Submitted by chiduuuu t3_z1nqey in LifeProTips
Recently moved to a new house,, yesterday morning the window near my bed was slightly open , and my car keys are missing which i kept hands reach to the window,, few days ago 1 of my copy of main door keys went missing thought I dropped them somewhere ,, also plant pots are moved ,, my dog barked at 3 am ish for 2 , 3 days put lights on and checked from inside only ,, saw nothing . Help
Firstly dont put your keys near an open window or in sight. Same goes for anywhere near the door that coukd be hooked through the letter box.
Many police forces use the 'first principle' which is preventjng crime before it happens. Google it and there will be lots of practical ways to improve safety.
Outdoor motion-sensor lights and outdoor cameras. Also, switch out the locks if you haven’t already from when you moved in.
Well I think you already know the tips like close all doors and windows when you leave and you could consider installing a security system with camera's. But if someone already took your keys and is messing around with your things then I would call the police for help.
Imagine you've locked yourself out of the house, and walk around outside thinking how you'd get in.
Meanwhile, change the locks, you don't know if the previous owner gave keys to friends and neighbours.
Put up outside lights, but make sure they don't cause deep shadows, and don't point out into the street, so that they illuminate would-be burglars rather than allow them to hide behind the dazzling lights.
Motion lights are a good idea. So are charlie bars, make sure you lock all your windows. Change the keys. It might be worth it to install some cameras as well.
You can buy cheap cameras and movement detectors on the Internet. Linked to your phone, it will let you know when somebody is nearby your house.
That way you'll have proof and a way to wear off possible burglars.
Change the keys definitely but also try to keep your keys out of sight of easily accessed windows. Someone who knows what they are doing can make a copy by just getting a single good look at a key.
Change your locks, all of them. Turn on any exterior lights you have and put motion sensor lights in less traveled area. Don’t leave valuables in sight except the obvious things you can’t really hide. Get to know your neighbors.
Lights you can turn on/off from your bed & cameras you can check from your bed (like via your phone) can be really convenient and good deterrent for when dogs bark.
Yes. Even a camera doorbell is cheaper than nothing. One at front and back. Intercom on them too so you can tell them cops are on the way
This. Basically try to break into your own house, if not physically at least as a mind game. What would stop you from getting in?
Also, make sure anyone walking by your house KNOWS you have a dog. Leave out a dog bowl, a "warning, dogs" sign, etc. Burglars hate dogs.
Source: Professional burglar, and I hate dogs*
^((*but not really, just thought that would be funny.))
Have a locksmith assess your house for ways to break in and provide solutions. I had a locksmith show me how to break in with a screw driver in less than 5 seconds. It was crazy fast. He fixed it.
I’d also do indoor motion sensors to make sure they are not in the house or can access house with existing keys too.
I do not believe anything in your post.
Boomstick and wait.
The only sensible answer in here
I bought a bunch of those solar lights off Amazon that come on super bright for 30 seconds with motion and put them all around the driveway and on the side of the house.
You walk around my house at night and it will light you up like a christmas tree.
Make a burglar have to take time, make noise and be seen. Make it seem like someone or a dog is home Make your treasure seem less desirable. Examples: beefy strike plates, strategic security film, fake cameras, see-through fences, less places to hide,some crappy looking stuff outside, keep a talk radio on loud so it can be heard from outside the front door. Huge sog bowl near back door (even if you don’t have one). Etc etc
I have a crazy 80 lb dog and a combat veteran husband with ptsd. He doesn’t sleep much and instantly goes on patrol if the dog starts barking in the middle of the night. Honestly, if someone broke into my house, good luck to them. Everyone else’s suggestions are more reasonable, but those are mine. Get yourself a large crazy dog and a combat vet.
I laughed
Lighting outside is best deterrent.
Maybe OP starts to develop some mental issues? I had an uncle that would claim bizarre things happening to them and it turned out it was all in his head.
First, external lighting that is motion activated. Make sure all of your windows lock properly. Worse case is Amazon sells a window lock that clips on. For your doors, if you can not account for all keys, either replace the lock or have a locksmith rekey it. Most break-ins happen through the front door by kicking it in. Replace the hinge screws with long screws that go into the door frame stud. Same with the strike plates. They also make strike plates that are longer and connect both the door knob and deadbolt. Reduce spots that can be used to hide while breaking in. The goal is to make your house look harder to break into than your neighbors. An alarm sign also helps. The actual alarm is optional.
