I have reason to believe that someone is going to break into my house. What should I do?

sociocat · 8 months

You should accept that if someone wants to break into your home bad enough, they will likely succeed. Make sure your insurance is up to date and create a photo inventory of your possessions. Keep a copy in a safe place (work or friends/family house). If you have irreplaceable items of high value, consider moving them or hide them temporarily.

If possible, take a look at http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/ittakesathief/ittakesathief.html

It is very informative and covers basic security measures in an entertaining format.

Also, there is a window treatment that involves a type of clear adhesive film. It makes the windows very hard to break, even capable of withstanding repeated hits with a baseball bat.

falsehood · 8 months

Lots of stupid comments in this thread.

First off, a LOT depends on the modus operandi of these people - what they typically do. I would do these things:

Phone/talk to anyone that has experienced a break-in: what did the tell them? What steps are they taking? Was there any warning or common method.
Lock/secure all "inaccessible" windows, even small ones, that could be used to give easy access.
Leave your house lights on at night - much harder to jump through a window when everyone who can see the window can easily see you.
Move valuables out of sight of the windows, to avoid smash and grabs. Laptops in filing cabinets, for example.
Get a sound-activated LOUD alarm sound that you can trigger remotely. Much better than confronting someone in person when your stereo is ready to play LOUD ANGRY NOISE at a moments' notice.
Tell your neighbors and work with them about this; they have the same stake as you.

ANNOYING_ALLCAPS_ASS · 8 months

Inform your neighbors about the possibility of break-ins. Make it a note to remain aware of everyone's houses and to report any suspicious activity.

Kijamon · 8 months

Phone the police (non emergency) and tell them that someone dropped a note off asking for money and was poking their nose through the letter box. Express concern that someone may have been casing the joint. I wouldn't bother saying it's the gypsies, they're great at sob stories.

Upgrade your security system and that's about all you can do

stugster · 8 months

Firstly, you should hose down the back door steps in the event someone attempts entry there. Once this has turned to ice, you'll find going down these steps extremely difficult. Your front, left side window, where your Christmas tree is should be protected with as many decorations laid out on the floor as possible.

On the steps up from your basement, paint them with some grease and on the fifth or sixth step, plant a nail in the upright position.

Tie two paint tins to rope and have them positioned on the very top floor so that should someone gain access and come up the stairs, you can throw these over the bannister and hit them on the head.

Lastly, remember your escape route. A rope from your house to the nearest tree-house should suffice. Use an old bikes handlebars to straddle the rope and swing down into the tree before rushing to your neighbour's home.

Mark_Lincoln · 8 months

Drag the house to Texas. Shoot them when the break in.

epooka · 8 months

I can't help much, but I live in an apartment building that has been broken into like 7 times this past year. What I did was add a metal plate on the inside of my door so they can't open it with a crowbar, and screwed in window stopper things (they only allow your window to be raised up a certain amount of inches).

They will probably try to break in during the day when you are at work. Do you have any neighbors that stay at home (housewifes, homeschool teenagers) that could go to your house in the middle of the day and watch TV for awhile or something?

R2D2PAC · 8 months

Routinely drag heavy looking black plastic bags out of your house and put them in your car with a spade then look around suspiciously before getting in the car and driving away, I'd do this once a day at different times and they should get the message you're not to be messed with

caseyst · 8 months

Borrow a dog. A big, loud, mean one. Hopefully one that doesn't hate you.

ThePurpleHayes · 8 months

Break into your own house and cover it in caution tape making it look like a crime scene.

OR

Buy male strippers, the kind that dress up like police officers. Pay them to strut in front of your house for the week.

gybryant · 8 months

Hide your kids
Hide your wife.

_Volpina_ · 8 months

Get a safety chain for your front/back door. Extra locks, too. Window stoppers as well. You could also get an alarm that's connected to a security company, or just something that's very loud. Alternatively, get a sticker made that looks like the logo of a security company, and put it on your front door.

