Detering burglars checking that your house is unoccupied

[PaulUszak]

Some one posted a worrying and plausible issue with burglary.

...ring the door bell first, and have a sensible reason for doing so if answered.

I imagine that this is a common technique as there's nothing worse that breaking into a seemingly unoccupied house to find four marines sleeping off that night's champagne party + =

I've thought of a dome camera right next /above the front door. Mounted in a really prominent location. Either a real one, or a dummy mocked up with a powered IR illuminator producing that characteristic red glow. The miscreant wouldn't be wearing a balaclava at that point when he knocks. He'll see the camera. Any future burglary would automatically make him a suspect thereby deterring him(?) Perhaps.

Important: I'm making a distinction between general CCTV and a door mounted (bloody obvious literally in your face) camera. My friend has had CCTV professionally fitted (SWANN). The camera is a passive low light type with no illuminator. It's white and mounted at the eaves, which are also white. You can't really see it during the day, never mind at night. Yes it might film a burglar, but provides zero deterrence.

Whata ya think?

 

[HERTS P&D]

I have fitted a dome camera on a 3ft arm on the corner of my house, since fitting it there has been zero crime in the whole street.

Andy

 

[bernardgreen]

Idiots who raided a local shop at midnight parked nearby but in full view of a CCTV camera with the glow from the IR illuminator clearly visible. The number plae was genuine and the registered owner was driving it. Police made arrests about 3 am the same night.

 

[Europlex]

"professionally fitted (SWAN)" I assume you are joking there

 

[Mottie]

I'm assuming he paid someone to fit a DIY kit. I can't knock 'em though - I have Swann kits in my house and at my workplace. Fitted them myself. Ok for the money - £250 ish for the kit and 4 camera's. Was thinking of adding a PTZ camera to my home system but that's going to cost as much as the whole system and that's just a cheap Swann one - others are twice the price. I suppose you get what you pay for but I don't need a full blown pro system.

 

[Iamchamps]

The other options are warning signs that you can buy saying things like "warning dog in premises will bite strangers", house alarm fake or real (box outside with the little strope light on, which house alarms have), automated lights. List goes on of these sort of things. Most burglars are opurtunists looking for the easy thing if they think a dog is going to bite them will move on unless you house a with a load of diamonds or something that people know about then you may be a bigger target.

 

[PaulUszak]

"professionally fitted (SWANN)" I assume you are joking there

No I'm not joking. They had a van with the name of their security company on it.

Professional: Engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than as an amateur. That's all I meant.
SWAN: http://www.swann.com/uk/ I remember it because it was the same kit that was on special offer in Screwf*** about 6-9 months ago. I said to myself then, "I know where you've got that from". (Still angry with Screwfix.)

And a Yale alarm. They did them together - it doesn't have any LEDs on whatsoever.

 

[PaulUszak]

Hmm, whist posting the above I've looked though SWANN's range of CCTV cameras. All of them have IR illuminators. They don't seem to have any low light passive cameras. Yet this chap's camera doesn't glow. And it doesn't have one of those stupid flashing dummy LEDs either. This camera was one of the reasons I started this thread. Hmm...

 

[aptsys]

Hmm, whist posting the above I've looked though SWANN's range of CCTV cameras. All of them have IR illuminators. They don't seem to have any low light passive cameras. Yet this chap's camera doesn't glow. And it doesn't have one of those stupid flashing dummy LEDs either. This camera was one of the reasons I started this thread. Hmm...

It could be that the IR LEDs are in the 950nm region which you will not see at all.

 

[motorbiking]

I have an IP camera on my front door porch roof, its not a dome camera, but thats really a style thing. The cameras is connected to my NAS and backed up instantly to two remote locations. So said scumbag would need to spot it from the main road, hide his face before walking up the path. I can't see the point of fake cameras, when you can get decent ones for £100 or less - the IR glow would put you off at night also.

 

[PaulUszak]

spot it from the main road

To clarify, you're saying that it's very obvious to anyone approaching the front door (day or night) that there is a camera on them?

 

[Mikefromlondon]

what if you put a sign saying back in 5 minutes! gone across the road! or leave a manican (dummy) in your lobby with a knife in his chest and red paint , soon as they break in and see the body, they would flea the crime scene!

 

[motorbiking]

Hmm, whist posting the above I've looked though SWANN's range of CCTV cameras. All of them have IR illuminators. They don't seem to have any low light passive cameras. Yet this chap's camera doesn't glow. And it doesn't have one of those stupid flashing dummy LEDs either. This camera was one of the reasons I started this thread. Hmm...

A normal person would probably have a 30% chance of spotting it in the day and a 50% chance at night. I think would be thieves probably take a little more care to look for cctv and would probably spot it as they walked up the drive. The point being is they will look at it for a moment before clocking its a camera. I also have cameras inside. The cameras are probably 90% likely to clock them before they clock the camera.

When I fitted my cameras, I went with the current advice to position them just above head height. Having cameras high up means you are unlikely to get good footage of the face.

 

[Europlex]

......................................................................... soon as they break in and see the body, they would flea the crime scene!

Scratching I assume

 

[unclebob1]

Im considering putting a small but clearly visible cctv screen ( cheap £20 jobie off ebay) which comes on based on PIR, showing the image of person/persons at the front door- using a camera mounted on the door itself...

Person walks to the front door- PIR turns on the screen, and they suddenly see a live stream of themselves...

If that isn't obvious enough then i may as well leave the door open and let them walk in...