Home Invasion in my Neighborhood

[Joe_K]

Guy rang our doorbell six times rapidly and banged on the door. After no one answers, (we won't answer the door for anyone we don't know)
He goes around back and looks over our privacy fence into our back patio. He snoops around for a bit while we observe.

This individual then crosses the street and repeats this behavior at our neighbors house across the street. After no one answers he dissapears around the back of the house. A few minutes later he sprints out of our neighbors front door from inside carrying some items with the neighbor chasing and yelling after him.

We were of course armed throughout the encounter.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[Joe_K]

We gave our statement to APD.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[SideShow Bob]

And why the hell didn't your wife call the police when he was around your house or at least when she saw him go in the back yard of your neighbor ?

What neighborhood ? 80013 is fairly large.

[BigBear]

And why the hell didn't your wife call the police when he was around your house or at least when she saw him go in the back yard of your neighbor ?

What neighborhood ? 80013 is fairly large.

Tongue in cheek: Because that would be racist!!! He ain't dun nuttin' but look over da fence!!! Mi baby woodn't due that!!!

[Joe_K]

And why the hell didn't your wife call the police when he was around your house or at least when she saw him go in the back yard of your neighbor ?

What neighborhood ? 80013 is fairly large.

We did. The cops showed up AFTER the crime was committed as is usual.


Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[BigBear]

Did she time the call vs response? Where I live... the PD station is less than 2 miles away. Still takes them 30+ minutes to show up.

Lord have mercy and protect our police... That is a job I couldn't do.

[Joe_K]

APD Officer informed us thief was armed and pointed his firearm at the home owner during the robbery. Not 100% what he made off with.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[SideShow Bob]

Again, what neighborhood ?

[Joe_K]

The drop pin shows our street, and the cross streets.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[Joe_K]

Did she time the call vs response? Where I live... the PD station is less than 2 miles away. Still takes them 30+ minutes to show up.

Lord have mercy and protect our police... That is a job I couldn't do.
About 20 minutes from our call to when they showed up, but they have showed up on a suspicious vehicle call from is in less than 5.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[SideShow Bob]

Thanks, well west of my house.

[KS63]

Damn. Glad everyone is ok. Maybe the neighbor will think about arming himself now.

[Dave_L]

Yikes! We have the ring doorbell but I'd like to add some more cameras around the house.

[davsel]

Wow. Glad to hear your family is safe.

The exact same scenario happened to me in San Antonio around 1991. Lunch time, ringing the bell multiple times, goes around back. He hopped my privacy fence and was attempting to open my sliding door with a large screwdriver when he looked up and noticed me with a shotgun trained on him. The cops caught him a couple of blocks away.

Is there an asshole thief procedure book out there somewhere?

[Joe_K]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170111/ac1664e24898c871e2d68f219646ac4a.jpg


Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[hurley842002]

Glad your family is safe, and hope the perp is found and the hammer is laid upon him. The wife and I just got into an argument minutes ago, because she recklessly whips the front door open at any noise or knock, without looking in the peep hole. If she was in your wife's shoes, she may have been starring down the barrel of a gun. Scares the hell out of me.

[TheGrey]

Oh, wow. I'm so glad your wife and family is okay, and I hope he's caught and prosecuted.

What sort of camera system will you be going with?

I know that neighborhood- it's not too far from where we used to live in Aurora.

[CO Hugh]

Is there an asshole thief procedure book out there somewhere?

https://www.quizai.com/two-burglars-sodomized-for-five-days-straight-after-breaking-into-the-house-of-notorious-gay-rpist

Two burglars got more than they bargained for recently after picking the wrong house to break into. Garfield Morgan, 54, and his 36 year old accomplice friend Kim Gorton are both career burglars, having stolen from hundreds of homes in their lives. But it’s unlikely they’ll go back to crime after the nasty episode they experienced in the home of one Florida man…

Harry Harrington is 6’7″ and weighs over 300lbs. It’s pure muscle. He’s a notorious gay s*x predator who has served time in jail for numerous sexual assaults. An aggressive and predatory offender, he’s not the kind of man you want to annoy. But that’s just what Morgan and Gorton did that fateful night.

Harrington, known as ‘The Wolfman‘, easily overpowered the men, tied them up and assaulted them for five full days. Police only intervened after a neighbor heard the men’s cries for help and called them.

[BushMasterBoy]

Thas funny.

[roberth]

Them two burglars got what they deserve.

[Doc45]

Is it safe to assume your wife provided the pics to the cops? Glad she and your other family members are ok and didn't have to deal with an invasion.

[ray1970]

Glad everyone is Ok for sure.

[Great-Kazoo]

Quickest way to get a LE response when there's a clear threat.

911: what is your emergency?

Caller: yes i just saw a person (basic description) come out of a neighbors backyard and I believe I heard gun shots.. Or at least it sounded like a gun................

3 min response time maybe 5 if school is letting out.

[ray1970]

You could just tell them you have fresh doughnuts. That should get them there promptly.

[Irving]

That'd get ME there promptly.

[bobbyfairbanks]

Glad no one was hurt. Good job on your wife's part. She deserves a present like a German Shepard and a new AR with lights and sights

[Dave_L]

Just wondering, are you an end unit? It looks like you're in townhomes, yes? Was the one that was robbed an end unit or center unit? I've always felt homes on corners (or end unit in this case) has a greater threat because one less neighbor to worry about and generally easier access to the back yard. It was hard to tell in your picture if the perp came from an end unit or not.

[Wulf202]

Glad your family is ok.

[Joe_K]

Is it safe to assume your wife provided the pics to the cops? Glad she and your other family members are ok and didn't have to deal with an invasion.
Pics, video, statement.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[Joe_K]

The guy that got robbed was 2 houses in from the end unit.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[Skip]

Glad everyone is Ok for sure.


Glad your family is ok.

This.

It's a good thing everyone was in with doors closed.

[JOEO]

I'm just a few blocks north of you. I sent a pic to everyone I know in the neighborhood.

[Irving]

I'd post it on Nextdoor as well.

[JOEO]

I'd post it on Nextdoor as well.

