"Protected by..." signs on one's house - yes or no?

[Milspec]

I used to work as a prison guard for about 9 years and used to listen to the inmate stories to pass the time. The home invasion types were much smarter than you think. They normally were working in the service industry (lawn care, carpet cleaners, roofers, carpet installers, painters, etc.) so they already knew about your home. Many would use the bathroom and leave the window unlatched for easy entry at night and all of them would talk to the owners to find out when they work or when they would be gone. They knew all that they needed to know. A sign in the window or even having an alarm system were useless at stopping these people. It might stop a roaming kid looking for an easy mark, but not a real thief.

The other things I learned is that no thief wants to mess with a house in the country. They often have one way in / out (long driveway), dogs, and owners with guns....not a good target.

Speaking of guns, all thieves fear the shotgun. A handgun will get you killed, they know how hard it is to shoot straight under duress without training, but a shotgun is a point and shoot affair. We had one guy who used to pose as the cable installer. He would case houses for weeks to find those that would be empty once the family left for the day. He parked in the driveway with his cable company van and clean them out. Worked for over 40 thefts until one day, the owner returned to the house because he forgot something. The thief (6'5" and 255 lbs) hid behind the sofa and planned to hit the owner with a large wrench when he came down the steps, but then he heard the owner chamber a shell in the pump shotgun.

The thief ran to the phone and called the police begging them to arrive before he was killed.

 

[Frodebro]

Cant shoot them if they are running away.

Not outside the house, anyway. Laws vary by state, but where I’m at it’s a legal shot the minute they enter the house.

 

[lammie200]

We used to have a security company sticker on our front gate. It was fine for many years then someone peeled it off. I put on another one since I have a few and that one got peeled off much quicker. I am debating about putting another one up because I am not sure that we need it. We have a dog now. BTW, I also put up a "camera" way up high so no one can mess with it. That may also be a deterrent and worth considering.

 

[Harbinger77]

This thread is forgetting that there’s a difference between a thief and a desperate opportunistic drug addict.

A real thief can steal pretty much anything. I know some fairly infamous guys who could give David Blaine and David Copperfield a run for their money. You would be shocked by what they have gotten away with.

As was mentioned previously, most of the time the person(s) who burglarize your home know you and have already been inside.

 

[Gris]

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I've never minded those lame threats of gun mayhem. Here's the one I hated the most:

I used to canvass door-to-door. One afternoon I was working in New Canaan, Connecticut, a rich New York bedroom community. If you saw The Ice Storm, that's New Canaan.

Anyhow, the driveways were so long that I started just cutting across people's yards to get from one front door to another. Going up to the street and down again house after house made no sense. It was a dry fall day, and the leaves on the ground sounded like Rice Crispies — crunch, crunch, crunch.

I was approaching an attached garage from the side, planning to walk past the garage to get to the front door. When I got nearer the garage, I could see big black lettering on it. As I got up to the driveway, the letters began to flattened enough that I could read them.

When I got to the driveway, I was ten feet from the garage door and the sign. I took a look:

CAUTION
GUARD DOGS ON DUTY
DO NOT OPEN WINDOWS
HONK FOR SERVICE

And I tiptoed up the driveway to the street— CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! . . .

 

[boneyguy]

Groupings kind of suck.

I'm Canadian, don't own a gun, probably never will (if my bro hadn't been a cop I probably never would have seen or held a handgun in my entire life)....but don't 'groupings' only matter in theory and in target shooting? I mean if that loose grouping was on someone's torso does it really matter....? Especially under a high stress situation where both participants are probably moving. I think the intended outcome would have been accomplished.

 

[billy logan]

Charlie Bernstein's post #66 ^^ reminds me I been ruminating -

Dry leaves very loud when stepped on - excellent anti-prowler method! Damp leaves, no

So. Hmmm. What material is always loud when stepped on? I'm thinking split-open aluminum cans. Attach them to a garden mesh and roll it out like a carpet down outside the side wall where the bath and bedroom windows are, and where creepers might creep. Bubble wrap, if you're sure it'll go POP POP POP

Low-tech. Combine w/high-tech to taste

edit - hell put the crunchy carpet on the front walk and the steps and the porch so you aren't startled to hear a knock or a doorbell - even if it's just Myrna Tellingheusen from the committee

 

[24 track]

I have Harlo and he's big, I have motion sensors and security cameras every where, no signs dont need them

 

[beanluc]

A recent acquaintance has two or three different security companies' signs on or near his front door. "Protected by Acme" and "Strong Security" or similar names - I don't remember what companies he uses.

