Home Security

[WebLady]

What sort of security measures do you use at home?

*poll coming ;)

[WebLady]

So we have a "High end monitored system w/extras"; we know a guy that works for the company and we get a deal on products and installation, so we have more extras than we would have had otherwise.

[neebelung]

BAH! You didn't allow multiple choice! :)

We've got a basic monitored alarm system with sensors on every door and window, as well as big motion sensor floodlights.

But we also have 3 cops in the neighborhood (one up the block, 1 a block in the other direction, and one right near the entrance to the neighborhood -- all of whom park their patrol cars in the driveway) and then our next door neighbors breed pitbulls (REALLY beautiful, registered ones that get shipped all over the country, not like some puppy mill), so there's ALWAYS at least 4-6 pitbulls in the back yard next to us, and they bark at anything.

And we live in a really quiet older, but nice, neighborhood. Luckily nothing ever happens there. :)

[WebLady]

BAH! You didn't allow multiple choice! :)I thought about that after; I could have probably chosen more than one too.

[WBandMe]

I said nothing to speak of. We keep the doors and windows locked, have a porch and garage lights plus solar lights on the walkway, and a tiny dog who will bark and bark but run away from someone if they came in lol.

[sweetvenus]

We have a basic would-be-monitored alarm system installed that came with the house, but I have yet to actually set it up with someone so it doesn't work (or at least, I don't know the code that it was previously set up to use so I never touch it in fear that it will go off and I will never get it to be quiet). So...my main method of security is the threat of an alarm system with all the stickers and signs around the house, haha.

[acidcookie]

We live in one of the safest towns in the country ;)

Watch, now I'll come home to a trashed house...

[LadyDante]

As of the moment our security is by Ruger, Remington, Taurus, Kimber and nosy neighbors.
Once we actually move and have a house, we will lose nosey neighbors (thank god), but gain a big dog, security lights, motion detection cameras and whatever else Scott decides he wants to play with and rig up.

[Goin2thechapel]

I work in a prison therefore I have EVERYTHING to the MAX..I know more than I want to know about some of these guys and thier crimes!

[SerendipityCrafts]

Ummm nothing to speak of .... a security bar across the patio doors .... a security latch across the front and back door .....

In the new place there is the same + motion sensor lights around the doors and there are bars on the basement windows.

Can I ask how much "ya'll" -

What are paying for "fort knox-ing" your home?
Do you get a discount on home insurance if you have this stuff?
Are you paranoid or is it common place to have this stuff in your area?

[Goin2thechapel]

I get a discount because I'm an employee of the state, And I cannot for the life of me remember how much we paid...My hubby did all of that!

[WebLady]

What are paying for "fort knox-ing" your home?I know the regular monitoring package at our company is like $15 a month. I know ours is at least a little more cause of all our extras, but I am not sure how much really.

Do you get a discount on home insurance if you have this stuff?Yeah, I am sure we do, just not sure how much. There are even discounts for smoke detectors and fire extinguisher's.

Are you paranoid or is it common place to have this stuff in your area?I don't think we are paranoid, we just want to be as safe as we can, plus DH likes to have the best technologies (is that a word?) we can afford.

As far as is it common; I am sure not everyone in our area has an alarm system, let alone one like we do.

[SerendipityCrafts]

I don't think we are paranoid, we just want to be as safe as we can, plus DH likes to have the best technologies (is that a word?) we can afford.

As far as is it common; I am sure not everyone in our area has an alarm system, let alone one like we do.

It's not paranoid if you need it for the area you live in. We just don't know too many people that have security systems around here.

[brendalin]

We live in a very safe neighboorhood! We have elderly neighbors who are always home and outside. They alwayds know if there is a new car in the area. Plus we have a dog, he is a lab, so he is not very scary. He barks but if you see the wagging tail I am sure many wouldn't be too scared! We don't even lock all of our doors when we aren't home....

[WebLady]

It's not paranoid if you need it for the area you live in. We just don't know too many people that have security systems around here.
I don't think it would matter where we lived, I'd still want a security system. Nowhere is every 100% safe; there are crazy people running around everywhere. Crime is everywhere, even in the nicest of neighborhoods, even if you don't see it.

Just because crime is not common in any particular area, doesn't mean it can't happen and you shouldn't take precautions to protect yourself, your home and your family.