Done

[KevDen2005]

She did. The cops showed up AFTER the crime was committed as is usual.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170111/6334da4af6f57521a48f99427d10dbcd.jpg

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

Right across the street from my old hood. There goes the neighborhood for sure.

[KevDen2005]

That'd get ME there promptly.

Seriously, who doesn't love donuts?!

[gnihcraes]

Post today on nextdoor of a lady wondering around properties in North Lakewood. Ring doorbell or nest camera. She just walks down into the property driveway and off camera, walks back out 30 seconds later. owners have no idea what she was doing. strange.

[Joe_K]

I recommend blue iris. Combine with any kind of web camera or POE or if you want to go all out there is some good POE PTZ 20x zoom cameras on Amazon if you want to look like the supermax. At any rate, blue iris is compatible with about 95% of the stuff out there.
I don't know crap about cameras.

Ideally it would be a live feed that would be remotely viewable on on our phones.

I don't want to spend more than a couple hundred bucks if I don't have to, but I don't want some POS that fails when the temps swing, or it rains, or the neighborhood kids decide to use it for slingshot practice.

Any help info would be appreciated. I dont have time to google this for the next week to become familiar with every CCTV system availible.

P.S. I installed two deadbolts on my patio gate, and braced it up stronger. Putting in window bars on the ground floor and the shatter proof window film ASAP.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[GilpinGuy]

This d-bag needs to be turned into worm food asap. Luckily, your wife wasn't the one to do it. It'll happen soon though...

[davsel]

Costco sells some inexpensive DIY systems.
Can view/setup online, send email snapshot alerts, set up motion sensing recording, night vision capable, etc.
They've worked well for me.

https://www.costco.com/surveillance-systems.html?sortBy=PriceMin%7C0&identifier=

[Brian]

+1 for blue iris but it does take a little tech-knowledge or at least getting used to. Works great on my iphone too.

Another option - I've used these guys and found they have pretty honest sales guys and advice and decent post-sale tech support. They were a source for cameras and parts for me, but I know they recommend all-in solutions too that are likely better than big-box store stuff. I'm not sure how big their outfit is, but I'll PM you my contact there.
http://www.nellyssecurity.com/

[Jonsey]

Thank you for the Intel. I don't live too far away. I am glad your family and neighbor are alright.

[Joe_K]

Thank you for the Intel. I don't live too far away. I am glad your family and neighbor are alright.
No problem, same here.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[Dave_L]

For those that want plug'n'play, look into the "RING" systems. They aren't super cheap but very user friendly, auto records into the cloud for you, can watch from your phone, etc.

[Grant H.]

BlueIris and Dahua Cameras.

Inexpensive.
Good night vision capabilities.
POE makes it easy.
Wired is better than wireless.

As Brian said, it takes a little more effort than the boxed analog systems that many people buy, but the list of benefits is large.

[gnihcraes]

BlueIris and Dahua Cameras.

Inexpensive.
Good night vision capabilities.
POE makes it easy.
Wired is better than wireless.

As Brian said, it takes a little more effort than the boxed analog systems that many people buy, but the list of benefits is large.

I 2nd this.

High Def POE cameras are like $100, blue iris software is $60? and a POE Switch $100, Cable $50, Network jacks $10. Older decent pc, you're done.

The computer running my system went down. I just re-installed the software on another system temporarily and bam, I'm up and running again.

[kwando]

For those that want plug'n'play, look into the "RING" systems. They aren't super cheap but very user friendly, auto records into the cloud for you, can watch from your phone, etc.

groupon has a deal right now

https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-ring-video-doorbell?z=skip&utm_medium=afl&utm_campaign=206023&mediaId=1618038&utm_source=GPN

Apparently they rarely go on sale

[Joe_K]

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2017/01/12/burglary-suspect-caught-on-camera/

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[00tec]

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2017/01/12/burglary-suspect-caught-on-camera/

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

There's some ar-15.co press for you...

[Joe_K]

There's some ar-15.co press for you...
Wife's freaked out the guys homies are going to retaliate.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[00tec]

Wife's freaked out the guys homies are going to retaliate.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

They may want to reconsider if they actually look at the link posted leads to.
I would definitely look into some of the door reinforcements that are out there (if you havent already)

[Skip]

There's some ar-15.co press for you...

Who narc'd?

We all know CBS Denver isn't trolling the site for stories. If they are, we are screwed. Especially that Kazoo guy.

[Irving]

I'd check with your fireman buddies before you run out and put bars on your windows.

[KevDen2005]

Who narc'd?

We all know CBS Denver isn't trolling the site for stories. If they are, we are screwed. Especially that Kazoo guy.


I'm surprised they even said the word AR-15 on TV. They are that dangerous.

[DenverGP]

I would definitely look into some of the door reinforcements that are out there (if you havent already)

http://armorconcepts.com/Door-Jamb-Armor/

[crays]

There's some ar-15.co press for you...


Exactly... My first thought when I saw the link: "Great, let the trolling begin..."

[Doc45]

I'm sure this wasn't the first time this brain surgeon has done this, probably in the system and will be identified soon if not already. About 6 years ago I had an attempted break-in when a guy tried to pry open the security door, the camera system I had then got a good image and a few months later he got nabbed after another burglary.

[BushMasterBoy]

When you do armed home invasions, they are going to do fingerprints. Aren't they? Or is CBI just for background checks?

[Zundfolge]

Wife's freaked out the guys homies are going to retaliate.

Truth is his "homies" don't have his back like that. There really is no honor among these people.

[Joe_K]

When you do armed home invasions, they are going to do fingerprints. Aren't they? Or is CBI just for background checks?
House got dusted for prints, APD says it takes some time to get the results back.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[hurley842002]

Truth is his "homies" don't have his back like that. There really is no honor among these people.
True story, and chances are, once they see his mug all over the news, they'll likely want nothing to do with him.

[Great-Kazoo]

True story, and chances are, once they see his mug all over the news, they'll likely want nothing to do with him.

Probably dime him out for the $$$

[Squeeze]

Probably dime him out for the $$$

^^^^Bullseye

[hurley842002]

Probably dime him out for the $$$

Also a possibility...

