My guest house has been burglarized twice this past week. The electrical wires are antique and need to be replaced, so there is no electricity in the house now and I'm not able to have it rewired yet. We've secured it with locks, but they're just cut, picked or jimmied. The house is barely visible from the street and backs up to an alley, so the criminals have plenty of privacy and I can't change that since it's not blocked by shrubs.
Video tape of a crime is not accepted by police here and we're not allowed to use barbed wire on the fence, or electrify it. I do have a doberman, but she accepts treats from strangers. When she saw the guest house door open, she ran in and came out with a stuffed animal to shred.
So, I am considering booby-trapping the house....like the kid in "Home Alone". Can someone give me some clever ideas about things I could do?
2007-05-05 05:06:16 · 6 answers · asked by swissmiss620 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
I do have a big dog.
2007-05-05 05:18:43 · update #1
When my doberman went in the house, the burglar was still there. I could hear him rattling around in the garage, so I'm sure she must have, but she ignored it and was not there with me when I confronted him and struggled to keep him there while the police came while I was on the phone with 911. I think she was busy shredding the stuffed elephant.
The burglar finally escaped past me and returned a few days later.
2007-05-05 05:32:03 · update #2
set up a board on the floor with spiked nails, push it up enough the door will open, they will get the points!. Slim the door knob with a special vaseline, with food coloring mixed in it. I used blue, my son was really upset when he got slimmed. Took a week for the coloring to wear off too.
2007-05-05 05:13:51 · answer #1 · answered by spiritwalker 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it helps to profile who the person is. If nothing is stolen it is likely a young drug user. From what you said it really sounds like a punk kid. IT is very possible the person is someone the dog knows. I had a female doberman and although it was a sissy dog it got hyper barking and shaking all over if something was wrong.
There are some really helpful cheap things for security like motion activated toy gorillas that clap their hands and play music. Even though it is a toy the sound will wake you up if you are in the same area. Be careful you don't make a bad situation worse. If you corner the bad guy you may force them to use violence. IF you go to really hardcore gun shops or on the internet like soldier of fortune or go buy a soldier of fortune magazine there are books you can buy to get ideas of techniques to protect yourself. I think if you borrowed someone's male doberman you would get a good team. I really think the person doing this is a kid because not many people would break in twice in one week and I don't remember you mentioning if anything was missing.
A good security door lock is using two spring activated dead bolts. A person can pick one lock but it is very hard to hold that deadbolt open while picking the other lock. When you make the door too strong the bad guy might choose the window so .....
2007-05-05 15:31:19 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Anything you want from the Home Alone movies would probably be ok. I would just be very careful not to set too much, and not to forget that it's there. If you were able to confront the burglar you might try getting a gun (get a permit first etc...). Dont shoot him but it would definently scare him off.
2007-05-05 07:49:17 · answer #3 · answered by ooorah 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
In most states you can be criminally charged for using booby traps against people even if they are dirt bag theives. The criminal can also sue you.
I would stay home one day, just don't make it obvious that your there, when the scumbag breaks into your house shoot him, make sure he is dead and call the police. I was in fear of my life ETC. Check your states self defense laws first. Most states you are allowed to kill someone who breaks into your house, just make it look good.
2007-05-05 10:11:16 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Since there may be loopholes in the law...
If barbed wire is not allowed, is razor wire?
And if it's illegal to electrify a fence, is it specifically illegal to electrify a doorknob?
2007-05-05 06:06:41 · answer #5 · answered by night_train_to_memphis 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get a really big dog
ok then get a dog that will actually do something
2007-05-05 05:15:34 · answer #6 · answered by shaolinmantis77 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