AboutFred P. Wessells Expertise I can provide advice regarding most aspects of home and personal security & safety, as well as just about anything related to computer security. Lighting to locks to windows and more. I DO NOT WANT QUESTIONS ON ALARM SYSTEMS, other than common smoke/carbon monoxide detectors. This is not my area of expertise. How to keep from needing an alarm system is more in my area!
Experience I have worked in the industry for 18 years as a security officer, feature writer and editor for a national security magazine and as a security consultant.
Publications Security Technology & Design magazine, Access Control magazine, Locksmith Ledger magazine, several community newspapers and legal newsletters.
Question QUESTION: I have a vacation home that has been burglarized. I have an alarm system and have done many of the suggestions I can find online such as timers for indoor and outdoor lights etc... I am considering purchasing security roll shutters, but cannot find any statistics on their effectiveness. What can you tell me about their effectiveness?
ANSWER: Hi,
I can appreciate your problem since I spend a lot of time up north (in Michigan) to get away from Detroit. I hope to move there someday, but until then I just keep an eye on things (like the real estate market) and hope. The reason I bring that up is that I've checked out the stats for the crime in that city for the past year. There were approximately 9 vacation homes broken into, about 8 car thefts (joyrides) and more DUIs than anything else. That got me thinking to what would I do if I won the lottery and could buy a second home there on the lake while trying to sell this one.
With an alarm system and all you have done, there are some other things I would suggest before going the shutter route. First, timers for inside lights are superb. But for outside lights, I would use mercury vapor lights that come on at dark and off in the daylight. They last forever, cost virtually nothing to run, are not expensive to buy or install. Bad guys don't like light--either inside or out. You didn't mention how folks got into your home, but that should be looked at and addressed--feel free to write back about that. Depending on where you live and where your vacation home is, weather also is a concern. For instance, if I did have a home up north, I would need someone to keep the snow plowed and also would have a good friend come by at least weekly to open up your home, bring in any mail or flyers or circulars, etc. so the home looks lived in. It's not easy if your vacation home is far from your regular residence.
Go to google and type in "security roll shutters." [in quotes] You will get several hits, but look at the first one on the top right. I believe it's QMI. That's the type of shutters you want. They don't make your home look like some storefront in Brooklyn, and they are extremely secure. I am concerned about the cost, though I don't know what it is...I doubt they are inexpensive.
Have you read through blackdogsecurity.org for other tips? Like locks and windows and such?? I would strongly urge you to digest what I've written you now and then come back and tell me more about how they got in, where you are, where the house is...and let's see if we can do something to prevent this from recurring without your spending one ton of money!!
Best,
fred
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QUESTION: Thank you for your quick response. Regarding lighting, we have several motion detector flood lights and have also put electronic timers on our switches for all outside lights. They are currently programmed to come on around dusk and turn off around 3:00 a.m. They have a built in stagger of about 20 minutes, so it's slightly different each time. Our cabin is 2 1/2 hours from Phoenix and we are surrounded by other vacation homes on 1 acre lots. Our burglars smashed a large rock through the glass panel on our bedroom door (which is now a solid door), unlocked the deadbolt but not the handle lock (not too smart) and then kicked the door in. The doors are 2 1/2 inch custom alder but the door jamb finally gave. We have added a second dead bolt lock on the lower portion of the doors. They are not concerned about light or noise - no one to see or hear. There have been six break-ins in the last 9 months just between our cabin and three immediate neighbors. Many more in the surrounding area. It is rampant and we are desperate. We are serviced by the Sheriff's Department so they might be down the road or 45 minutes away. Snow and mail are not issues. We don't get mail or circulars and the snow doesn't last long enough to plow. There is no one to check on the cabin, but we are installing motion activated, infrared, dvr security cameras next week which will enable us to view the cabin from home and see any future burglars. We are considering the roller shutters in great part because the cabin will sit empty for most of the winter and we are hoping they will just decide to go somewhere easier. I have looked everywhere I can think of on line but I can't find any hard stats on their effectiveness, which I would like to help justify the expense, but hope they will be a visual deterrent. We also have a sliding glass door which isn't going to keep anyone out They have thus far targeted only vacant homes. Perhaps they knock on the door first, we just don't know. Any info you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Answer Okay, one thing at a time. First, the door lock. The second deadbolt won't do you any good unless you bought a heavy-duty double-cylinder deadbolt (Schlage makes a good one; Medeco makes THE best...at a price). The heavy-duty deadbolt gives you a longer throw--the bolt that goes into the door frame. It actually goes through the frame and into the first stud. I strongly suggest double-cylinder. They can break anything and still not get in or get out, depending on the circumstances. If you already have new locks installed, they can be readjusted at a far lower cost than the original.
I still prefer mercury vapor lights that come on and stay on all night. Costs about a penny a day to run--maybe. But if you don't want to take that route, what you have done is reasonably effective. The infrared cameras are a great idea, but when you install them, see if you can somehow add a sound system to them. Imagine the burglar's surprise when he approaches the house, you spot him on camera and say something like, "Break in here and I'll shoot your whatsits off." Remember, the shutters I recommended allow you to see from inside the house, so he has no clue if you are home or not.
It's called QMI Shutters, and they sell a wonderful product for homes. First place to install is, of course, on that sliding door. And yes, it is a deterrent that will make them go elsewhere. What I cannot tell you, however, is the price. I'm sure they aren't cheap. Nothing worthwhile is. Also make sure with the cameras that you have recording capability if possible. In the rare case, after taking all these steps, that someone does break in, it would be nice to have them on TV for the whole world to see.
I wish you the best, and hope this has been helpful. To find out more about shutter effectiveness, call the company. Seriously. They won't lie to you simply because lawsuits will put them out of business. But I have confidence this will work.
You can reach me through this Web site until Thursday, I believe. After that, I'm on vacation. If you have questions then, e-mail me through blackdogsecurity.org.