[Brian]

I just got an email with this offer. It's not what I'd do for a long-term system but if you needed something quick, it would be a good way to get a camera installed and worry about the DVR/recorder later. It records on the camera onto a 32GB card, which you access remotely. It shouldn't be an issue to convert it to a system with a server/recorder later. You could probably get it a little cheaper if you wanted to mess with grey-market sellers too, but this one would come more or less plug and play, cables, card and all.

http://www.nellyssecurity.com/nsc-214-dm-single-camera-full-hd-4mp-weatherproof-ip-security-camera-system.html

FYI the NSC-214-DM is a rebranded white box of the Hikvision DS-2CD2142FWD. I have a ton of these cameras, as well as the previous generation. No affiliation with Nellys other than as a customer - found them based on positive reviews on another forum and the sales guy I use is pretty helpful and seems honest.

[CS1983]

Sam's Club and Costco have some systems which aren't *too* much more than that; multiple cameras, box w/ remote viewing capability, etc.

The key is something which can send offsite pictures and/or video immediately so the card cannot be swiped and the evidence going bye-bye.

[Jonsey]

Did they catch the guy?

[Joe_K]

Did they catch the guy?
Not yet, that I've heard.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[Jonsey]

Not yet, that I've heard.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

Troubling. I hope you don't see him again.

[kidicarus13]

MOLON LABE... what happened to your video/picture on page 1?

[Joe_K]

MOLON LABE... what happened to your video/picture on page 1?
PM sent.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[Irving]

Glad your family is safe, and hope the perp is found and the hammer is laid upon him. The wife and I just got into an argument minutes ago, because she recklessly whips the front door open at any noise or knock, without looking in the peep hole. If she was in your wife's shoes, she may have been starring down the barrel of a gun. Scares the hell out of me.

Late response, but I have a story for you. Years ago, we lived in a first floor apartment. Back then, the cat was an inside/outside cat and he'd spend all day outside, then scratch at the door when he wanted in. It was a regular practice that when we heard his scratch, we'd just open the door to let him in without looking. I didn't like this and one day got a fantastic idea to make my point. After returning from a run, instead of knocking, I scratched at the door just like my cat did. I even scratched low on the door like he did. It took a few times before my wife heard, but as soon as the door opened, I shot my hand in the gap and grabbed her right in the mouth. I was able to pin her head against the wall, with my hand over her mouth, all in one motion before she even knew what was happening. It scared the Be-JESUS out of her, but she got my point without a long, drawn out discussion or argument. Thinking back, I'm not even sure if I had brought up my concerns before I played that little stunt. Either way, she changed her habits immediately and the exercise was so effective that she wasn't even mad.

[Rumline]

Hmmm... I'm not sure that grabbing one's wife by the face and intentionally scaring her to "make a point" is a great solution to the stated problem. Demonstration is a legitimate strategy for persuasion, and I'm glad it worked out for you, I'm just saying that specific method may not enjoy broad success.

[DireWolf]

Hmmm... I'm not sure that grabbing one's wife by the face and intentionally scaring her to "make a point" is a great solution to the stated problem. Demonstration is a legitimate strategy for persuasion, and I'm glad it worked out for you, I'm just saying that specific method may not enjoy broad success.
yeah, I'm thinking that might lead to a demonstration (for educational purposes only), of the effect getting kicked in the nuts might have ;)

[Irving]

I do realize that the way I describe the event makes me sound like a horrible monster. I assure you no one was harmed or anything like that. My wife is a fighter, so I had enough time get my hand on her mouth and then about one second to let go before she broke my arm with the door.

[CS1983]

I don't think you did anything wrong. Sometimes a demonstration of things is better than trying to communicate the need for security by simple words.

[Singlestack]

...all depends on the wifester. If I tried that kind of blind demonstration with my wife, I would be cut off - probably in every sense of the word! She doesn't generally like surprises, even some good ones.

[Irving]

It's important to recognize the difference between violence, and simulated violence. Years later, we even paid someone to come inflict several sessions of simulated violence against not only us, but the kids as well, in the form of a women's self-defence course.

[Rumline]

I do realize that the way I describe the event makes me sound like a horrible monster. I assure you no one was harmed or anything like that. My wife is a fighter, so I had enough time get my hand on her mouth and then about one second to let go before she broke my arm with the door.
Sorry I wasn't trying to criticize you, just making a point similar to that of Singlestack.

[Jonsey]

That's kind of funny Irving, and yes, I think surprising your wife could prove dangerous. I'm sure she realized it was you pretty quick? I really like your idea of thinking up possible attack situations and working them out with someone you trust. When I do this stuff with my husband sometimes I am surprised how much stronger he is than me or how fast I would have to draw...but also surprised when I figure out how to flip him onto the ground.
[Coffee]

[TheGrey]

Due in part to the brazen actions of this robber, coupled with the increased vandalism and attempts at home invasions in our neighborhood, we took the plunge yesterday and shopped around for wired security systems. We finally ended up at Microcenter (we hit both Sam's and Costco first) where we were able to talk with a very knowledgeable young man, who not only was able to answer every question we lobbed at him, but was able to anticipate our concerns and had an answer for them. We ended up purchasing a Night Owl system. It's a bit more old-school as compared with the wireless varieties, but it is weather resistant from 140f to -40f, as long as the cameras are protected by some sort of overhang. and can be viewed remotely through apps. We've got an excellent soffitt that will serve nicely as protection and relative concealment. I'm really excited about this prospect. We're on a corner lot and there have been a number of problems in this neighborhood: not only with overt issues such as petty vandalism and attempts at home invasions while the owner is present, but also problems involving empty houses and absentee landlords.

The cameras come in 780, 960, and 1080 resolution. 960 or higher is best for identification purposes.

Microcenter had a 4-camera setup, complete with DVR with 1TB storage, for $200.00. It's a sweet deal.

Please note that I am not compensated by Microcenter; I am just very pleased to have received such good customer service that I want to pass it on. Our salesperson was David H.; should you go there, ask for him ad he'll be happy to answer questions.

[CS1983]

Grey,

Thanks for the report. I look forward to any post-setup thoughts.