An outdoor lamp with a motion detector should also help.

Get some of those timer thingies that turn the lights on/off. Set them to switch lamps on and off at different times, including a couple of times in the middle of the night (to make it look like you're up for a night snack). Connect the radio to a timer, too.

Talk to your neighbours about patrolling the streets at random times during the night. Bringing a dog would also help.

I sincerely hope they pass your house!

psyberdoc · 8 months

yup. just notify them, and they can step up their presence in your neighborhood. usually prompts people to "move along"

sherdogsux · 8 months

get a alarm company sign, place in front yard.

stirfried · 8 months

burn your house to the ground, that way they wont be able to steal a thing.

RomanSenate · 8 months

Just watch out for crusty jugglers, they're never far behind gypsy scum.

preske · 8 months

Set up a hidden camera so you can catch the bastards.

spartex · 8 months

Leave a note on your door: "Hello, I have been expecting you. Welcome." that will mind fuck them

Jigsus · 8 months

bars on ground floor windows
private security contract with alarm
the high pressure washer defense:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdsPXB4IWI4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkcKNud_LdM

The romanians have been defending against the gypsies for decades so here's what I learned from them:

don't confront them on their turf
don't scream after them or make threats because they feel obligated to return
actions speak louder than words with them
quickest way to defuse a situation with them is to not say anything and act. Just close the door if you're confronted with a scam like you were.

[deleted] · 8 months

Our house was cased out one morning between 5 and 6am. I randomly woke up early and glimpsed a woman dressed in black walking through our yard in the dark. I found her on the front porch peeking in the windows.

After the shock wore off and the rage set in, I tried to figure out ways that I could deter someone without spending money I don't have.

-Buy timers for random lights/lamps in the house. Set them to turn on/off, but not at regular intervals. Keep it random.

-Magnetic Door Alarms are small and cheap (I picked some up at a hardware store for about $2 each) and are really fucking loud. Put them along doors/windows, but out of sight from outside. If someone breaks in, the hope is that the sound from the triggered alarm will scare and/or confuse them enough that they abandon the attempted burglary. And if you're in the house, it would serve as a really loud warning.

-If you are leaving town for any period of time, have someone house-sit. At the very least, try to arrange to have a car parked in your driveway if you have one. In combination with the timed lights, it looks like someone's home.

-Remove spare keys from outside. Really, that fake turtle on your front porch with the spare key hidden inside is not original.

-Motion-activated lights for outside the home. Battery-operated is available, so no expensive installation is necessary.

-While you're at it, trim the bushes/hedges around the home if they are overgrown. You don't want someone behaving suspiciously to be able to hide behind them.

NavyDavie · 8 months

Watch Home Alone. You know what to do.

unknownpoltroon · 8 months

1.MAke a big show of packing up your car, suitcases, bags, etc. Leave it in the driveway for a day like that, preferably friday. Dirve it off and leave it at a friends. Leave newspapers on porch and mail in box. Sneak back in after dark, leave the lights off. Read something in an interior room where the light wont show, or watch your phone with a headphone (DO NOT BLOCK BOTH EARS). 2.Wait. 3.Be armed and ready to use deadly force. 4.You might get killed. Maybe get your neighbors in on the plan so they can be ready. 5. Train monkeys to joust. 6. Have lawyer on speed dial.

accountTWOpointOH · 8 months

Invest in a gun!

42420 · 8 months

Don't antagonise them or be rude - it'll only make them want to rob you more. Don't think they won't break in while you're at home either. They robbed my house once while we were all sitting in the back yard, and another time while we were in bed.

