OT: THIEVES! Security system suggestions, please.

[DBJohnson Fig Phenom Find all posts View Profile Close DBJohnson]

Spent a good part of the day driving across the state for a work trip this week. Got a text from a home that someone stole the two best gourds from our vines in the back yard.

Needless to say, I'm pissed. If someone will come up to my house, walk around back and steal my gourds, they'll certainly steal my figs and anything else not nailed down.

I'm thinking about setting up wireless security cameras to record 24/7...maybe motion activated...to see just who comes onto the property when no one is home. i have ZERO experience with these things so I'm asking for advice.

Suggestions?

[quackmaster Member Find all posts View Profile Close quackmaster]

Some one stole out my truck last winter so we set up a 4 camera system. My wife ordered it from Lowe', it called Q-see, it comes with a dvr and can be set to record when motion activated. We can watch it live from our smart phones when we not home and it's fairly easy to set up.

[quackmaster Member Find all posts View Profile Close quackmaster]

I can't stand a theif!

[F. Bennett Veteran Find all posts View Profile Close F. Bennett]

I hate to hear that, Bryant. My first solution is 4 dobermans.
Something like this can be configured into your wireless home network and you can monitor it from anywhere.
http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8905W.../dp/B003YUEF0E

I used old smartphones for home security. I keep one in the garage, mainly to see if I remembered to shut the garage door after leaving the house. But this is a quick solution that you can stick in a window sill for now. There are apps made just for this which will allow you to view from your activated smartphone (or tablet) anywhere you have service or wifi. Super handy! I hope that's the last of the thieves, but why take chances.

[DBJohnson Fig Phenom Find all posts View Profile Close DBJohnson]

Thanks, everyone. Will be checking into all these over the next few days. Would really like to take the thief on a one-way trip back to the swamp.... I mean, who steals a GOURD!?!? Subhuman feral Homo sapiens .... (mumble-mumble-mumble)....

[Tonycm Veteran Find all posts View Profile Close Tonycm]

I just got a surveillance system. It's not the latest greatest but it works.
Mine has 4 cameras that have 900 TV lines and 42 LED for night vision with 1 TB hard drive.
It can record 24 hrs a day or set to motion activated.
A friend of mine is a little nuts with his cameras. He has 16 cameras that run 24/7.
The pointers that he told me is to get the highest number of TV lines.
With lower lines, you won't notice a difference in the picture until you zoom in or at night. That's when you wish you had got higher TV line numbers.
For night vision- the greater number of LED lights the better you'll be able to see. He said it's best to not go under 32 LED's.
For the hard drive you should get a minimum of 500 GB. Make sure the hard drive is included in the system or you will need to buy one, format it, and load software on it. For me it was easier to have already included and ready to go.
One other tip is to get a system that can handle more cameras then you think you'll need. I have 4 cameras but my system can handle 8. I don't think I'll need more than 4 but ya never know, at least I have the option to add more.

[DBJohnson]

Thank you! Good info!

[Harborseal]

Which one did you get?

[Tonycm]

The surveillance system brand is "Sannce". It's capable to handle 8 cameras although I only have 4.

[mgginva Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mgginva]

While traveling in 3rd world countries I have found cheap battery operated motion sensor alarms and hidden fishing line strung with fishing hooks to work provided you can hide the line and hooks appropriately and startle the thief successfully. This may not be entirely legal in VA. Neither is 12 gauge shells loaded with rock salt. Well placed rat traps hurt, etc.
Punji sticks and a good dead fall trap might work but you'd have some explaining to do.
Good luck.
Show no mercy.
Take video if at all possible so we can enjoy your success.

[DBJohnson]

Explaining.....or dragging and digging.

[mgginva]

Well DB, I'd rather not say.

[Taverna78 Vetern Member Fabio Find all posts View Profile Close Taverna78]

Amico.... Has tis ever happened before? I understand you upset but think about tis. If money no object... Buy great camera system... Someone come in your yard and steal a fig or gourd or to vandalize you garden all a camera is going to do is give you the chance to see them actually do it. I no think a stealer will comb his hair and dress sharp to come be idiot so you can identify him in the dark on the camera and you go catch him.
A functional camera system is much more expense then going to buy two large gourd. I known you grow youself but what's done is done and even if you have camera... If they want something they will take anyways.
My brother has building with yard in downtown. They came in his yard 3 year ago and steal 2 full pallets of salt bags and a salt spreader for the truck. Him and police watch video and that was that. No catch men. Next year someone come in and actually steal the cameras! Nothing else! Now he has valuables I closed in barn.
Think tis way... Someone had to be so hungry they had to steel your gourds and you help them survive if they wanted it to make a bird house and you supplied a home for birds... Simple adt ground sign is enough. No need to waste money on something that can't literally catch the person.

[DBJohnson]

I understand what you're saying, my friend. However, I live in a small community out in the country....and the chances are pretty good that well-placed cameras will yield an image that the sheriff or my neighbors will be able to identify the thief.

The gourds themselves are neglible financial loss, but the violation of my home and the loss of my family's sense of security is not beyond estimation. I am the first to help those who need help...and I can look the other way for a starving man stealing food to feed his children. But to steal something just because it's there...that's not acceptable at any time.