Did the necessary wiring come with it or is that extra? Does it have integrated ability to send off-site or is it local storage only?

[TheGrey]

CavSct1983,

I believe all of the necessary wiring comes with it, but if it doesn't I'll be sure to post and let people know so they can pick it up in the same trip.

As far as storage, I believe that it stores directly to the hard drive (and certain systems can have an external hard drive plugged into it, as well) but then again, you can view off-site on your phone, tablet or computer.

I wish I had better answers for you- I'm still learning about the product. Their website is pretty comprehensive, and has a FAQ.

http://nightowlsp.com/

[crays]

Grey,

Which res cameras come with the $200 package?

Thanks

[TheGrey]

crays,

If I'm remembering correctly, it was 960 res. We ended up going with a package with more cameras and higher resolution.

[Fentonite]

I recently bought the Arlo system. It's wireless, motion activated, and immediately uploads the footage to the cloud. Super easy to install and even change configuration on a whim. I really like that the recordings are uploaded immediately, so a burglar can't just steal the hard drive and take away the evidence. What I don't like, is that there is about a 1-2 second delay before recording starts, and that it only records for a pre-set period per activation. You can check the "library" of recordings from any device anywhere, as well as remotely view through any camera, live. Some folks won't like that the batteries have to be changed in each camera, but only about every 2-5 weeks, depending on how often the camera is activated, duration of recording, and the clarity settings on the camera. I don't mind the battery issue, in trade-off for the ease of install. I'd like to have a wired system that continually records multiple cameras, without relying on motion activation, but I don't want to give up the instant cloud backup. Not sure that there is a perfect solution, but this has been pretty good. I've been surprised about all the shenanigans that go on in the alley behind my house.

[TheGrey]

Fentonite, we looked at the Arlo system because we'd heard great things about it. In the end, we decided to go with the wired system because the battery changing was an issue for us. I mostly work from home, so uploading to the cloud for back really wasn't a factor for us. It's nice that they have so many camera options!

[TheGrey]

Update: all the necessary wires (within reason) come with the kit- each camera come with 60' of wire.

There's a good many videos on installing surveillance cameras on Youtube. Wired cameras are a bit more involved than I'd imagined; the spouse wants the wires hidden and somehow run inside the soffitts. I'm not sure that's feasible. We also have to figure a place for the DVR, where it will be wired into our internet router. There's some planning that we need to do here.

[SideShow Bob]

Grey,
With a hard wired system locate your hard drive storage in a hidden location, and put a dummy unit in plain sight. A cheap bad unit that still has indicator lights that work and dead ended wires & cabling leading out into a wall or conduit.

For running your camera wiring in the soffit/crawl space above, get several sets of disposable coveralls & dust masks. Then hire the skinniest, lightest weight relative you have to crawl around up there. This time of the year is best for that kind of work.

You could also run the wiring in conduit around the outside tucked up into the corner of the wall & soffit, then paint it to match the house.

[izzy]

This reminds me of something I did in a place I used to live in when I had trouble with my neighbors. I took a few old 90's web cameras, cut the cords off and mounted them up pointed right at their font porch. It worked like a charm.

[Dave_L]

Update: all the necessary wires (within reason) come with the kit- each camera come with 60' of wire.

There's a good many videos on installing surveillance cameras on Youtube. Wired cameras are a bit more involved than I'd imagined; the spouse wants the wires hidden and somehow run inside the soffitts. I'm not sure that's feasible. We also have to figure a place for the DVR, where it will be wired into our internet router. There's some planning that we need to do here.

This has been my hang up with a wired system. I really WANT a wired system for various reasons but install ISNT one of the reasons. Lol. It really seems like it requires a lot more planning up front and making sure the wires are easy to get to their final destination.

[Irving]

You won't have to run the wires along the soffits (unless all the cameras are daisy chained or something). You should be able to just drill a hole to run the wire into the soffit, then mount the camera in place from the outside. While laying on your face in insulation at the very end of an eave is less than comfortable, it's not all that bad to reach in for the wire, and pull it back out to a more comfortable area. I would recommend investigating the eave from inside the attic first, just to make sure you have access to where you need before you start drilling.

[Brian]

If you know what you want, it's not super expensive to have a buddy or even a pro come out and pull the wire for you. Usually guys who have done it more than once or twice have several tools you might not have that make it super easy, even if they're crawling around in attics or need to pull something through your wall. Fish tape, glow-in-the-dark ceiling sticks/pull tools, of course the tools needed to properly terminate the ends with either jacks, plugs, etc. I've wired three houses now by myself, pulling either network/cat5 wires, security cams, or other stuff. But at this point, I have a buddy who I'm more than glad to pay to come out and do the wire work for me. If anyone needs a hand, I would be glad to pass on a reference for someone I trust. Send me a PM if so.

Side note, I'm just about done pulling out the old security system at the store with the new one we replaced it with, if anyone's interested in a second hand system. Keep in mind I'm getting rid of it for something I like better, but it might work for someone. I believe they were Northern camera domes, bnc connectors with pigtails that converted it to cat5/rj45 plus a wiring box with a 12v power injector. I will probably not be selling the DVR box given the required remote was broken and it has our old footage on it, but it might work for someone who wanted to expand a system or put up some fake / not-live cams or something.

[Gman]

This has been my hang up with a wired system. I really WANT a wired system for various reasons but install ISNT one of the reasons. Lol. It really seems like it requires a lot more planning up front and making sure the wires are easy to get to their final destination.
Big-freaking-ditto.

I prefer to have a wired system, but with my vaulted ceilings and limited attic space....yuck.

[TheGrey]

Wow, what a wealth of information. :)

Sideshow Bob, you are my new hero. Those are great ideas!

There is a local electrician that lives in our neighborhood, and he's got an apprentice that might be willing to shimmy up into the attic. Heights horrify me. Anything higher than the second step on a stepladder is concerning, so this is one realm that I will not be personally exploring. I spoke a bit with the hubby tonight, and he was thinking about setting the wires so they go down into the basement, where things are not so easily seen from windows. We've got a beast of a flatscreen down there that would be a good monitor for the cameras.