I can understand the reasoning that these signs might cause a burglar to go elsewhere.

But on the other hand, a miscreant might see the signs and think, "Here's where the good stuff is."

Any opinions? Thanks.

Protected by Hell's Angels

 

[beanluc]

We have those signs on the east coast too.

I think the implication was "cowboys can't shoot"

 

[P Thought]

Cant shoot them if they are running away.

Some disclaimers: I was just kidding. I don't have any guns, not any that work anyway, and if I did I would not point them at a person for any reason. My dog is old and decrepit, but he'll still bark. Any time I try to sell any of my stuff I can't get anything for it, so I doubt a thief would do any better. And if someone rifled through my garage, I doubt they'll have an easier time finding my stuff than I do.

I just came up with a theory: the likelihood of your house being burgled is commensurate with the number of trick-or-treaters you get on Halloween. We average zero.

I used to enjoy shooting, and some hunting. Not so much any more. No need for guns at my house, but you cowboys go ahead and enjoy them.

 

[beanluc]

Speaking of guns, all thieves fear the shotgun. A handgun will get you killed, they know how hard it is to shoot straight under duress without training, but a shotgun is a point and shoot affair. We had one guy who used to pose as the cable installer. He would case houses for weeks to find those that would be empty once the family left for the day. He parked in the driveway with his cable company van and clean them out. Worked for over 40 thefts until one day, the owner returned to the house because he forgot something. The thief (6'5" and 255 lbs) hid behind the sofa and planned to hit the owner with a large wrench when he came down the steps, but then he heard the owner chamber a shell in the pump shotgun.

The thief ran to the phone and called the police begging them to arrive before he was killed.

I mean, not that a thief would ask this, but, remind me again how big the pattern gets at interior distances?

 

[bcorig]

Get a Silver Spoon for protection in case she came in through the bathroom window.

 

[catdaddy]

 

[bcorig]

You can't think rationally. While there are professional burglars, most of the people that burgle homes are drug addicts. They are often not thinking rationally, and definitely not sophisticated enough to be disabling alarms like in a spy movie (two alligator clips and it's disabled... yeah right). Their crimes are more of opportunity, in close proximity to where they live. If a home has a legit alarm, that's probably enough of a deterrent for the average drug addict. But as pointed out, if there's three different signs, that suggest there's no actual alarm.

I don't think the "this house has an alarm thus they must have good stuff to steal" assumption is correct. Lots of people have house alarms, even those with nothing of particular value to steal. A lot of new construction homes in my area come wired for alarms. People don't get them just for burglars, but also for fire. If you're smoke alarm is going off while your house is empty, the alarm company will contact the fire department.

Thank you for a sensical post.

 

[Wrighty]

A recent acquaintance has two or three different security companies' signs on or near his front door. "Protected by Acme" and "Strong Security" or similar names - I don't remember what companies he uses.

I can understand the reasoning that these signs might cause a burglar to go elsewhere.

But on the other hand, a miscreant might see the signs and think, "Here's where the good stuff is."

Any opinions? Thanks.

Or ‘good info, I know all about Acme systems’?

 

[Wrighty]

Best one I saw ‘Sod the dog, beware of the wife’

 

[trapdoor2]

We have signs back and front, a doorbell camera and interior system. Rocket would bark...and then happily take them on a tour of the house...unless they were armed with weed-eaters. He hates those things.

I have an 1873 Trapdoor Springfield with bayonet fitted. If y'all read about intruders being butt-stroked and bayonetted, it will be me.

 

[Flat6Driver]

I'm Canadian, don't own a gun, probably never will (if my bro hadn't been a cop I probably never would have seen or held a handgun in my entire life)....but don't 'groupings' only matter in theory and in target shooting? I mean if that loose grouping was on someone's torso does it really matter....? Especially under a high stress situation where both participants are probably moving. I think the intended outcome would have been accomplished.

Yeah, it was funny thing to say.
Then again, why would you shot up your own sign?