[Taverna78 Vetern Member Fabio Find all posts View Profile Close Taverna78]

Ah. You are correct and I understand. Now I get same feel as you. Maybe because you town very small post a flyer up at most popular spot and note

" Dear whoever steal my gourds and invade my personal property you are a scumbag and I hope by you stealing another mans garden makes you feel like a rebel! If you would of ask me I would of just gave it to you and teach you how to grow your own but because you have made me second guess my trust in my Community I now have install a full surveillance system at my house to give me peace of mind and security That even my garden will be watched after so next time someone uninvited that wants to help them self to my belongings and property the sherif and I can be sure to pay you a visit"

[chuckell Veteran Find all posts View Profile Close chuckell]

Spent a good part of the day driving across the state for a work trip this week. Got a text from a home that someone stole the two best gourds from our vines in the back yard.

Needless to say, I'm pissed. If someone will come up to my house, walk around back and steal my gourds, they'll certainly steal my figs and anything else not nailed down.

I'm thinking about setting up wireless security cameras to record 24/7...maybe motion activated...to see just who comes onto the property when no one is home. i have ZERO experience with these things so I'm asking for advice.

Suggestions?

buy a cheap game camera they use for setting out in woods for deer bear etc.thay are cheap you can add a memory card of large size ,i used this when i was having trouble it worked great cheap ones are around 60.00 you might find cheaper ones they are silently motion activated ,will take still photos or video movies of motion you can set it either way and chances are when they enter the yard and do see it they won't be back,you can go really cheap and buy fake security camera's on ebay that look real,these are great deterants also,many ways to go here,

[DBJohnson]

I have several in my woods. Would have done that had I been at home to move one or two. Unfortunately, my wife doesn't know where they are currently set up (beyond a general idea).

[Harborseal Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Harborseal]

Isn't it possible that the someone is a raccoon family?

[DBJohnson]

Only if the raccoons have started using knives....they were cut off. See next post.....

[DBJohnson Fig Phenom Find all posts View Profile Close DBJohnson]

So...still on my business trip and took a couple hours to look at some of my options in person at a few shops here in "the big city." Priced out a system of what I WANT for a system that will do what I need and give me room to grow it. Comes out to be well above the price level that requires a family discussion.

Grabbed some food and headed back to the hotel when the phone rang. It's my wife and she tells me, "Hold on, hon, putting you on speaker..." I hear my neighbor from off the back side of the property say hello. Long story short... She discovered the gourds and asked her son where they came from. After some hemming and hawing, he confessed and she brought him over to return the gourds and apologize. To his credit, he made no excuses and owned up to having done wrong. He said he thought they were really coolwhich is why he took them. I told him I'd share some seed with him at the end of the season and show him how to grow his own next year.

Wife said she definitely got a genuine vibe from the kid. Hope it's the first step in the right direction for him.

Still planning to put in some security surveillance on the property...but the sense of urgency is much less now because my faith in the general goodness of my community has been restored significantly.

[F. Bennett Veteran Find all posts View Profile Close F. Bennett]

Whew, that's a huge relief! How old is the kid? Very glad to hear the good news.

[DBJohnson]

10 or 11.

[Bijan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bijan]

I used to have a neighbor in Houston who would bother my trees all the time. He would sit on the roof and shoot at them with his b.b. gun, move my containers around, break limbs, etc. (9-10 year old boy stuff). So, I came to find out his parents had punished him for his behavior by rescinding their offer to buy him the roller blades he wanted. So I hired him to water my trees while I traveled. He did a great job of watering my trees and he ended up with enough money to buy the skates. The best part was one day I heard some activity on the side of the house, then I heard him yelling at one of his friends to stop messing with the trees and to leave my property.

I was amazed at how much ownership he took with a little trust and responsibility.

[Rewton]

That's a great story. I'm not sure if I would have had in me to trust him to water my trees but it's good that you did.

[Oaken Rose]

Yeah! That's an excellent solution! Great idea!

[lilfiggy Member Find all posts View Profile Close lilfiggy]

Nice ending. I was putting my money on some wigged out craft lady who wanted a new project. Nice ripe tomatoes, strawberrys, watermelon cantelope would be my bet for enticers......not gourds. take picture please. Hope they were ripe enough to still do something with. Security cameras are always a good investment. Ex neighbor had massive system around his house (homeland security). Left it for the new owner, a widowed lady for her peace of mind. That system will take a picture of a freckle on a frog. LOL

[smatthew Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close smatthew]

Honestly though, security cameras are only worth the peace of mind you get from them. Cops generally don't bother using footage from security systems. I've installed quite a few systems, and nobody I know has ever been able to actually use the footage to get someone arrested. Even when they have had great images of vandals, the cops find some problem with the footage.

[joann1536 Member Find all posts View Profile Close joann1536]

Maybe you'll make a gardener out of him, Bryant.

[DBJohnson]

Ha! We'll see! He was pretty excited about the prospect of growing his own next year. Hopefully he'll still be interested next spring.