I don't care if I am the only house in neighborhood with a security system. People can call me paranoid or extreme or whatever; but I feel safer knowing I am not an easy target for any bad guys that may or may not come around one day ;)

[SerendipityCrafts]

Funny ... I was just calling around for home insurance and the rep told me that I would be charged $767 per year until we moved in (she was under the impression that we weren't moving until 6 weeks after we had the keys) and then $605 per year after.

I corrected her vis a vis the dates and so we won't be charged the higher price but does that make any sense at all - paying more to insure an empty house, than one that is occupied?

Oh I know that people in the house deter robbers and such but there wouldn't be anything to rip off if we haven't moved in!

I know that having smoke detectors, being close to a fire hydrant and close to a fire hall reduces the insurance price but I am going to have to ask if having an alarm system reduces it even further.

[WebLady]

Funny ... I was just calling around for home insurance and the rep told me that I would be charged $767 per year until we moved in (she was under the impression that we weren't moving until 6 weeks after we had the keys) and then $605 per year after.

I corrected her vis a vis the dates and so we won't be charged the higher price but does that make any sense at all - paying more to insure an empty house, than one that is occupied?

Oh I know that people in the house deter robbers and such but there wouldn't be anything to rip off if we haven't moved in!
Oh yeah, an empty house is just as vulnerable if not more so! Bad guys could break in thinking something good is in there, then when it is not, they could still trash the place.

Kids could break in and hang out and/or trash the place.

I fire or flood (from faulty utilities or natural things like lightening, bad storm, etc) could happen and if no one is there to notify the proper authorities it could be bad.

[Scrwballsgrl]

well for one Fh and I are light sleepers... but at his house he has a little dog and if she even thinks she hears something or someone she'll raise cain:)
But when we get in the apartment, we will just have the locks(dead bolts) on the doors. Its not a gated complex....I've just never wanted to live somewhere where I felt like I needed to have an overtly high tech security system or bars on the windows, ya know?

My old house (me and the siblings & folks) didn't have nuthin' lol except dead bolts and yard dogs:)
Now(in the new house) we still just have yard dogs and dead bolts.

[MrsDM]

We have locks on the door and FH.

But seriously, we live by a lot of youner people mixed with older people (like 80s) so, there is a lot of traffic during the day on our street, but at night it quiets down. I wish we had something, just in case.

[Nekochanpurr]

Nope, nada, nothin'. We live in an apartment where there are two main doors, than all the apartments on the inside. Outside doors are locked at all times. I figure, if anyone wants to come break in and find out i don't have anything.. Fine by me. They' won't be finding $$ here!

[WebLady]

....I've just never wanted to live somewhere where I felt like I needed to have an overtly high tech security system or bars on the windows, ya know?
Oh yeah; if I felt I had to go that far (LOL - probably only a few steps away though) I'd just move.

I wouldn't want to live somewhere that you couldn't walk down the street broad daylight without fear.

[candars]

I voted "other" because my maltese (little white lap dog) goes crazy any time she hears something outside. She even barks when people drive by with their radio up too loud. When we have people come over, she will start barking as soon as she knows they are outside and not stop until they pet her. She's a cutie! :D

[LadyDante]

THe place we will be moving to will be safe as well. Heck, people don't even lock their doors. But you know what, I'm gonna be a divorce attorney, and they have higher rate of homicide than oter types, so we would rather be safe that sorry.
Here we live in Los Angeles. It is not the worst area, but I ain't taking any chances. Remember riots and earthquakes?

[RosieAngel]

We live in a condo complex with... something like six families per stack, and several stacks. Everyone knows each other, and we all are very suspicious of outsiders. When I moved in with FH, several people stopped me to ask who I was visiting or if I was a renter!

So I feel very secure here.

[gwenshack]

I have a really nice lock...:)

[SerendipityCrafts]

I have a really nice lock...:)

:rofl: Hey lady that is some nice lock that you have there!

[BrideToBeCindy]

I have a really nice Glock...:snide:

[bichonlvr]

Higher end alarm...motion, doors, windows, but we also have a 1-1 talk thing, so we can talk to the company and it talks to us!!!!!

Oh and man is it LOUD!!!

[LadyDante]

I have a really nice Glock...:snide:

Me too... although I prefer the Taurus or the Ruger. Less chance of jamming or with a Ruger once you run outta ammo, you can beat someone to death with it without breaking the revolver :winktongue:

[Whitewater]

Oh yeah, an empty house is just as vulnerable if not more so! Bad guys could break in thinking something good is in there, then when it is not, they could still trash the place.

