Where do Criminals look for valuables/guns inside your house?

[Texan2]

Yup! Dogs work better than anything. I would trust my dogs before I depended on my security camera's.
Dogs warn off bad people.

I think a more accurate statement would be, "anything works better than dogs"
Two seconds of time..... a .22 in the skull of your dog and your security has been defeated. An idiot criminal may be scared off by a dog but no one who has half a clue will be no more than a bit delayed by a canine.
A security camera with motion detection that sends an immediate email to your Iphone or blackberry and records a photo of the intruder is far more valueable than a dog....
but I guess a dog is cheaper.

 

[Texasjack]

Some of the gangs around Houston have been known to clear out a house, then come back a couple months later after the insurance money has been used to buy new TVs, etc., and steal the new stuff.

 

[Texan2]

note to self: dont move to Houston

 

[GlockontheRocks]

Definitely don't move to Houston. Hell, I don't even like to visit the town.

 

[MR Redneck]

I think a more accurate statement would be, "anything works better than dogs"
Two seconds of time..... a .22 in the skull of your dog and your security has been defeated. An idiot criminal may be scared off by a dog but no one who has half a clue will be no more than a bit delayed by a canine.
A security camera with motion detection that sends an immediate email to your Iphone or blackberry and records a photo of the intruder is far more valueable than a dog....
but I guess a dog is cheaper.

Cheaper? Try feeding 3 fat labs. One of them even figured out how to open the refridgerator!
I do like the system with motion detection and email features though. All I ever had was a recording system. One of my shops had the brinks stuff for a while and it actually go broke into!
I want to get the motion detection email sytem pretty soon.

 

[MR Redneck]

Some of the gangs around Houston have been known to clear out a house, then come back a couple months later after the insurance money has been used to buy new TVs, etc., and steal the new stuff.

Hell they do that here!

 

[TheDan]

For your safe, make sure it's bolted to the floor and the wall, and positioned it in a tight space. Even the most expensive safes can be pried open if they can get good leverage on them, but if they don't have space to use their tools then even a cheap safe can be a serious challenge.

 

[IXLR8]

If you want to know where not to hide things watch

It takes a thief - On Discovery

This should be required viewing. One person was actually convicted of Burglary after using tips learned on the show.

Find it, rent it, watch it, you will be appalled how easy it is.

 

[kyletxria1911a1]

the harder it is to find, the less likely they are to do so. I have 2 1800-lb safes that scream "here it is!!" - but it ain't all in there. There's lots of places - but i ain't gonna talk about it on a forum that could be read by crooks, too.

psssssst pm me so i will know

 

[TheDan]

If you want to know where not to hide things watch

It takes a thief - On Discovery

I remember watching one show, I think it was that one, where the TV burglar broke into a house where a large rottweiler lived. The dog barked and growled a bit, but he just talked to it like you would any dog and largely ignored it while he went about his thieving. The dog remained a little un-easy about the stranger but left him alone while he pilfered their stuff.

 

[ROGER4314]

And if you have a safe, it had better be bolted down. Otherwise it just forms a carrying case.

Your best defense is your neighborhood and neighbors. We have 26 homes on a dead end street. We all know each other and every one of the of the folks here is armed. I pity the poor bastards who try to pack something out of one of our homes. They will definitely be picking lead out of heir asses! We don't have crime here for a good reason. When someone comes down the street who doesn't belong here, a hundred eyes are tracking them.

Recently, one man lost his home due to foreclosure and a lot of people came to the property to get it ready for sale. All of the vehicles had signs on them except for one truck. I went over and asked the driver for his ID and he refused telling me to "F off." I called the law and they came right out. I saw the cop shake him down and lecture him. The Deputy told the guy "This is one neighborhood where the people will not fool with you. When you are asked for ID here, you better provide it!" It made me proud!

In short, your best defense is your neighbor. If you don't know them, then get outside and meet them. Every new resident here gets a steady stream of neighbors who introduce themselves and get acquainted. I keep a bicycle on my front porch to use when I go down the street to visit neighbors. Lately, now, I visit when I take my dog Jake for a walk. I know them and they know me. Why bother with a concrete vault to protect your property when a 20 cent bullet in your neighbor's gun will do the same thing?

Flash

 

[San Antone RR]

The Deputy told the guy "This is one neighborhood where the people will not fool with you. When you are asked for ID here, you better provide it!" It made me proud!

Flash

Sorry Roger, but if some guy walked up to me on the street and asked for ID I would more than likely tell him to blow me after I told him I was working in the area if I was not up to anything illegal. LEOs can shake me down, but not some neighborhood watch guy. Not happening...

 

[TexasRedneck]

LEOs can shake me down, but not some neighborhood watch guy. Not happening...

Hmmmm....would depend on where I was. If on private property, and he ID's himself as the owners' rep, I will do so - but likely that if that were the case, they'd know who I was anyway.

 

[Leper]

Another tip on a safe install. Do bolt it down. Try to bolt it to a wall also. If you have it where the hinged side is away from the wall, that means the opening side is close to the wall. It is much harder to get leverage on it when the opening side is next to a wall. If you want to take it a step further, and this involves some committment, weld a piece of plate steel to the bottom of the safe that is a couple feet beyond the safe and carpet over it. Harder to tip. If you live in a house without a concrete foundation, go below the floor and install a plate that is a couple feet wider than the safe in all directions.

 

[ROGER4314]

LEOs can shake me down, but not some neighborhood watch guy. Not happening...

That's OK. Do whatcha want to do. If you have an unmarked vehicle and a neighbor politely asks you what your business is in a vacant house on this street, you'll either respond or the Deputy will shake you down and run you for R&W. The guy said "call the f...in law" so I did..... right in front of him.

