# Someone was snooping around my house last night.....



## M_A_T_T (Jun 24, 2006)

One of my neighbours of our townhouse came up to me this morning as I'm scraping frost off my car and says he was broken into last night. He also said the police came and they found footprints in the frost that lead to a number of backyards. Aparently some 'bicycle kids' are responsible for a rash of break-ins.

I didn't think to check at that moment but when I came home for lunch today I found our back gate wide open, with a little metal clip I keep the latch closed thrown off to the side and a board wedged along the bottom of the gate to keep the cat from escaping pushed forward. I checked out the backyard and nothing is missing, and I'm sure they wouldn't have seen past the blinds if they tried to look inside (at night). I immediately found a combo lock and locked up the gate. I'm also thinking about an alarm. 

:2guns:


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## dwagar (Mar 6, 2006)

An alarm, sadly, is a good idea.

If you can't afford an alarm right now, at least try to score some spare alarm company stickers from someone you know that has one. They're a pretty good deterent by themselves.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Always a scary feeling knowing someone is invading your privacy. Unfortunately we live in times that you can't even trust some people that live in your own hood. I had a girlfriend that lived in Port many years ago. One day she get's up and someone had been in the backyard, pulled one of those wooden lawn chairs underneath her bedroom window. There were foot tracks in the snow. Apparently just trying to get a peek. She lived alone at the time as well.

That following summer Paul Bernardo and his lovely wife were arrested. They lived in the house 6 doors down from her. So you never know.


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

An alarm panel is a good idea, gives peace of mind. I hear this a lot because I install alarm panels. Be careful who you choose if you do go for one, some are pretty fly by night. Find one that's been around for a while, I've been doing them around here for the last 17 years. If you'd like stickers let me know and I can send you some. Your insurance company should offer a discount if you have one installed. Anyway good luck and keep the doors locked.


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## M_A_T_T (Jun 24, 2006)

PaulS said:


> If you'd like stickers let me know and I can send you some.


That is a very nice offer. I will look around at alarm systems and if we end up not getting one I may take you up on that. 

Thankyou.

What are good systems, BTW? Brinks, Protectron, ADT?


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

Brinks,Chubb,Adt etc are the company names. They basically either use DSC or Paradox alarm equipment, sometimes they use other but those are the two big names in Canada. Kind of like Gibson or Fender...  I use Paradox and have had no problems with the product. No problems with DSC either it just became a distributor thing. Read the fine print if they are making you an exceptional deal. Most alarms report in to a central station. I use Counterforce, they are a good company and they are available nationwide. You could call them to recommend you an installer.


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## sneakypete (Feb 2, 2006)

alarms are OK.....Rottweilers with a mean streak are better.


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## MaxWedge (Feb 24, 2006)

*B&E's Sicken Me*

Many years ago our home was B&E'ed by a sick **** My seven year old daughter was assaulted in her own bed. Get the dog. Any dog that is attached to your family will work fine. I tried to post a minute by minute account of this before. It was to long and I couldn't publish it. It was alife changing experience.


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

If the dog attacks the invader and bites then it will be put down. Another sad day for the family. Laws do not protect the innocent.


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## sneakypete (Feb 2, 2006)

ask the local police about dogs and what they can and can`t do. Don`t think I`d wanna enter any place with a Rottweiler with an attitude...then again, I ain`t a desperate drug addict. And even in my youth when I was self medicating...I never ever stole anything to support my habits...I always had jobs. Not sure how I`d react to finding somebody in my house....not very well I think though.


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## MaxWedge (Feb 24, 2006)

The issue really isn't about alarms or dogs. The issue is with the impotent ****s we elect. Harper started off by introducing law specifically targeting street racing. If he wants to deal with crime in this country, start with a minimum on the B&E of a private residence. FYI the Martins Criminal Code states that such a B&E is punishable by life imprisonment. That's a laugh, who ever receives such a sentence. By the way the seventeen year old who terrorfied my family only received six months Y.O. kiss my ass time. Shame on our politicians. No honour in the House of Commons.


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## Robboman (Oct 14, 2006)

MaxWedge said:


> Get the dog. Any dog that is attached to your family will work fine.