Make sure you don't leave your car keys lying around - they love the car keys. In fact, keep an eye on all the keys. I was going to suggest getting a dog but I just remembered they stole our dog once as well, so maybe not. The police won't do anything.

the_ouskull · 8 months

If you catch one of these gypsies, make sure to get a bottle of its tears. And, I don't know about Sweden's gun laws, but if they broke into my house here in America, I'd shoot them, then call the cops and wait for them to come get the bodies.

elbiot · 8 months

In general, park in front of your neighbors house and make it look like no one is home when you are in fact home. If they break in while you are there, you can scare the crap out of them. Just screaming at them will probably scare them, but if you don't mind violence, swing a baseball bat at them. Guns are a bad idea.

They'll be less likely to try a second time if they feel they can't gauge when you are actually home or not.

turtlelamp · 8 months

Would an alarm system be out of the question? Some companies have very reasonable rates. I know ADT has some kind of 99$ installation deal. You can get a discount on your homeowners insurance from installing a security system too. *oops, non-u.s. question so my advice may not count :( *

Longfoehammer · 8 months

Sit on your front porch in a rocking chair while cleaning your shotgun.

daddd · 8 months

Look what ya did, ya little JERK

castufari · 8 months

Call the police on their non emergency number and let them know about it. If you have a description of a vehicle and a license plate number that's even better.

We had them when I lived in the NE US. We were out at a park one day, came back and it looked like the circus rolled up. It was pretty bizarre. As my ever so PC grandfather said - "those bastards will steal everything".

ColonelFlashman · 8 months

People are being a bit retarded in this thread. If you have something that you really don't want getting stolen, valuables, jewellery, documents then MOVE THEM OUT OF YOUR HOUSE. Take them to a parents, friends, work, storage unit, safety deposit box. If it isn't there they can't steal it. I don't know how things are in Sweden but in the UK it is not unheard of for burglars to use stolen birth certificate etc to claim benefits on someones behalf fraudulently.

turkeypants · 8 months

Replace all of your valuables with hollow Chinese imitations.

clarke187 · 8 months

if you cant get a gun... http://www.amazon.com/Katana-Skin-Handle-Wood-Scabbard/dp/B001603J2E

warowords · 8 months

Buy an AR-15 and a German Shepherd. You wont have anything to worry about.

SamuraiAlba · 8 months

10 Gauge. Buckshot. Hide behind the couch. Wear a tin foil hat with viking horns, and a multi color clown wig. Also... Leiderhosen...

Tricks_ · 8 months

if they are really Gypsies don't mess with them, I kinda know someone who killed one when he caught him burglarizing his home, he had to change names and move to another continent to try and avoid the revenge from the rest of the family as they kept finding him . . .

aco620 · 8 months

Hey, I've got an idea that no one mentioned yet! How about watching Home Alone! No one mentioned that yet right? Well, it's ok if they did because I've got tons of useless and unrealistic comments just in case!

I've heard police officers say a number of times to take down the serial #'s of all of your important stuff for insurance purposes.

Also, do a Yahoo search for "preventing home break ins." There's a lot of top 10 lists like this one: http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/security/discourage-break-ins.htm and this one http://www.safetytips411.com/How-to-Prevent-Home-Break-Ins.html that have cheap and easy tips

sculptedpixels · 8 months

Rottweiler.

brutalistu · 8 months

Buy a dog. Or hire a manbearpig.

n1nj4_v5_p1r4t3 · 8 months

talk to your neighbors, build a community wall

anotherotherbrick · 8 months

Better locks, window shutters. Flood lights on motion detectors. A dog.

or:

Land mines in the garden. Glue glass in the windowsill. Nail beds under windows/doors. Preemptive kiling of the gypos.

helloimhary · 8 months

Not to be a bigot, but one benefit of America: no gypsies.

nerdofnerds · 8 months

Why don't you buy a gu-

gypsy activity

Oh...right...Europe...Go get a broken bottle?

R4SK0L · 8 months

Bear traps.

Philbert_1 · 8 months

Get a medium/large dog

polardays · 8 months

Break into their house first!