In that call, I said "there is a possible unauthorized entry in a foreclosed house at __________. I politely asked the gentleman what his business was and he told me to "F off".

The Deputy took 5 minutes to arrive. He shook the guy down and instructed him to provide ID when asked. He had a CHL so the officer ran his gun, too.

I had my weapon, too. So....be a shit if you want to. We are polite and give no crap to anyone but on this street, you will have a marked, commercial vehicle or show ID......one way or another. The nastier you get, the more likely it is that you're up to no good and we call the law immediately.

He drove up and saw me standing 20 feet away. If he had just said "I'm from XX Company doing so work on this house", I would have asked if he needed any help and it would have ended right there.

That's why crooks stay away from our neighborhood but if you're really troubled by this, just keep driving right down the road.

Flash

 

[OldCurlyWolf]

The best place to store valuables is in a safe... and it is best to have a safe that is locked

and bolted to a LARGE hunk of concrete. Like a Foundation. And have the safe weigh about 700-1000 lbs. without the added concrete.

 

[OldCurlyWolf]

And if you have a safe, it had better be bolted down. Otherwise it just forms a carrying case.

Your best defense is your neighborhood and neighbors. We have 26 homes on a dead end street. We all know each other and every one of the of the folks here is armed. I pity the poor bastards who try to pack something out of one of our homes. They will definitely be picking lead out of heir asses! We don't have crime here for a good reason. When someone comes down the street who doesn't belong here, a hundred eyes are tracking them.

Recently, one man lost his home due to foreclosure and a lot of people came to the property to get it ready for sale. All of the vehicles had signs on them except for one truck. I went over and asked the driver for his ID and he refused telling me to "F off." I called the law and they came right out. I saw the cop shake him down and lecture him. The Deputy told the guy "This is one neighborhood where the people will not fool with you. When you are asked for ID here, you better provide it!" It made me proud!

In short, your best defense is your neighbor. If you don't know them, then get outside and meet them. Every new resident here gets a steady stream of neighbors who introduce themselves and get acquainted. I keep a bicycle on my front porch to use when I go down the street to visit neighbors. Lately, now, I visit when I take my dog Jake for a walk. I know them and they know me. Why bother with a concrete vault to protect your property when a 20 cent bullet in your neighbor's gun will do the same thing?

Flash

all pretty good Ideas. However if I was the one you were harassing about ID I would be the one calling the Sheriff on you. BE Careful.

 

[chubbyzook]

if you have stairs with a closet then there is a perfect place for hiding your guns/valuables. take out the back wall of that little closet (completely) add guns then put the back wall back in place add a piece of stick on trim around the edges but only stick it to the back wall piece (so it looks like the back is still molded in.
nobody will ever get to your stuff again. or take out the ac filter in your house there is a little space you should be able to hide a smaller pistol safe behind the filter. attics are also good places for valuables most crooks wont go up there unless something valuable in plain view when you open the door.

 

[ROGER4314]

However if I was the one you were harassing about ID I would be the one calling the Sheriff on you. BE Careful.

Here's the script of the incident:

ME: "Sir, I noticed that you don't have commercial ID on your vehicle and we have had problems in our area. Would you mind telling me the nature of your business here?"

His response= "F___ OFF" "I don't need to tell you a GD thing." "Call the F__ing Law!"

My response: "OK, I'll do that"..............so I did.

COP action: Ran R&W, took his gun and placed it on the hood of his truck. He ran the gun and told him to identify himself when asked. The COP said "This wasn't necessary! Why didn't you just tell the man why you were in the house?" That took about 15 minutes.

COP response to me later: "This is a special neighborhood and we like what you do here. We never have problems on this street because of how you folks attend to business. But next time, call us first and don't try to talk to the guy yourself."

Response of the intruder: I stood just across the street and he glared at me the whole time. After the COP left, he never said another word to me nor I to him. (He was a big guy.....but I am, too.) He was working and I was mowing. Case closed.

If that is HARASSMENT in your book, you guys might be wearing your shorts a bit tight. This wasn't a case of a CHL holder trying to play COP, either. Folks on our street have been doing this for the 19 years I've lived here. That was before cell phones or CHL's appeared on the scene. We didn't come to his home. He was on our turf.

Returning to my first post, the guys were talking about bolting a safe into concrete to make it less portable. A bad guy COULD bulldoze the house to load the safe in a different neighborhood. Here, that will get him shot. Your good neighbors are your best insurance and we collectively own this street. The bad guys do not. There are lots of burglaries in our rural county and recently we had a car jacking from a home (they caught the guys!) but none on our street. There are damned good reasons for that.

Meanwhile, copper thieves in Houston are having a field day! They roll up with a truck, chop the wires and tubing out, take the A/C compressor units and leave without anyone questioning them, requiring ID or calling the COPS. The only way to slow them down was to cover the scrap yards to cut off their market. Bloody Hell! Is that how you want your neighborhood to be?

Get to know your neighbors. We are close here and everyone knows everyone else. It works!

Flash

 

[San Antone RR]

Flash,

Panties not in a wad and shorts not too tight. I said that if asked I would inform neighbor I was in the area to do work on said house. If my actions appear suspicious, then call the cops, but I am not ID'ing myself to anyone that is not Law Enforcement. If said neighbor wants to know if I am authorized to be there, he should call the owner or their agent to see that I am supposed to be doing the work I said I was there to do.

While I see and appreciate that you are doing your thing to keep peace in your neighborhood, I won't ID; won't be a dick and tell you to blow me until you push the issue. Then I will be the one on the phone to the police. That Cop telling the contractor to ID to you is flat wrong in my book.