Another thing of note for those of you interested in the remote viewing capability: you must have an upload speed of about 2.5 MB, and have the DVR plugged into the router via an Ethernet cable (I believe. I have the instruction cards packed away, and I read it this morning- and this morning was a very, very long time ago) so you'll need to look into that. I know the upload speed on a wireless connection is far different than a wired connection, so I'll need to check into what we have available to us.

It always boils down to the planing, doesn't it? We have an idea of where we want the cameras to go on the outside, but I'll admit that I didn't really give the inside layout a second thought!

I'm up to my a$$ in alligators for the next two days at least, so I'm not sure when I'll have time to work out cable placement on the inside, but I'll keep you updated. Brian, I may be PMing you for your friend's information

I can tell you now, that 60 feet of wire per camera will not be remotely enough!

[brutal]

Wow, what a wealth of information. :)

Sideshow Bob, you are my new hero. Those are great ideas!

There is a local electrician that lives in our neighborhood, and he's got an apprentice that might be willing to shimmy up into the attic. Heights horrify me. Anything higher than the second step on a stepladder is concerning, so this is one realm that I will not be personally exploring. I spoke a bit with the hubby tonight, and he was thinking about setting the wires so they go down into the basement, where things are not so easily seen from windows. We've got a beast of a flatscreen down there that would be a good monitor for the cameras.

Another thing of note for those of you interested in the remote viewing capability: you must have an upload speed of about 2.5 MB, and have the DVR plugged into the router via an Ethernet cable (I believe. I have the instruction cards packed away, and I read it this morning- and this morning was a very, very long time ago) so you'll need to look into that. I know the upload speed on a wireless connection is far different than a wired connection, so I'll need to check into what we have available to us.

It always boils down to the planing, doesn't it? We have an idea of where we want the cameras to go on the outside, but I'll admit that I didn't really give the inside layout a second thought!

I'm up to my a$$ in alligators for the next two days at least, so I'm not sure when I'll have time to work out cable placement on the inside, but I'll keep you updated. Brian, I may be PMing you for your friend's information

I can tell you now, that 60 feet of wire per camera will not be remotely enough!

If necessary, you can plug any Ethernet device lacking wifi into a gaming wifi adapter. I'd personally use one of these over a POe setup.

I used one of these and a small 5-port switch to get a few older non-wifi HT devices without running CAT5. There are newer models, and certainly loads of off brand and cheap stuff, but this has served me reliably. https://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-WET610N-Dual-Band-Wireless-N-Adapter/dp/B001QVQ7JU

ETA: I wasn't thinking this through. PoE cameras would be the way to go. I was only thinking in terms of networking and access and NOT powering the device.

[CS1983]

Grey, you might consider proposing to the electrician guy that his apprentice work with you on planning also. It will allow the apprentice to get some experience in planning with customer input and will relieve the weight on your shoulders to dictate placement.

[Brian]

Remote viewing is usually configurable. You definitely have to connect it to a router and usually set up a firewall or NAT rule. But on the bandwidth side, most of the cameras or DVRs are configured by default not to push full quality video over a remote connection. Usually it's converted to refreshing jpeg snapshots or a downgraded video stream appropriate to mobile. But every system is different. Mine's usually fast enough to where I can grab my phone and see who's ringing the doorbell before I decide if I'm home or not. :)

Since this thread is turning into an advice thread, I'll throw out a few more things to think about:

- If you're pulling anything other that cat5/5e/6 cable for cameras, then take the time to also pull at least one cat5e or cat6 cable to future-proof yourself
- Leave loose slack cable in each run, so that you can move it around later if needed (or if you screw up on one end when you're trying to connect something and have to cut it back). Cable is cheap.
- Bulk cable is cheap online (monoprice, amazon, etc.). Make sure to get solid copper cable and not CCA (copper clad aluminum) cable. Solid wire is better than stranded.
- There are regulations for cable that spans floors. Look for "riser" or "plenum" rated cable, it's usually not too much more expensive. That being said, I know some guys skip it, though I wouldn't.
- Label your cables immediately on both ends, even if you're just using masking tape, it'll save you a ton of effort later.
- Don't yank/pull cables too hard (when stuck, etc), or let them bend/kink much when you're running them. This can cause major issues later that will be almost impossible to track down.
- Wiring everything to terminate in a central location (basement, closet, etc.) is almost always the best way to go, if you can. Attics are ok, but are usually not humidity/temp controlled, so that makes them less than ideal.

[Wulf202]

Tan I've got a spare broken dvr if you want to use it as a dummy

[SideShow Bob]

I'm up to my a$$ in alligators for the next two days at least,

I can tell you now, that 60 feet of wire per camera will not be remotely enough!

Alligators ??? I thought you lived in Lone Tree........ Not Florida.... [Tooth]

If you are needing more wiring, let me know. We, at work, are about to salavage out a metric ton of short boxes (200 ft or less per box of 1,000 ft.)of cat5 and other wiring. I can probably rescue enough to get your cameras wired up.

[TheGrey]

Brandon and Sideshow Bob, I'm greatly appreciative of your offers! May I bake you my special Army of Darkness cookies in exchange for the DVR and the wire? :)

Brian, what excellent advice and suggestions! I had no idea there was such depth to the care and feeding of cable.

CavSct, that's a great idea. I'm going to do that. I've actually been fretting about camera placement.

brutal- would you believe that we don't own any type of gaming system or adapter? That being said, I've got friends that are also interested in setting up cameras, and they have the whole gaming thing down. I'm going to pass them what you've posted- it's valuable information. Thank you!

[SideShow Bob]

Grey,
Someone beat metro the scrap pile and took the bulk of the cat 5 wire. I picked up what was left, three partial boxes, I think the total length is about 350 ft. between all three. I will take them home and we can work out getting them to you.

[TheGrey]

Thank you, Bob! :)

[jslo]

If Bob's 350 isn't enough I have a box that's been sitting in my garage for a few years.

[theGinsue]

I've been debating it for a few years, but this thread and recent activity in MY neighborhood is driving me to get a multi camera system myself.

