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"In less than half a minute, the Halloween decorations that
took hours to build were destroyed." as reported by Fox9
(pictured above).
But after multiple assaults on his decorations in years
past, the home owner got his revenge after he installed a
video security system and was able to video tape the vandals in
action.
Its very sad,
but there are some people out there that will steal and/or
vandalize Halloween decorations, props, displays and even
defenseless Jack O' Lanterns. We display several thousand
dollars worth of Halloween decoration and props in our front
yard alone, many of which were very expensive and some are
no longer made, making them irreplaceable. While this has not
happened to us, we have friends that it has happened to
and they were completely devastated by it.
Unfortunately, there is no
absolute and foolproof way to protect your Halloween decor,
but there are many things that you can do to help deter,
detect and even identify those that would do them harm.
Many of these
types of crimes happen later in the night after the trick or
treating has stopped for the evening and the owners have
gone indoors for the night. Its not always practical to bring in
all your Halloween decor on Halloween night, so
what can you do to deter would-be thieves or vandals. Below
are a few ideas that could help.
Control
Access
Enclosing your yard with
either
a permanent or temporary
fence with a locking gate and posted with "No Trespassing" and
"Beware of Dog" signs is the first line of defense
in protecting your property and valuable Halloween displays
after your festivities. A fence is
literally a line drawn in the sand for bad guys and indicates that
past the fence is trespassing. If you can't afford or don't
want a permanent fence you can build or even rent temporary
fencing. Be sure to check your local zoning laws, ordinances
and home owners association if applicable before erecting any
fence on your property, even a temporary one.
Motion
Detector Floodlights
Consider installing motion detecting floodlights in your
front yard pointed at vulnerable areas. The moment they detect movement, they
will illuminate the area and expose the source of the movement.
We like these better that just leaving regular
lights on during the night, as they tend to startle
intruders, who do not know if the home owner switched on the
lights and may be on his way
out or is calling the police. If you have security camera's,
floodlights will help provide a brighter picture. We prefer the
models with bulb enclosures as they add extra protection
from weather for the bulbs. These cost as little as thirty-five
dollars per unit.
Security
Camera's
The great advantage with
recorded video is that it can help local law enforcement in the
possible apprehension and prosecution of thieves and
vandals. If multiple cameras are installed, two can be angled in
such a
way that they can capture vehicles on the street and even there
license plate numbers, criminals in cars can be recorded as
well. At least you will have a record to show police and
your insurance provider. These systems can be pricey, costing in the hundreds
of dollars to thousands, but remember they can be part
of your home security not just on Halloween, but year round. You can buy a complete outdoor rated system with four
wireless motion detecting night vision camera's and an SD DVR for recording
and mini monitor for under five hundred dollars.
Motion
Detection Yard Alarms
We use three of the
"HomeSafe Door and Driveway Alarms" pointed in a "V"
formation to cover our entire Halloween yard haunt. This weather resistant
and wireless security device uses infrared motion detection
to detect any approaching person or vehicle at a range of up
to thirty feet from the sensor and then sends a alert signal
to the receiver up to 400 feet away. You are notified
through the receiver with either a chime or alarm. You
just place the sensor/transmitter in a location outside your
home and the receiver indoors. This particular detector includes
the transmitter and receiver for twenty-five bucks.
Camouflage
Another option is to cover
your decorations during off hours when not in use with black
plastic such as Visqueen sheeting, so potential thieves don't know what you have in
your yard. This also has the advantage of adding some
protection from adverse weather such as rain and snow.
Barking Dog
Alarm
The "HomeSafe Barking Dog Alarm" system uses an electronic
radar-wave sense control that allows it to detect through
wood, plastic, brick, glass, etc. When an intruder enters
the protected area, it automatically begins barking like an
angry dog or can be set to a chime or siren alarm. This
device uses AC power and is not designed for use outdoor
use, but you can use HomeSafe outdoor wireless motion
detectors to trigger the main unit from a distance outdoors.
The HomeSafe
Outdoor Wireless Home Security Motion Sensor has adjustable
sensitivity up to 10 meters away and has an adjustable 150
degree motion detection angle. This adjustable sensor is
designed for outdoor use and has a range of up to 300 feet.
When triggered it sends a signal to activate the Barking Dog
Alarm.
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 Important
- Do not confront criminals yourself! Call
the police and make note of as much descriptive
information about the perpetrators that you
can. Keep a still or video camera near your
front door so you can get pictures of the
bad guys. |
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