[NBLUG/talk] Request for info on video cams for protection against burglary

[Steve S.]

On Thu, Jul 25, 2013 at 11:54 AM, Roger House <rhouse at sonic.net> wrote:

> My neighbor's home was burglarized yesterday.  He's the third or fourth
> burglary victim in our semi-rural area in the last month or so.  The
> burglars seem to be fairly professional, using sophisticated equipment to go
> right through deadbolts.  They also shut the power off to my neighbor's
> house, presumably to defeat any alarm system.  Needless to say, this has got
> me worried.
>
> So, I've been thinking about video cams.  I saw a sign recently on a nearby
> road with a happy face on it saying "Smile, you're on camera."  I've been
> composing a similar sign saying something like, "If you can read this, your
> face is already on the Internet."  But, I'd like to back it up with
> something real.  I know next to nothing about video cams, so I'm requesting
> ideas and recommendations.

If they're shutting off power (at the house Mains?) you probably need
to have that area covered with your surveillance system; add
"professional, with sophisticated equipment to go through deadbolts,"
and you're probably looking at a non-trivial undertaking to secure
your house.

The suggestion of dogs is a good one.  I'll add another old-fashioned
suggestion:  a "neighborhood watch" system.  Set up some neighborhood
phone-trees so people have shortlists to call, and when someone
notices a new car driving the area (and/or unfamiliar cars (or worse,
trucks/vans) parked by houses... CALL!  If nobody on the 'tree says,
"oh yeah, my friends are due now!" then several of you wander out to
the road, notepads in hand, to record plates and observe whoever's
cruising...  Presumably your rural neighbors are mostly / all just as
worried about this as you are, and amenable to such a plan.  There are
"Neighborhood Watch" signs you can get and post around.

===

Your security-cam system needs to store its pictures offsite --
writing directly (or within seconds, not minutes) to some sort of
cloud-storage or similar web service.  The system, as noted above,
must have battery-backup for ALL components -- cameras, your onsite
computers/NAS/, routers, etc... and don't forget your internet-feed
(cablemodem/DSL/dish/whatever)!

In addition to a ding-dong'er, other motion-activated stuff would be
good.  Lights, cameras, even sprinklers!  Wildlife / varmint-deterrent
systems might be worth looking at.

With the "motion activated" bit, I'll suggest one more thing:  get a
motion-sensor aimed at the roadway, and photograph *EVERY* vehicle
that passes.  The odds that these guys are doing driveby "case the
house" events is very high, but they won't have skimask'ed themselves
for THAT.  If they realize their picture and/or their car has been
recorded, they're MUCH less likely to perform any crime in the area
that will get the police looking at your pictures.  They may well be
hitting their victims' homes in stolen cars, but they won't want to
risk a stolen vehicle for a driveby...

Finally:  TELL the badguys about all your efforts.  All these things
only deter the criminals who KNOW of the deterrents!  So in addition
to "Neighborhood Watch" signs, make a little "Wi-Fi" + "Security"
sign, with text reading "all security footage stored offsite in
realtime."

If you can come up with a reasonably-priced DIY setup, I bet a lot of
your neighbors will be interested... and if suddenly the neighborhood
becomes a "hard target" you'll probably have these events stop cold.

Best of luck... and let us know how it's going, eh?


- Steve S.

-- 
"When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of
childishness and the desire to be very grown up."      -CS Lewis