I just wish people wouldn't buy the Amazon ones, they let the police look at any video they want and Jeff Bezos doesn't need any more yachts. Eufy makes a nice one that doesn't send the video off to some cloud server.
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Yeah there are quite a few out there that don't cost the earth or need a subscription
Don’t underestimate passive security.
Plant rose bushes or cactus under your windows. Build a fence around your back yard and cover it with thorny bushes like a bougainvillea. Plant bushes near the front door so there’s only one rout to enter/escape. Build a low fence or hedge around the front yard so people can see in, but it’s an obstacle to entry/escape. Get a dog that barks at strangers.
Also, don’t leave anything valuable in plain sight.
Carbon monoxide poisoning?
Plant rose bushes around the windows.
Karma farming.
There's so much in the post that makes little to any sense.
If you have sliding glass doors Get a 2X4 a little smaller than where the door slides & ends. Place the 2X4 in that space when you go out or go to bed.
I think you're jumping to conclusions assuming a burglar took your keys when the more obvious explanation is that your house is haunted.
Oh, and as someone else mentioned, motion sensor activated lights will go a long way towards making your house less attractive to burglars.
My friend never told me his mom moved, so when I came to pick him up when we were back from college I just walked in on a family with young children having breakfast. The dad and I made eye contact, I put my hand up and backed out, quietly closing the door and walked to my car.
The best cop thinks like a thief, the best thief thinks like a cop.
Look at you property as if you were to invade.
Secure the perimeter
Address the weak points/blindspots
Don't let your routine be predictable
Have a response plan
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Lighting is your friend. Put lights outdoors and lots of them, and leave a light or two on inside. Most crooks will ply their filthy trade away from lights.
Sometime even this won't work on those whose minds are too warped by drugs and alcohol.
if you lack the combat Vet you only need to remember that random passing suspect #5 doesn't know that.
A pair of well worn, muddy army boots at the door with 2-3 fired shotgun shells (just ask someone who goes to a range if they can give you some) lying on the floor next to them will already make many would-be robbers reconsider their choice.
Criminals mostly act based on their experience and what opportunities they see: the moment they feel that the risk is higher than the reward they'll go for something easier, less risky.
Change locks 1st thing. Talk to your neighbors and check their doorcams if they have them. Talk to the police and let them know to beef up patrol of your neighborhood. Give your dog a treat and tell him he's (she's) good. You have been lucky so far. Time to act.
As above. With a side note... get a gun.
There was a burglar caught near my house and he said he did not go into the houses where he found large piles of dog poop in the yard. He thought large poop, large dog.
Get a remote to turn on lights in other rooms, keep next to your bed. If you hear a noise, hit it and see if anyone runs by you.
A recording of loading a shotgun works if you don't have one. A bf had a real one next to the bed, "If they hear me load that, they're gonna run." 🤔👍🏼
Simplisafe makes good inexpensive alarm systems.
A lot of shootings during burgles, the burglar is using the burglar's gun. So that would be a double edged sword.
This is not a true story. It’s possible, doesn’t happen often- but what does happen is, if you have a gun, you stop the burglary quickly.
The number of times someone has stopped a burglar with a gun in the home is soooo tiny. Especially compared to the number of people that live in the house that wind up killed by that same gun. This good guy with a gun myth is ridiculous
Do you have the stats on that? I'd wonder why that would be the case since any guns would presumably be hidden somewhere a burglar wouldn't find quickly.
The burglar is not the one doing the killing. Usually there's an accident, suicide it just plain old murder. But the odds are wildly against someone "getting" a home invader Burglars are opportunists, they take easy targets where theyre pretty sure no one is home
Put a fake real enough security sticker in your entry door ways of your house to deter theifs. It might not work half the time but they don’t know if you have a security system or not and they’ll back away knowing to not mess with your house or your belongings. Good Luck:)
Draw the curtains and also keep a water drinking glass or coffee cup at the window sill, so when someone drops in the glass falls and you wake up. But be super careful with that as they could be carrying a gun.
I worked with a man, well trained member of the NRA, always talked about gun safety. Someone broke into his home and there was a struggle and he was sadly murdered by the intruder in his own home.
Apparently Eufy is sending data off to cloud servers. In going Unifi if they ever come back in stock.
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