Do you have a home security system?

[happywife]

What exactly do you have? Alarm? Cameras?

We live in a gated community and I've always felt safe. Lately, someone has been stealing packages from door steps and now we're feeling a little uneasy. People suck.

[FastHands]

We have a "smart home" system -- sensors on doors/windows and motion sensors that alert our phones and blare a siren if anything is amiss. I like it because it sets automatically when we're both gone (when our phones are out of range) and turns off when we get home, so I don't have to worry about setting it or turning it off. DH actually just bought a couple of cameras, but we haven't set them up yet.

[VillainV]

We have anti-break-in alarms on doors and ground-floor windows, and an interior camera. Everything is wifi enabled so we can control it all via a central control panel or touchscreen tablet, or from our smart phones. We can create "guest" codes, see who is coming and going through which door, and check the camera while we are away (good for double-checking that the cat-sitter is doing her job). We are thinking of adding an exterior camera, but haven't decided if we need it. This is all through Xfinity. There are better/cheaper companies out there (SimpliSafe gets lots of recommendations on my neighborhood NextDoor). I'm happy with our service but wish we'd shopped around more.

[lmb5109]

We have ADT, two Dropcams (one in the garage and one for the front of the house. But my best security is that I work from home and have a 100lb dog.

[callmehales]

we have SimpliSafe. keypads on the front and back doors, door sensors on every exterior door, glass break sensors on the lower level windows, motion detectors that cover the upstairs and main level (not the downstairs den, because the dogs would set it off) and a smoke detector that's hooked up to the system as well.

DH and i get a text if the alarm is triggered, if the power goes out and the system goes into battery backup, and if the smoke alarm goes off. they call us if the alarm is on for a minute, and we can either tell them to send the police or that we did it (like when my mom set it off when we were out of town for a wedding and she forgot her code).

we also have cameras on the front door, and that cover the front yard and both sides of the house. which is how we got to see a moron in a pickup plow straight into our dogwood a few months ago about 3am, when we saw the giant tire track the next morning.

[yourmother]

We have a straightforward ADT system. We too live in a gated community where the average age is about 55. It's pretty sleepy around here. However, I'm a super paranoid person, so I could see myself getting cameras inside/outside of my home if I felt the need for it.

[mcmel]

We have a Dropcam. I want a few security cameras outside.

[eb777888]

Alarm system only. We don't live in a gated community but we do live in a pretty low crime area. The most I ever read about in our area is car theft and even that's very rare.

[starlily]

Right now we have a monitored alarm for all doors/windows, an interior motion detector, and a dog whose bark sounds much larger than he is.

I'd like to get cameras and a outdoor motion detector light soon.

There isn't much crime in our area, but I lean towards paranoid because of my job. I'm also super uptight about not leaving windows open while we're gone, keeping the shades/blinds drawn, and not having large shrubs or trees near the door.

[lilafowler]

What? Lol. Security cameras? That's for celebrities and paranoids.

[LeggsBenedict]

nice try, burglar.

[FastHands]

May 5, 2016 23:05:45 GMT -5 lilafowler said:

What? Lol. Security cameras? That's for celebrities and paranoids.

...i want to see my doggins while I'm at work. They're kind of celebrities.

[happywife]

I at least want a picture of the motherfucker stealing the packages so I can see if it's one of my neighbors

[lilafowler]

[FastHands]

WHY YOU ALL UP IN MUH GRILL, CARMEN SANDIEGO? MY DOGS ARE AWESOME AND IT'S THEIR BIRTHDAY, YOU MONSTER.

[isabel]

We have door sensors on our three doors that lead outside and a window sensor in DS's room. It's a super basic system, but we do pay for monitoring that goes to a call center/police.

Honestly, we don't actually turn it on that often. Mostly I set it when DH is OOT.
Eta: We have SimpliSafe

[mrsukyankee]

We have Yale doors with security locks, an alarm system and a big black dog who scares everyone (his bark is LOUD). We're the only house of the ones around us who hasn't had a break in.

[cabbagecabbage]

Nope. We have a big barking dog and the most stereotypical busybody next door who legitimately says things like, "Oh, I saw your mom visited yesterday at three. I like her new car." She will call non emergency police and get a cruiser to drive by for anything.

[RoxMonster]

If there was something going on in my neighborhood, I'd put up cameras. For instance, someone in our subdivision has been vandalized multiple times, three times within the last two months. When we drove by last weekend, he was installing cameras and I don't blame him. I would do the same if packages were getting stolen.