I was involved in some marketing work for an alarm company years ago.. they claimed that dogs don't help because even the meanest dogs become your best friend when you offer them FOOD. Criminals know this and bring dog treats when they B&E. Then again, they were trying to sell alarms, not dogs.

Tougher laws and courts are the best way IMO.


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## MaxWedge (Feb 24, 2006)

The laws we have are tough enough. It's the application of law that lacks. This was my arguement concerning the street racing, remedies already exist. The judges who sit on the bench are politically appointed. They do not answer to anyone and we have to accept their political and social points of view. Governments that govern least govern best. These men are the real lawmakers in this country and you are not given the right to even hear their points of view. This is wrong in a democracy.


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## M_A_T_T (Jun 24, 2006)

Thanks for the advice but a dog is out of the question as we are 'cat people'. We are seriously thinking about an alarm, though.


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## sneakypete (Feb 2, 2006)

oh...yeah well a Rottweiler would eat your cats...so thats a bad idea then. Uzi?


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## MaxWedge (Feb 24, 2006)

Uzi! Guns are only acceptable if the intruder is likewise armed. The Uzi is a fine up close firearm, but being an automatic weapon it is unlikely to be available in Canada. Although if you know the right people...


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

Go for the alarm. Great piece of mind when you are away.


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## SinCron (Mar 2, 2006)

Id say you should get an alarm system that will electrify all the doornobs in the house after a minute of it going off.


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## MaxWedge (Feb 24, 2006)

SinCron said:


> Id say you should get an alarm system that will electrify all the doornobs in the house after a minute of it going off.


Electrifying the door nobs will only get you sued. Fun though.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i have alarm force, which costs me $30/month. the sign on the door is probably more than sufficient to deter petty or amateur thieves.

but here's the problem: once the alarm is tripped, it takes at least twenty minutes for someone (private security, in my case) to show up.

any experienced thief who knows what he's doing would be aware of this. and, if he knows what he's doing, he can be out of there in less than five minutes.

my gear is insured, of course. do most of you have your equipment insured?

as long as my insurance covers replacement, they can have it. what i worry about is things like lyrics, and the recordings stored on the hard drive of my tascam 2488.

-dh


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

david henman said:


> my gear is insured, of course. do most of you have your equipment insured?
> 
> as long as my insurance covers replacement, they can have it. what i worry about is things like lyrics, and the recordings stored on the hard drive of my tascam 2488.
> 
> -dh


I have a special rider for my gear. If she's stolen at home or a gig she's 100% replacement. If she's damaged at a gig 100% replacement.

If I was you I'd be more worried about the hard drive crashing in you tascam and losing your recordings. Is there a way to back that thing up?


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## MaxWedge (Feb 24, 2006)

david henman said:


> ...i have alarm force, which costs me $30/month. the sign on the door is probably more than sufficient to deter petty or amateur thieves.
> 
> but here's the problem: once the alarm is tripped, it takes at least twenty minutes for someone (private security, in my case) to show up.
> 
> ...


30 dollars a month and a twenty minute arrival time is a rip off. Is this something you rely while bleeding out, what ever causes your injury.
Rural response in Sasakatchewan for RCMP could be hours.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> I have a special rider for my gear. If she's stolen at home or a gig she's 100% replacement. If she's damaged at a gig 100% replacement. If I was you I'd be more worried about the hard drive crashing in you tascam and losing your recordings. Is there a way to back that thing up?


...yup, but it involves buying a home computer.

-dh


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

MaxWedge said:


> 30 dollars a month and a twenty minute arrival time is a rip off.


...you got that right. the minute this two-year contract is up, i'm out. i'm better off with one of those "beware of dog" signs.

once, when the alarm went off, i drove to my studio from work. it took me forty-five minutes, and i was still there before security arrived. false alarm, fortunately.

-dh


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> I have a special rider for my gear. If she's stolen at home or a gig she's 100% replacement. If she's damaged at a gig 100% replacement.


...if you don't mind me asking, which insurer are you with? my policy is under review right now.

-dh


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

david henman said:


> ...if you don't mind me asking, which insurer are you with? my policy is under review right now.
> 
> -dh


Cooperators. I'm not sure if they are out east or not.


