants employee, but had no proof. The building owner hates installing cameras IN his buildings, but I did it anyway. I cut a hole in the wall facing the door they always pried open, then installed a dark Plexiglas cover with some bogus wording on it. Behind the wall I installed a motion sensor still 35mm camera. Then I told the tenants what I was doing. I never got a picture of the numbnuts who was doing it, but I have never had another theft there again. total cost, 2 hours labor and $80.00 on a camera. I stopped two tenants from leaving due to the thefts, all said, it cost the owner $160.00 to save two large tenants from moving out.

Cool.

Originally Posted by tec

We just installed a 5 outdoor camera setup at a college apartment complex. One building in a "L" shape. I spec'd out the camera by the buildings only drive to be able to be zoomed in to get a good picture of license plates as cars enter and leave. We're adding on to the complex and took down about $5000.00 worth of fence and stored it. Now here's the neat part, we got a phone call that somebody was stealing it in daylight, we went to our web site and viewed the action live as the guy was doing it, then viewed it live as the police showed up. We're now going to add a computer in the main office that is always viewing that property, but if we miss seeing it, we have a 180? gig hard drive, it all gets recorded to. Yes this system was expensive, but already saved the cost of replacing $5 k in fence. The building owners did not know we installed the camera system, until after we told them about the fence. They were happy we did. The crime rate at this property was about 4-6 smash and grabs from cars every week, WITH security doing random patrols. With the cameras we have gone down to none (at least none reported as far as we know). This says a lot about the power of a camera, or In this case 5.

Awesome.

Originally Posted by tec

If your on a budget, go to harbor freight tools or some such store and buy a system for less then $100.00. it will have a camera, cable and a monitor.

If your concerned about a 5k bike or a 25k boat, spending $100.00 to $1000.00 should be nothing but piece of mind. You should even contact your insurance agent/provider and inform them what you are doing, they may drop your rates.

Or, you can sit there and pucker up. then bitch. then replace. then pucker up again.

You carry a gun so that you are not a dead victim, install a camera so your house/car/boat/crotch rocket is not a victim while you are gone.

You can even install cameras to watch your back yard while your kids are playing, or aimed at your front door, or your driveway. Live in an apartment, they even have cameras that install IN the door peep hole. Somebody knocks on your door, turn on the TV and VIEW the person BEFORE you GET OUT OF BED to let them in.

They have some really neat systems out there, many of them. look around and protect yourself.

Something else you can do is have a film installed over your glass windows that prevents the window from shattering, thus preventing somebody from knocking in your windows to get into your house. Products similar to this http://www.solarcontrolcompany.com/page.asp?page_id=21 can be found locally. Just call around and find somebody who installs it.

[AV8R]

Most criminals don't pick locks. That crap is for TV. Real life criminals smash, grab, and run. In lieu being there to prevent it, your only other option is to gather evidence.

[ghouse78]

they got some cool stuff going in all the new houses on the island i work at

u step up to the door and ring the doorbell a camera turns on (think it is motion activated) and shows up on every single tv in the house (that is on of course), then u can pick up any phone in the house and talk to that person outside

not that it is any type of security system, but i think if you set it up right on the front and back door and record it when the motion sensor trips, you got you something there