Kids could break in and hang out and/or trash the place.

I fire or flood (from faulty utilities or natural things like lightening, bad storm, etc) could happen and if no one is there to notify the proper authorities it could be bad.


And if the house has copper pipes for the plumbing . . . . vacant houses around here basically have a 'I have Copper! Strip me!' sign painted on them . . . it's just an inducement and temtation to theives.

There are VERY good reasons for why insurance companies make you pay more for an empty house.


Whitewater

[Whitewater]

Not replying to myself, I swear!

I wanted multiple choice too!!! We have security lighting (motion sensors) on our garage and into the alley, plus we have lights over our front and side doors. We also have 'passive' stuff like deadbolt locks and one (soon to be two) big black dogs.

Now, granted, our dogs are Poodles and tend not to look scary, but they're big dogs and they SOUND scary when they bark, because they have a big deep bark. And Roxie doesn't like strangers. I've been encouraging this trait and now pretty much everybody knows to stay away from our house because the dog will kill you if you step into the yard without permission! (She wouldn't, she's really a sweet little fuzzy cutie-pie, but she *sounds* like a Doberman . . . )

I'll post a separate post about the new dog :)


Whitewater

[candars]

I have a really nice Glock...:snide:

My hubby loves guns! He bought me a Glock 27 (little mini glock but it's still a 40 cal.). Danny has a Glock 20 and Glock 21. We also have two revolvers (I have no idea what they are, but one is big and the other is pretty small). I love my gun, though! It's so cute and little!

[WebLady]

As for the gun thing; I didn't put that in the poll cause I was thinking more along the lines of a deterrent system, to try and stop the bad guys from getting in to begin with ;)

We have guns in the house too, but I feel safer knowing that it would harder and/or less likely for the bad guys to actually get in with the alarm and everything else we have.

[Ohio888Bride]

I chose "High end monitored system w/extras", but we also have security lighting around the perimeter of the house. Hubby is ex-Navy and has a concealed carry license, too!

ETA: Lady Dante mentioned a nosey neighbor. We have one of those as well. In fact, she's on city council and a member of blockwatch. She and her family might just be the best protection we could ever have!

[LadyDante]

Hubby is ex-Navy and has a concealed carry license, too!

ETA: Lady Dante mentioned a nosey neighbor. We have one of those as well. In fact, she's on city council and a member of blockwatch. She and her family might just be the best protection we could ever have!


SOOOOOOOOOO jealous over CC license. Here in CA you have we, the minions, are not allowed to have it.

And the nosey neighbors got old real quick. They cause more problems than they help.

[SerendipityCrafts]

You gun packing ladies are scaring the **&&#^%$ out of this lil ol Canadian! :)

http://www.danonderdonk.com/ava/ava1/images/ab777-eek_gif.gif

[Dani]

We have 2 dogs, one is all talk and the other doesn't talk!

[Dani]

We live in a very safe neighboorhood! We have elderly neighbors who are always home and outside. They alwayds know if there is a new car in the area. Plus we have a dog, he is a lab, so he is not very scary. He barks but if you see the wagging tail I am sure many wouldn't be too scared! We don't even lock all of our doors when we aren't home....


I grew up in a town like that, we never locked the front door, and played outside till the street lights came on. I miss that.

[Ohio888Bride]

SOOOOOOOOOO jealous over CC license. Here in CA you have we, the minions, are not allowed to have it.

And the nosey neighbors got old real quick. They cause more problems than they help.

Ohio just got CC about 4 years ago...I can't remember the exact timeline. I was born and raised in Washington, DC where handguns weren't allowed - period. The Supreme Court just ruled that the DC gun ban was unconstitutional, so the city updated its gun laws, but they're sooooo restrictive (and crazy), law-abiding citizens will forever be outnumbered by bad guys. *sigh*

[KMS]

We just have nosy neighbors. That's not a bad thing though! We live in a rather young part of Houston and many of the people in the complex are DJs, bartenders, etc so there are people roaming around at all times. There are often people swimming even at 2 a.m. on weekdays!

My car was having issues right when we first moved in and the alarm went off a few times one night. Chad was out there trying to fix it and the neighbors weren't quite sure what we looked like yet so they called the cops because they thought that somebody might be stealing our car. I thought that was very helpful.

I grew up in a town where nobody ever locked their doors, us kids roamed around even in the neighborhood at night, etc. I miss that security, but wouldn't trade what we have now!