My daughter is moving into a first floor apartment of a nice two family house this summer in a city with an above average crime rate. The apartment doesn’t have security system so I’m going to have one installed. ADT wanted a three year contract but she’ll only be there a year so I’m going with a local guy that offers a one year contract.
The apartment has a door that opens to the front street as well as a number of windows in the living room, kitchen, and bedroom. The bathroom might have a small window instead of a regular one, I can’t remember now. The house is very old and I don’t know the condition of the windows, i.e., can they be opened or are they painted shut.
The local security guy has a proposal for a front door alarm and two motion sensors, no window sensors. The motion sensors would only be used when she’s out of the house and he recommends not using window sensors because if someone breaks the window the window sensor wouldn’t pick this up. But oddly he didn’t suggest glass break alarms either.
My thought is more for when she’s home than when she’s out. I don’t want her to be surprised by an intruder while taking a shower for example. So in this case the door alarm by itself wouldn’t be sufficient but also have some way to protect against window entry. I’m going to suggest glass break alarms.
I’m also going to check out a door jam at the suggestion of a neighbor that she can wedge under the front door.
For personal protection I’m going to buy her a few tasers to keep around the apartment. Although I have guns at home for personal/home protection I don’t think she’s ready for that.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to improve this security situation regarding the alarms and personal protection?
Dogs are great as alarms. It doesn’t have to be a watchdog. Pretty much any dog will cause a ruckus if someone tries to break in. And they make great companions if she’s living alone.
Invasion of an occupied home is extremely rare- especially for multi-family units. Locking the doors, making the home look occupied and keeping valuables out of sight is plenty, unless she’s moving to downtown Kabul or something.
Make sure she can open the bedroom windows and get out. I believe it’s part of the fire code that bedroom windows allow egress. Not only that they open, but that they are large enough to fit through. And be sure to tell her that fleeing the house is a good way to deal with an intruder. A lot of people might try to hide or fight off the intruder, when really they would be safer just getting out of the house.
Does the system have a remote activate/deactivate key fob? If this is truly a huge concern, go with the motion sensors and the door alarm. She can activate the motion sensors while in the bathroom and then deactivate them after showering.
A few tasers? Where exactly is she going to be living? Also, you can check what are the crimes that are above average, if the city really has above average crime rate (and not just a perception), and which neighborhoods are actually more at risk than others.
If you do that, make sure there are breakable egress windows. If something happens that emergency personal need to enter her apartment, you don’t want her door to be unopenable. Imagine a situation where the apartment has been overcome by smoke or fumes and the firefighters are going door to door with the landlord’s keys, but hers is wedged shut… I never would have thought of this, but someone mentioned it on FB the other day, seemed like good advice.
If the door has a bolt and the frame is in good condition, jamming it shut probably doesn’t make it that much more secure.
Bars on the windows. Concertina wire around the perimeter. Add a second, and then a third, steel reinforced front door with numerous deadbolts. Hang spent bullet casings outside the house. “A few” tasers isn’t close to reasonable. One taser per ten square feet is sufficient. Also need at least two swords. Kevlar vest with extra Kevlar chest plate. Blast helmet. Hire local security firm/off duty cops to check in with her every hour, maybe every half hour. Have her followed.
OmniCorp sells these enforcement droids. You can even program them to keep counting down after your daughter’s would be assailant drops his weapon(hehe). However, I would recommend buying the liability insurance if you go that route.
Some common sense safety measures (like having window shades/curtains to discourage peepers, good area lighting, quality door and window locks) will help beyond whatever security system is installed.
It’s unclear from the OP if the local company is going to be monitoring the security system (by “one year contract” does that mean alarms will be sent to a central office, and who exactly is doing the monitoring (i.e. local people (optimal) or minimum-wage drones in a boiler room in Toronto?)
If you go with a system incorporating a door alarm and motion sensors, it should (as previously mentioned) come with a key fob-type device to activate and deactivate them, as well as a panic button. Motion sensors can be placed so they are working at night, and won’t be triggered by the occupant getting up and using the bathroom, and can be turned off using the fob in the morning. And of course, a sign/stickers advertising that the place is monitored is an important part of the system.
Great suggestions - I’m going to ditch the door wedge idea and will make sure the windows can be opened from the inside. There is keyfob for the alarm for the motion detector so we’re all set there. The “few” tasers will be just one I’m sure and she will be taking a self-defense class soon. Monitoring of the local security system will be done through their “central station” whatever that is, I’ll need to find out more. I just wanted to validate some of my ideas and I’ve accomplished that. Thanks.
The laser is a TERRIBLE idea. If caught off guard, an intruder is generally going to want to get the hell out, not try to up the charges to murder. But if they panic, things could get violent.
Basically, it’s a battery-powered motion detector with a loud alarm. You put it on a table so that it can scan the doors/windows you’re concerned about. If there is motion, the alarm sounds. I doubt that burglars are going to stop to see whether it is monitored by something like ADT, and if the main purpose is to alert her when she’s home, then it’s perfect.
That said… I think a lot of this caution is misplaced. If the neighborhood is really that dangerous, I wouldn’t be there either. And, let’s be honest here, if she’s beat up or raped, the odds are better that it’s by a boyfriend/acquaintance than by a home intruder.
This, truly. And I repeat what I said earlier about checking exactly what are the crimes and where in the city.
If the place has such a bad reputation, you could start by not moving there and instead moving elsewhere in the city. And as a concerned father, I’d rather support extra rent in a safer neighborhood, than excessive security measures.
Most security involves locking the doors at night, lock stuff before leaving, don’t leave valuables to be easily seen, keep curtains to discourage lookers, etc.
And yea, if you’re concerned about some types of crimes, those are more likely to come by someone she knows (so no forced entry, so all your security system will be in vain).