Alarm Systems?

[beady]

Talking with some folks today and the subject of alarm systems came up. Is it something we should be thinking about. Any advise or thoughts would be appreciated.
Cheers, beady

[villager99]

best anti-burglary system is locked doors and windows.
to date most home invasions in tv have been through open doors. often while folks were at home but pre-occupied.

[nanci2539]

That kind of bothers me! Are these day time break ins?

[nhsnowbird]

We have an alarm system in our home in NH and we asked our salesperson about alarm systems in TV. His response was that they were not needed because TV really is a secure environment. I don't know if that was realtor "talk" or if that is true.

Pat

[villager99]

i do feel safe in tv but i keep my doors and windows locked unless i'm sure to be insight of them something i never did when living in portland, maine.

[pjmoro]

I love The Villages but we were robbed on a Sunday morning while at church. Doors were locked, they came in through my sliding glass door, forced the lock. Neighbors were home no one saw anything. Now have a Brinks system. Pat

[JUREK]

pjmoro:
Sorry to hear about your robbery. Now I don't feel so safe, How much for the Brinks system,
just ballpark figure :dontknow: :dontknow:

[pjmoro]

Depends on your house size, how many doors, how many rooms, etc. Typical install is about $100 with a three year contract for Brinks monitoring @ $30 - $40 per month. That should get you a discount on your house insurance. There is no need to feel unsafe, make sure your neighbors pay attention to what's going on in your area. The day we were robbed there was an open house on the next street. Just be alert.

[bestmickey]

This is also another reason to have a storm door on your main entry, with screens to allow for breezes to flow through home. Those screens that just slide up or to the side don't have locks to my knowledge, while a storm door will have locks.

I'm not yet in TV (will be there starting next summer). Just wondering if there have been recent break-ins which caused this thread. Can you advise?

Thanks!

[beady]

Oh, so sorry to hear about the break-in.
I posted the thread because I just wasn't sure about leaving the house for vacations etc, had no idea that just being out for church might be a problem. We come from a small town in NH, locking doors is not a priority, except for long absences.
When we were house hunting in early September I did notice how easy it was to get in and out of some neighborhoods. The guards on duty at the entrance gates most always just waved us on, during the afternoon we forgot our pass key.
The brinks system "pjmoro" mentioned seems reasonable. May do it just for the peace of mind.

[JUREK]

pjmoro: Thanks for the update. I do feel very safe in TV but we know there are crooks everywhere. The system you describe seems like a good deal. I also agree it is good to have good neighbors. I have 2-3 that keep an eye on the place when we are north. Don't know what I'd do without them :bigthumbsup:

[nanci2539]

Would you say the people doing the break in's are non-TV residents? Are we talking kids from neighboring towns or seasoned crooks!

Any violence associated with these robberies?

[bestmickey]

I just know that I'll do everything I can to be secure. I live alone and certainly don't want any strangers in my home especially while I'm there. I'm careful now, but where I am there is no worry about having the windows open, even downstairs. Very sorry to hear that's a problem in TV. Guess I'll only be able to keep the windows open a few inches, and have a security post sitting on the top of the window, so it can't be opened any farther. Looks like everyone should have a security lock for the sliding doors as well. There are locks on the market. It's that, or place a broomstick handle in the track of the sliding doors.

[cabo35]

Sorry to hear about the break in. We use an ADT system. It costs us about $37.00 a month. We've had it for about a year and have been satisfied. The house has ADT alarm stickers all the way around. We had a small, attractive 8" octagonal shield that clearly said ADT on the front lawn but the neighborhood patrol made us remove it. I think the detertent effect is important and would like to appeal to the Village Watch to use common sense and allow small signs that announce electronic security and protection especially in light of the fact that there have been recent break-ins. The best alarm system is a good neighbor who will promptly report suspicious activity even though it may turn out legitimate.

[Frangyomory]

Just for edification: I don't want to scare anyone away from the Villages because it is a wonderful place to live. But, we recently had the Sumter County Sheriff come to our Tall Trees Ladies Club meeting to discuss neighborhood watch due to the break-ins...which happened a few months back in Tall Trees on a Sunday while folks were at church. The homes were very near a main entrance and exit from Tall Trees.

He advised us that while the Villages is a "reasonably" secure environment, it is NOT a gated community. It is a semi-gated community. We only have guards at the older locations. Card pass gates at other village locations and we cannot deny access to anyone as these are county roads. Yes, we have security cameras at every entrance location but cameras only help solve the crime, not prevent it.