I know myself well enough that I know I won't be getting my @$$ out to buy & replace batteries so it'll be a hard-wired system for me. I've terminated hundreds and pulled tens of thousands of feet of Cat6 cable, at work. Been looking for an excuse to buy my own set of tools (EZ45 crimpers & EZ45 connectors [my personal favorite for terminating Cat6], glow-in-the-dark fiberglass push rods, fish tape, & Cat6 continuity tester...I've got the rest already), this will be the excuse I need.

I've been considering how many cameras I want/need all this time as well. Proper cverage of the exterior of my home/drive will take 5 or 6 cameras; too many protrusions/corners to use less. How to route the cable through existing walls is the tricky part. I'll figure it out.

My neighborhood, which is also formerly WillysWagon and Nogarheli's neighborhood, has seen a huge uptick in car break-ins and home invasions. We have a limited actual neighborhood watch but an active Neighborhood Watch Facebook page. On Thursday morning, at about 0530, a neighbor 1 street behind me and up the block a bit chased down and caught someone who'd tested his car doors and attempted to force entry into his home. The bad guy had broken into and attempted entry into several other neighbors cars that night as well. It took the police over an hour to get there while neighbors kept the bad guy detained. That was Thursday morning, bad guy locked up and neghborhood safe and sound, right? Not so much. Last night, a house on the corner 2 streets behind me (I'm on a corner lot) had someone try to break in. Another neighbor saw this and called the police but the bad guy got away.

I have and actively use a home alarm system (every night at bed time and every time we leave the house unattended) as well as alarm systems on my vehicles. These aren't 100% deterrents, but buy me a little more piece of mind; tthe cameras will help double that.

[Irving]

I've been thinking about this is as well and it seems like it'd be easier to cover all the areas of a home by locating cameras at the edge of the property, pointing toward the house. Not all cameras should be run this way since that presents other problems, but I think it's worth some consideration, especially in the backyard.

[AR_ART]

Seems like a nice neighborhood too! I understand crime happens everywhere, just a bit surprising to me personally...

[Great-Kazoo]

I've been thinking about this is as well and it seems like it'd be easier to cover all the areas of a home by locating cameras at the edge of the property, pointing toward the house. Not all cameras should be run this way since that presents other problems, but I think it's worth some consideration, especially in the backyard.

While cameras pointing towards a dwelling sound good. the exposure to the elements (even though rated outdoor) can cause issues. Like snow or ice build up on the lens, wind or hail storm ripping them off their mount.
On the dwelling means you're seeing them before they are close enough to damage the camera. Exposed anyone can see as well as access them from a distance...

I would like 2 more added to the ones we have now. However climbing anything is not happening, including crawling around the attic.

[gnihcraes]

^ what he said. Blue iris works great, High Def POE cameras are reasonable and work great.

I've had to extend my recording archive time to weeks because I didn't realize something had been taken until days after the event. Being stored on a PC allowed the space to keep more data.

I run mine on an older high end laptop, easier to find the space to put it.

I have 6 or 8 network jacks wired up in the attic. I can add/move a camera without much trouble if I decide to change what I want to watch. (aside from minor angle changes on the cameras themselves)

[TheGrey]

If Bob's 350 isn't enough I have a box that's been sitting in my garage for a few years.

Seriously? You rock! If we end up needing it, cookies for you, too. Thank you!

[TheGrey]

I've been debating it for a few years, but this thread and recent activity in MY neighborhood is driving me to get a multi camera system myself.

I know myself well enough that I know I won't be getting my @$$ out to buy & replace batteries so it'll be a hard-wired system for me. I've terminated hundreds and pulled tens of thousands of feet of Cat6 cable, at work. Been looking for an excuse to buy my own set of tools (EZ45 crimpers & EZ45 connectors [my personal favorite for terminating Cat6], glow-in-the-dark fiberglass push rods, fish tape, & Cat6 continuity tester...I've got the rest already), this will be the excuse I need.

I've been considering how many cameras I want/need all this time as well. Proper cverage of the exterior of my home/drive will take 5 or 6 cameras; too many protrusions/corners to use less. How to route the cable through existing walls is the tricky part. I'll figure it out.

My neighborhood, which is also formerly WillysWagon and Nogarheli's neighborhood, has seen a huge uptick in car break-ins and home invasions. We have a limited actual neighborhood watch but an active Neighborhood Watch Facebook page. On Thursday morning, at about 0530, a neighbor 1 street behind me and up the block a bit chased down and caught someone who'd tested his car doors and attempted to force entry into his home. The bad guy had broken into and attempted entry into several other neighbors cars that night as well. It took the police over an hour to get there while neighbors kept the bad guy detained. That was Thursday morning, bad guy locked up and neghborhood safe and sound, right? Not so much. Last night, a house on the corner 2 streets behind me (I'm on a corner lot) had someone try to break in. Another neighbor saw this and called the police but the bad guy got away.

I have and actively use a home alarm system (every night at bed time and every time we leave the house unattended) as well as alarm systems on my vehicles. These aren't 100% deterrents, but buy me a little more piece of mind; tthe cameras will help double that.

Yikes. Welcome to the club of "Neighborhood Blues." :( I'm sorry to hear your corner of the world is dealing with this.

I think the peace of mind cameras can bring, as well as actual deterrence, is worth the price and pain-in-the-butt-edness.

[brutal]

I'm telling you guys - (with a lot of camera experience) if you are even 10% of a tech person, go with blue iris. You have 99% compatability with any type of POE or USB camera including webcameras, top end motion detection, and mobile access. Range of settings is impressive. Because you can use webcameras, you can also add high definition with almost no cost - just get 50' USB extension cables off of amazon. POE cameras are of course, slightly better in most applications. I've always used a mixture of POE and USB cameras in my systems. If you go with USB cameras, then you're talking plug and play and anyone who can figure out how to install a program and type on a keyboard could pretty much figure that out.