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

david henman said:


> ...you got that right. the minute this two-year contract is up, i'm out. i'm better off with one of those "beware of dog" signs.
> 
> once, when the alarm went off, i drove to my studio from work. it took me forty-five minutes, and i was still there before security arrived. false alarm, fortunately.
> 
> -dh


That's been the problem in the alarm industry, a lot of cheesy installers and systems that produce false alarms. I don't deal with private response companies, strictly the OPP. Once the alarm is set off the monitoring station recieves the call in under one minute add a couple minutes max for them to process it and then it is all up to the response team. Distance from the responce centre is applicable on arrival time but 45 minutes is awfully excessive. Usually there is a call person on the list who is also contacted and has the key. Pro's will actually trip a system and then wait in the shadows and time how long the response is. Some will trip it more than once to give the false alarm syndrome and on the last time clean you out. I have used silent alarm in many cases and that gives the response team an edge. Video capture can also come into play. The alarm system seems to satisfy the insurance companies, better than nothing, and has led to discounts for some customers. At my place the wife likes the fact that when I'm away she can secure the premises and go to bed. One last point if you are installing an alarm panel install a fire loop, smoke detectors etc, they save lives....


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## M_A_T_T (Jun 24, 2006)

david henman said:


> my gear is insured, of course. do most of you have your equipment insured?.....as long as my insurance covers replacement, they can have it.


My entire collection is covered, but alot of my stuff, including vintage Fenders, cannot be found at Tom Lee or L&M. I got alot of it a vintage dealers, ebay, antique stores, etc. Basically I have alot of instruments that would be difficult to replace.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...does any company provide a system whereby there are tiny cameras mounted in your home, and you can view your premises simply by pressing a button on your cell phone?

-dh


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

If your cell phone can access the internet then yes it is possible. Maybe the Blackberries I haven't had the request for view from a cell phone but I have set them up so they could view there cottage or what ever from there laptop or desktop..


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## MaxWedge (Feb 24, 2006)

Instead of all this security BS. Why are the people who commit this offence not held accountable to say even, a half measure of the maximum. Sounds fair.


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

Good question.... why? Ask your MP....


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

MaxWedge said:


> Instead of all this security BS. Why are the people who commit this offence not held accountable to say even, a half measure of the maximum. Sounds fair.


 Work's for me.


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## MaxWedge (Feb 24, 2006)

PaulS said:


> Good question.... why? Ask your MP....


I have. The answer was stupid at best.


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## MaxWedge (Feb 24, 2006)

jroberts said:


> Most of the time it's meth-heads. The prospect of punishment is no deterrence. An alarm going off will usually scare them away though.


Fine meth-heads, who ever. Let them sit in prison for ten to fifteen, then beg for parole and live in the system for life. Sooner or later the message will sink in. Don't **** with the canadian family.


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## M_A_T_T (Jun 24, 2006)

There have been another rash since I first posted, but last night they caught the guy. A 34 year old *LOOSER* from across the street.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Lock the bum up and throw away the key


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## MaxWedge (Feb 24, 2006)

So what was this ***hole up to. Was he a peeping pervert, thief, or worse? It doesn't matter really. You all know where I stand on this issue. It's just frustrating. Because in all likelyhood he'll get a wholesale, discount sentence that is meaningless. Just had to rant.


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## J S Moore (Feb 18, 2006)

I consider theft to be th only true crime. Theft of life, theft of privacy. The problem is the systme has not viewed these things seriously in the last few decades. Too many bleeding hearts with too many excuses. "I have a drug problem". Yeah well 20 years will cure that.

My personal opinion is that the first offence should be the harshest punishment. Handing out progressively harsher sentences starting from wrist slaps is like training for the olympics. "I did 6 months, a year is no problem", etc.


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## M_A_T_T (Jun 24, 2006)

MaxWedge said:


> So what was this ***hole up to.


Theft. Some people lost jewelery, cell phones, a nice bike. One of the neighbours actually got some of their stuff back.


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## M_A_T_T (Jun 24, 2006)

I just read an article in the local paper that the guy had started going into people's bedrooms when they were asleep. One family reports he went through their night tables and pulled stuff out from under the bed (while they are in bed!), went into the kids room as well. He even baracaded their dog under a desk. After that he helped himself to some of their food in the refridgerator.....Glad this guy is off the streets for now.


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