Nightshadey · 8 months

Is it a coincidence that Home Alone is on Encore right now? <.<

fine_line · 8 months

All of the really good suggestions have been posted, so I'll throw out this "meh" idea (used when staying at sketchy hotels):

Leave the tv or radio on while you're gone from the house. It's a waste of electricity and therefore not a long-term solution, but it's an easy way to make potential burglars think that someone is home.

[deleted] · 8 months

Ever seen home alone? All the solutions you need are in those movies.

kabuto · 8 months

Install a burglar alarm.

Auntfanny · 8 months

Buy a dog, great companion and you will feel more secure in your house. Something like a German Shepard, Rottweiler, or Doberman would certainly put off any potential burglars.

Also make sure you have house insurance.

[deleted] · 8 months

Get a big, mean, fucker of a dog. Train it to bite dirty things.

DatAznGuy · 8 months

Buy one of these puppies: http://www.jamesmcadam.co.uk/portfolio_html/sb_table.html

grinch337 · 8 months

Put all of your valuables inside a tree house in the back yard, but only make it accessible by way of a zip line from a second-story window. Dig a trench under the zip line and fill it with snakes and rabid woodland creatures and clip the line when the gypsies attempt to take the loot.

Sandvicheater · 8 months

Arm yourself with a shotgun and start blasting out hillbilly music.

[deleted] · 8 months

Buy all of their lucky Heather and hope they show mercy

Neslom · 8 months

Quick clean your house and get rid of any traps you have lying around. If someone breaks into your house and so much as stubs their toe on something you left lying around then they can sue you.

Oh you are in Europe not in Australia. Never mind then. Carry on as you were.

jles · 8 months

Ask them to give you their tears.....or take them.

happypants249 · 8 months

Notify the police and neighbors. Make sure youre neighbors are watching out for your house, and likewise watch out for theirs. Trade cell #'s with neighbors so if you see something that doesnt look right you can call them before the police and vice versa.

And get a shotgun. Good for gypsies and the zombies when they come too.

hinsoft · 8 months

Covee all the walls with creepy victorian dolls and pictures of sad and screaming people. To top it all of, get a robot in thr shape of a human and in a vloen suit and get it to periodically move about thr house and make laughing noises. That'll show them.

dumpinglemur · 8 months

12 gauge shotgun, Remington 870 or Mossburg 500, both will work fine.

AlphaHotel_94 · 8 months

Secure all valuables and electronics in an undisclosed location. Leave all doors and windows open. Empty sitting room of furniture, save for one chair. Not too comfortable, preferably swivel. When they walk break in, calmly turn around, and proclaim quietly, "Ive been waiting for you." as your weapon of choice gleams in the moonlight. Gypsie battle ensues. If your short on time, just shoot them, or challenge one to single combat.

mrgerbek · 8 months

walk through your house and take video (with detailed narration) of what you own. mail the tape to your parents, or upload it to somewhere.

DerpMatt · 8 months

Shoot them. Also, NEVER answer the door. A common tactic is that they get a cute white girl (coal burner) to knock on your door asking for help for something. When you open the door, her thug friends bust in, and kill you and take your stuff. So yea. Wait for them to break in, and fill them full of lead.

[deleted] · 8 months

Booby tray everything.

also you might want to get a polar bear.

nash50 · 8 months

Sit outside on on a rocking chair with a big shot gun, when they drive by give them a "i dare you" look.

It worked for me when my grandma tried to move in bless her soul.

captchasarehard · 8 months

Get a gun, and if somebody breaks in, commence the cap busting upon the asses of thine enemies.

askolsunburcu · 8 months

Do you know anyone that owns a big dog? Ask to borrow the dog for a while. Or better yet, adopt a dog, like a German Sheperd, Rotweiler, etc. No one will ever fuck with you again.

zettaswag · 8 months

lie in wait till it happens when they do break in IMMEDIATELY pull your pants down and crap in your hand then threaten to throw it at them if they dont leave. it will help if you eat lots of fiber and corn

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