Any type of 24/7 recording system in comparison is nearly useless. Hardware motion tracking (e.g. DVR/CCTV) is also near useless unless you want to review hours of leaves moving. The PC/software combinations are a sweet spot, you can store months worth of video without making a dent, and review every *real* motion event quickly and with ease, so for instance, you could easily review a video of everyone who walked into your yard in the past seven days..... and only occupy perhaps 5-10 minutes of your day doing it. It's not recording leaves, and it's not *missing* anything. It leads any motion event with pre-and post footage so you can see what happened before and after it "detects" issues if you like.

24/7 videos are only useful when something happens, then you have to go back in time, watch it all, and save that clip. But unless you have no life, you're not going to be able to review the bigger scope and answer questions such as: Were they ever casing my place previously.

Old Android phones too... Good advice.

[gnihcraes]

As an added deterrence, use these driveway alerts from Haborfreight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/wireless-security-alert-system-62447.html

One on porch, one on back porch/deck/driveway. I've caught several folks wandering around before. One on my porch has the volume on HIGH and it's outside. Scares the crap out of whomever comes to the front door. Poor UPS guy. It makes them look up and usually right at the camera. Smile.

[Doc45]

I've had the doorbell camera since last October, birthday present from my sons. Been very pleased with it's function, haven't added any other cameras yet but will probably by summer.

[Great-Kazoo]

As an added deterrence, use these driveway alerts from Haborfreight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/wireless-security-alert-system-62447.html

One on porch, one on back porch/deck/driveway. I've caught several folks wandering around before. One on my porch has the volume on HIGH and it's outside. Scares the crap out of whomever comes to the front door. Poor UPS guy. It makes them look up and usually right at the camera. Smile.


You need to put tape over the sides to narrow the "beam" if not it has a tendency to pick up the neighbors cat. or other moving object

[Brian]

Yep, again Blue Iris +9 or whatever we're up to.
And while it might be a challenge to configure for a first timer / non-computer person, I've done several systems now and have my default config changes/settings written down and would be glad to share them as a quick start for anyone going that route that isn't a super computer geek. Pretty simple to set up and be off and running.

Also, next time I'm at the store, I'll try to snag whatever's left from the old system and take inventory.

[Joe_K]

UPDATE:

I was home alone the other night watching a Walking Dead episode, and at about 10:30 someone starts pounding on my door ringing the doorbell. I get up go to the door, pull open the curtain and there are 2 teens not from my neighborhood, a white male and a black female (who I have never seen before in my life) standing there on my front porch. The girl is covering her face with a hoodie.
I ask,
"What's up?"

And the boy starts talking frantically a mile a minute,

"Let us in man, we need water, she's been pepper sprayed in the face!!!"

(I highly doubt that she was pepper sprayed, she was calm as could be just covering her face)

I tell them both,

"Call 911."

The guy gets more insistent and repeats his earlier demands with the addition of referring to me as "Bro" multiple times, then starts leaning against the glass panes of the door.

I tell them to leave a few times but they both just ignored me. I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. After one last command to leave I produced my 9mm Glock 19 and informed them they were seriously not welcome on the premises. They immediately fled into the night.

I called A.P.D. and US Law Shield. I haven't seen the "Yutes" since and the Police never even came to the house.

That night as I was talking with dispatch I watched 5 patrol vehicles drive by with searchlights on, scanning the public spaces.

U.S. Law Shield Defense Attorney Stan Marks called me the next morning to follow up and get the story. After listening to me he said I was 100% good to go.

Tactically I wish I had instead interacted with the idiots from my second story and had my AR-15 & phone on me and gotten pictures of them.

I do not believe the girl had been pepper sprayed, but rather what they had been involved in some form of illegal activity, knew the Police were on the way and wanted to get off of the street.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[davsel]

Time to move to a less exciting neighborhood.

[TFOGGER]

Time to move to a less exciting neighborhood.

Or get a recording surveillance camera on the front door, so it can be posted to youtube.

Seriously, I don't ever answer the door without a firearm either in my hand or on my hip. And we live in a very quiet neighborhood.

[hurley842002]

Or get a recording surveillance camera on the front door, so it can be posted to youtube.

Seriously, I don't ever answer the door without a firearm either in my hand or on my hip. And we live in a very quiet neighborhood.

And to think my wife used to question the idea of me carrying a gun at all times, even in the home. Glad it was one issue that wasn't up for discussion.

[CS1983]

I usually grab my 43 and stick it in my pocket of the hoodie vest I am usually wearing. Lurve that little gun.

[Skip]

Sounds like you handled it well!


[snip]

I do not believe the girl had been pepper sprayed, but rather what they had been involved in some form of illegal activity, knew the Police were on the way and wanted to get off of the street.



Lady is distress is common tactic to gain entry too. A woman is less threatening and a lot of people will throw open their door trying to help. Bad guy can be waiting around a corner or behind a car. Only takes a second for him to run into the house with an accomplice in the doorway.

You probably knew this but worth considering.

There's just no way of knowing what someone is up. Better to be safe and advising them to call 911 was the right thing to do if they were legitimately in need of help.

Bad guys have all damn day to sit around and think of ways to harm people while the good guys are busy at work paying their taxes.

[Joe_K]

Our house will hopefully close on the 24th. And we will walk away with some equity in our pockets and little to no debt. I do feel bad for the new owners though.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[Dave_L]

Glad you are getting out of there. Thats wild.

[Irving]

You did exactly what I did. Except calling 911 for being pepper sprayed is bullshit. ;)

I've had a similar situation and producing a firearm while stating "I think you have the wrong house," has immediate and desirable effects.

EDIT: I'll text you tonight about meeting up.

[.455_Hunter]

Our house will hopefully close on the 24th. And we will walk away with some equity in our pockets and little to no debt.

Outstanding!

[Joe_K]

Still trying to convince the wife that not owning a two of each of the following; BCM Middy 14.5" Carbine, PEQ/ATPIAL or the new MAW-L, a M600 Surefire, and a PVS14 is a different and worse kind of debt to have.

Velocitas, Opprimere,
Violentia Operandi

[Gman]

I've had a similar situation and producing a firearm while stating "I think you have the wrong house," has immediate and desirable effects.
I found that having my S&W 686 in hand and asking "Can I help you?" has about the same effect.

I'm with TFOGGER. I live in a quiet neighborhood and either don't answer the door at all or answer it armed.

