calmloki
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
We are pretty casual - my folks homesteaded in Alaska and part of the mythos growing up was that you left your cabin unlocked with food, a fire laid and matches - a found cabin could save a traveler's life. The gal and I both grew up in fairly small towns where people knew one another. Over the last 60+ years there have been thefts - a few cars, a motorcycle, cameras, tools, cash - but nothing that was really life altering.
Recently someone used a rock on a french door window at our La Quinta house. They were pretty tidy about going though the place, taking a LCD tv and monitor, a printer, and a set of cordless tools, but leaving things we care about (old ragged rugs, funky pottery, yardsale art). Looks like the cost of replacement and repair will be maybe $1500-$2000 or so. We have $1000 deductible on the insurance - doubt we will make a claim as I'd hate to start a conversation about how long the house sits vacant.
The house is behind a solid 5'+ gated and locked wall, all the windows and doors had blinds closed, we had 2 lights come on for 3-4 hours each on an overlapping schedule, pool guy goes by twice a week, some friends go by now and again. Thieves probably scaled a thorny mesquite that slopes toward the wall top, then unlocked the gate in the perimeter wall from inside to take their loot away.
A monitored security system is what? $50-70/month, $600-840/year? A homebrew camera setup is maybe $500 and required internet service during the 6 months we aren't there, so maybe an extra $240 for service and all I get is the ability to view someone stealing our stuff.
I guess I question what good a security system is - does film of a theft get your stuff back? Does an alarm bell keep the burglar from taking your flatscreen away with him? I'm tempted to mount a few phony cameras and bogus alarm company stickers, but it seems like you would want to get stickers from a company that does business in the local area. In my experience the police make sure they have my date of birth correct when taking a theft report, but that's about the end of it - no slam on the cops - they have plenty to do and need to ration their time and keep people from killing each other.
What do the board members do for security when away from your home and what is your thinking? Suggestions?
Recently someone used a rock on a french door window at our La Quinta house. They were pretty tidy about going though the place, taking a LCD tv and monitor, a printer, and a set of cordless tools, but leaving things we care about (old ragged rugs, funky pottery, yardsale art). Looks like the cost of replacement and repair will be maybe $1500-$2000 or so. We have $1000 deductible on the insurance - doubt we will make a claim as I'd hate to start a conversation about how long the house sits vacant.
The house is behind a solid 5'+ gated and locked wall, all the windows and doors had blinds closed, we had 2 lights come on for 3-4 hours each on an overlapping schedule, pool guy goes by twice a week, some friends go by now and again. Thieves probably scaled a thorny mesquite that slopes toward the wall top, then unlocked the gate in the perimeter wall from inside to take their loot away.
A monitored security system is what? $50-70/month, $600-840/year? A homebrew camera setup is maybe $500 and required internet service during the 6 months we aren't there, so maybe an extra $240 for service and all I get is the ability to view someone stealing our stuff.
I guess I question what good a security system is - does film of a theft get your stuff back? Does an alarm bell keep the burglar from taking your flatscreen away with him? I'm tempted to mount a few phony cameras and bogus alarm company stickers, but it seems like you would want to get stickers from a company that does business in the local area. In my experience the police make sure they have my date of birth correct when taking a theft report, but that's about the end of it - no slam on the cops - they have plenty to do and need to ration their time and keep people from killing each other.
What do the board members do for security when away from your home and what is your thinking? Suggestions?