We are attempting to start a neighborhood watch but without the assistance of the developer. They want us to pay to rent a meeting room to have all Tall Trees residents attend a meeting to develop such a program. One more time when money talks even though this would be for the GOOD of the community, they want our ladies club to pay to rent a meeting room. Right now, we are thinking about having a meeting at the pool which would not cost us anything.

While I feel reasonably secure here in our courtyard villa, our windows and all doors are always locked even when we are home. We are also fortunate to be on a corner with a street light at the end of or driveway. It is not wise to leave a window open with the screen down unless you are actually in the room or have a dog. I tease my husband about not breathing fresh air much, but actually it is a safeguard against someone cutting a screen. We also have 2X4's cut to fit our sliding glass doors so that they cannot be forced open.

I have friends who have special lights on motion detectors and they seem to work fine. Some people have installed ADT.

Cops told us that the only real security is neighbor watching out for neighbor and paying attention to what is going on in your neighborhood. They told us if it looks suspicious, call 911; if you hear strange noise in the night, call 911. All simple logic.

They did say however, that almost all the crime in the area comes from outside the Villages. My only concern is when they finish development around Brownwood and people who live in Wildwood (a higher crime area) will have access to the downtown and surroundings.

I love it here and as I said, I feel secure but I make sure I close the garage door behind me and keep windows and doors locked. That is the best way to safeguard your home.

[schotzyb]

A friend sent me the following email and if you do not have an alarm system in your home then this is a good alternative.

Great Idea for Use of Car Alarm



> Car Keys
>
> Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
> If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house,
> just press the panic button for your car.
> The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you
> turn it off or the car battery dies.
> This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator.
> Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think
> of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires
> no installation. Test it.
> It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until
> your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob
> chain.
> It works if you park in your driveway or garage If your car alarm goes off when
> someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar or rapist won't
> stick around... after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their
> windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that.
> And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot.
> The alarm can work the same way there.....
> This is something that should really be shared with everyone.
> Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
> P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would
> also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a
> phone.
> My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he
> falls outside and she doesn't hear him.
> He can activate the car alarm, and then she'll know there is a problem.

[beady]

Okay, here's my problem. I am an outdoor , fresh air kind of person. I do not want to live in a fortress. I just want to be sure that while I am not there my home is secure. Are you all suggesting I keep my windows closed even when I am home no matter what the weather?During the winter when the weather is cool I can't have my windows open?Are the villages that unsafe? Does having a dog make a difference?

[Frangyomory]

I wouldn't worry about windows being open in the daylight hours as much as I would at night. You shouldn't leave windows open when you sleep or when you leave home. That's a had-fast rule for us.

In late Fall and Winter, I have my front door screen door open and my lanai open so I get a full breeze but we are home. Even in Virginia, I kept my home locked even when I was home.

No place is perfect but the Villages is as close as we are going to get without armed guards at the gate like they have in Beverly Hills communities.

Yes, a dog can be a plus if they bark at strangers.

All you have to be is AWARE!

[chuckinca]

Get a Schipperke guard dog, 90-pound dog in a 9-pound body. Also known as the Townhouse German Shepard.

We had one years ago when we lived in an apartment. We lived off a stairwell that went to four units. The Schipperke knew the footsteps of the people who lived in the apartments and would bark vigerously only at strangers who didn't live there and tried to go up the stairs.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schipperke

[geobar]

There is lock available that installs to the top of the sliding door. It prevents the movable door from being moved sideways or raised up and out of the bottom track.
You need to drill a hole in the top frame of the track where the lock when activated inserts a rod up into and through the top frame.
Its is activated with a key for security.
Try a locksmith locally as I did on moving into our condo.
And yes they also change all the locks on all your exterior doors. I had this done where I only need one key now for all of my entry doors and garage doors.Worth the $200.00 or so expense.
There are also locks that can be installed on windows that prevent them from being raised more than 10 to 12 inches or so. This way on a coole evening you can leave a window open.

[billethkid]

for a community the size of The Villages is insignificant. Granted, if you are one of them it is very significant.
Security systems are only as good as how you use them. If it is to "protect" while you are home, it means doors and windows closed...year round (too much beautiful fall and spring weather to do that).
If it is to use when away, it is a reasonable deterrent.
Most break ins are not spontaneous. The victims are usually scoped out and then ID as an easy mark....again based on your at home habits.

We keep all doors windows open all around the house during the cooler weather. At night we close all but the big sliders and doors visible from the family room.

The other deterrent that is almost 100% is a dog!!!! It doesn't take long to get pegged as a dog owner in the event of a scope of your residence is made by a potential thief.

Security is a lot of common sense.

I have a decal on the windows indicating dual security systems on this residence. #1 Spike the pitbull. #2 Smith & Wesson.

BTK