[Ramsker]

I found that having my S&W 686 in hand and asking "Can I help you?" has about the same effect.

I'm with TFOGGER. I live in a quiet neighborhood and either don't answer the door at all or answer it armed.

If I answer the door at all . . . it's usually with my 100 lb German Shepherd by the collar with one hand. Tends to get the visitors' attention.

[Irving]

If I answer the door at all . . . it's usually with my 100 lb German Shepherd by the collar with one hand. Tends to get the visitors' attention.

"Could you shut that dog up so I can sell you some magazine subscriptions?!"

Like that?

[Ronin13]

"Could you shut that dog up so I can sell you some magazine subscriptions?!"

Like that?
Did he look like this?
69545

Kind of jumping back to the topic of cameras and what not, I had a question for the experts on here:
We move into a new house next week, and there's a window next to the front door that's about 3" wide and 4' tall- my wife wants to put some "frosted glass" film on it so people can't just look into our foyer and see into the dining room/kitchen area. I'm on board, except then there's no way to look out and see who's at the front door. Aside from the obvious compromise- a curtain of sorts- is there a more inconspicuous approach, like a wireless camera with a small screen to mount next to the front door? I only ask wireless because I'm not sure we want to drill through the wall.

[00tec]

Did he look like this?
69545

Kind of jumping back to the topic of cameras and what not, I had a question for the experts on here:
We move into a new house next week, and there's a window next to the front door that's about 3" wide and 4' tall- my wife wants to put some "frosted glass" film on it so people can't just look into our foyer and see into the dining room/kitchen area. I'm on board, except then there's no way to look out and see who's at the front door. Aside from the obvious compromise- a curtain of sorts- is there a more inconspicuous approach, like a wireless camera with a small screen to mount next to the front door? I only ask wireless because I'm not sure we want to drill through the wall.

Doorbell camera.

https://ring.com

[ACE2GOOD]

Do people really use the doorbell that much with that going around so much? Seems like everyone has one these days or recommends getting one to everyone. I have a doorbell and no one hardly uses it, they just bang on the door, I check the peep-hole on the door and then decide to open or not. And being that they are so popular, if a "bad guy" had some sort of a brain, notice I said if, why would you push the doorbell and risk your picture being taken?

[ACE2GOOD]

Now that I actually clicked the link 00tec posted I see the details on the new ones have motion detection and no need to press the button. I may be a buyer now! [Flower]

[gnihcraes]

Tons of the RING devices around my hood - according to everyone that posts on nextdoor about the one they are using. Seems like they work good though.

So many social security fails in my hood. Posting when they will be gone, need dog sitters, security cameras, times they work or don't etc.

[KevDen2005]

Did he look like this?
69545

Kind of jumping back to the topic of cameras and what not, I had a question for the experts on here:
We move into a new house next week, and there's a window next to the front door that's about 3" wide and 4' tall- my wife wants to put some "frosted glass" film on it so people can't just look into our foyer and see into the dining room/kitchen area. I'm on board, except then there's no way to look out and see who's at the front door. Aside from the obvious compromise- a curtain of sorts- is there a more inconspicuous approach, like a wireless camera with a small screen to mount next to the front door? I only ask wireless because I'm not sure we want to drill through the wall.

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/15441415474836161653?lsf=seller:8740,store:1320988 9171633623887&prds=oid:3773121492412143655&q=home+depot+ring+pro&hl=en&ei=t8vCWIOwDOeO0wLMl4bYDA&lsft=cm_mmc%3DShopping-_-LIAs-_-D27E-_-206923658&lsft=gclid:Cj0KEQiAuonGBRCaotXoycysvIMBEiQAcxV0nMF OIk9q8qNeroOAHsuBOBsmKiNTIAObZppu1aigGXgaArkH8P8HA Q

Went to a call recently and the victim had this. I had them give me a full on demo as I am really interested myself. I have wireless cameras around my house but I really like this option in addition. The picture was clear. There were options that could make it chime in your house or just your phone. You could talk back to the person. And so on. It was very good clarity.

[NFATrustGuy]

So many social security fails in my hood. Posting when they will be gone, need dog sitters, security cameras, times they work or don't etc.

This is a very real issue. It happens on this site, too. A member of this site mentioned the concept of gathering intel this way a few years ago when we were meeting to sign his Will. I've always been careful and somewhat aware, but I've been more careful since his reminder.

I'm still social and friendly on the various social networking sites, but I make it a point to mention how completely variable and unpredictable my schedule is. I'm equally likely to be home on Saturday at 2pm as I am on a Tuesday at 2pm. Somebody could sit at the curb and take detailed notes 24/7/365 and still not be able to discover any pattern.

This discussion of home invasions and the techniques used by bad guys has been very helpful to me. I've already changed several things around my house and am planning a few more to guard against this potential threat. Thanks again to this valuable resource and the people who take the time to post.

[sellersm]

<snip>Thanks again to this valuable resource and the people who take the time to post.

A huge +1 to the above!!!

[Dave_L]

I have the RING doorbell and its great. Motion detection, can chat via the doorbell, etc. Automatically records any activity and stores it on the could for me.

[Ronin13]

Doorbell camera.

https://ring.com

Awesome! Thanks! I'll chat with the wife about getting this... now if I could just remember if we have a doorbell pre-wired at the new house.

I have the RING doorbell and its great. Motion detection, can chat via the doorbell, etc. Automatically records any activity and stores it on the could for me.
Is this option on both models or just the pro? And do they offer a spare battery for when you're recharging the other? This seems like exactly what we're looking for.

[Dave_L]

Is this option on both models or just the pro? And do they offer a spare battery for when you're recharging the other? This seems like exactly what we're looking for.

The pro is worth it. 100%. I hardwired mine to the old door bell spot so battery life isnt an issue for me.

[brutal]

Not impressed that Ring doesn't interface with Blue Iris. I shouldn't have to pay to record motion detection from Ring.

[TheGrey]

We've run into bit of a snag- we can't install the cameras until our trees leaf out! If you have trees or bushes that will be in the line of sight for your cameras, keep that mind when you install them..