Home Security Question

[vicki2]

That's quite true. Sometimes I think CCTV give people a false security when, in fact, simpler precautions would suffice and work better!

[Numenius]

I have CCTV and an alarm (which is bust!) BUT I have a lovely family friendly doberman. She loves us (my daughter used to ride her around!) and she is devoted to my daughter to the point of getting up several times during the night, going into her room, checking her and going back out to sleep. Anyway, she barks the place down in that special "I'm going to eat your lungs out" way Dobermanns have about them if anyone comes in the gate. I still think this is the best security item I have (she does actually bite too as my friend bravely tested it for me with a padded suit he borrowed ) and I really don't worry about the house when the dog is at home (which she is always unless we are out walking her - you cannot really take her visiting folks!). The CCTV is for the outside when we are not in and the dog is locked in the house.
At the back, where we back onto fileds, I have planted hawthorn and dog-rose along the back of the fence - so it's waaaay too spiky to even get near the fence, and it looks nice and feeds the birds (haw berrys and the rose hips) too. I think the dog and the spiky plants are really simple and low-tech and don't even appear to be security really - yet I'm sure they are more effective than my CCTV and alarm (when it worked).

[brian]

They are very good suggestions, Numenius, and welcome to Security Talk.

I remember seeing a program about reformed burglars showing how to protect property against burglars, and planting hawthorn was especially recommended because you'd have to be pretty determined to push through all those spikes.

And dogs can be a great family-friendly deterrent, too - just the barking draws unwelcome attention if the dog is alerted.