But we personally don't have any security (besides our dog!) I would like to get something though, especially with fire monitoring, since our dog is home alone all day. My biggest fear is that a fire would start when she is home alone.

[read247]

We have sensors on all basement and first floor doors/windows, and all second floor windows with roof access (eventually we'll wire them all, but in the interest of time gave priority to those you can get to without hauling a 20 foot ladder onto my property). There's also a motion detector in the family room. We don't have central monitoring, though...DHs plan is to have the system call our cell phones if it's activated but I've put him off so far because honestly, if I'm not home, I really don't want to know. :-) There's not much history of break-ins or anything in our area so having it as a warning is nice but it's not something I feel a strong need to have, either.

[screwedup]

We have:

1) steel front door
2) reinforced basement door (opens to back yard) - door jamb is reinforced steel. There are sleeves behind the deadbolt and door knob to make them stronger as well as 6 inch screws in the frame.
3) ground level windows are reinforced with 3M polymer so it's harder to break
4) cameras on front and back door
5) monitored alarm / smoke detectors
6) interior glass break monitors just in case
7) pit bull! (who will lick someone to death)

Our front door was kicked in 3 weeks after we moved in and the alarm scared them off. We had everything at that point except the steel front door. At that time, we had a fiberglass door - it cracked like an egg. No more fiberglass for us, ever.

For the record, we live in the city limits of Atlanta but in a gentrifying neighborhood. We live in a brand new home but our neighborhood is anything from crack houses to $1M homes.

(edited to add - We are also members of our neighborhood security patrol, which pays off duty officers to make extra patrols.)

[papie]

Alarm. It came with the house. It does help me sleep better when H is OOT.

[Deleted]

For that issue is it an option to have packages delivered to your/his office instead? We did that for a while when it went on in our neighborhood.

I do have an alarm but I disabled the glass breakage sensors (loud noises of any kind inside/outside would set them off) so they are just for door entry. I also have a big barking dog.

[icedcoffee]

We have a system through Ackerman Security. It includes door sensors, window sensors on the main level and glass breaks on the main level and basement. We skipped motion sensors since we have a dog. Our beagle would run up to a burgler for a belly rub so not that helpful. I love seeing the red light on when I hear a noise or something.

ETA:  Ours is not wifi enabled so I can't control it from my phone.  I wish we had spent the extra money to get it wifi enabled.  Womp, womp.

[joy]

We live in a row home in Philly. We have SimpliSafe. Front door, front window, back door sensors. If tripped, they set off an ungodly loud alarm that would wake the street.

I don't care about our stuff - I care to know if someone is in the house or trying to get in.

I've considered adding a camera but it would just to see who's ringing my doorbell. Sooo many people asking for money/selling shit these days.

[Deleted]

I have a 60 lb dog that sounds very vicious. Our entire yard is fenced, you can't even get to my front door without her "greeting" you.

[amberlyrose]

We have a Ring doorbell- it senses motion by the front door and starts recording. When someone rings the bel, we can answer it by phone and talk to the person. This actually came in handy yesterday because I forgot the yard guy was coming and DH was able to give him the go ahead to cut the grass from our doorbell

We also have 2 indoor cameras and 4 outdoor cameras. We live in a transitional area and there have been a few cars stolen lately.

[panicfoot]

We have sensors on all doors and windows, glass break sensors and smoke detectors that tie in to the control panel. Everything is wireless and all of the sensors are removable so we can take them with us when if/when we move.

We live in a relatively low crime area but I am an intensely paranoid person, lol.

[speckledfrog]

No. Please don't rob me.

[OrangePixyStix]

Unfortunately, big barking dogs do not always work to scare off intruders.

We have two 50 lb dogs (not trained attacked dogs, mind you, but they do bark loudly at any noise coming from a door) and thought that was enough security. Then we had a home invasion and apparently the bigger dog got kicked or pushed and both must have cowered away, while the robbers went through every room in the house and took random items. Fortunately both dogs were OK but did have a pee accident due to the fiasco (and they never have pee accidents, so I know she was trying to protect and then got hurt/scared).



We now have an active security system with alarms and have outside cameras that record activity at each of our doors. So far no other issues since we have added security, but we did learn that having vocal dogs is not the most reliable security system.