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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

Is George Zimmerman on this board?

Wow.  Neighborhood watches work for a time, then tend to peter out, statistically.  This is 2013, not 1962.  Get with the program.

Get an alarm installed, get cameras in place, get a dog that notices everything.  The latter is not practical of human beings.  Plenty of human beings notice neighbors comings and goings, yet are useless when a crime actually hits (cars and houses broken into, especially, as these are most often at "inconvenient" times).

Learn about crime and when and where it happens and act accordingly.  Unless you plan to "neighborhood watch" between the hours of 2 AM and 6 AM every evening.  EGADS.  Brains anyone?

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I used to live in Baltimore.  there were a series of robberies in the neighborhood.  the neighborhood watch was kind of useless (not for lack of trying), but the robberies happened during the day, when most people were working, and the neighborhood watch "patrols" (2 to a car, so it's not like a SAHM could do a daytime patrol) were in the evening.  The signs were useless.  In fact, I think the signs only hurt real estate, because prospective buyers got worried when they saw a bunch of neighborhood watch signs (and rightly so, perhaps).

There are a few things that I think did/do help.

As mentioned above, get a dog.  No, it doesn't have to be a mean dog.  but it does have to be a large dog with a loud bark who will bark when someone is on your property.  People think that a guard dog needs to be mean or tough, but that actually isn't the case.  For a dog to be helpful with security, the dog just has to have a presence -- be large -- and be loud.  that is enough of a deterrent for a burglar.  I love my big dog.  He's a big baby and he is a great family dog, but he also adds some security because he has a really intimidating bark.  And he's huge.  So anyone coming to the door or poking around the house is greeted with an intense and frightening bark as well as seeing glimpses of him jumping up in the window.

Burglars are risk-averse, especially if they're the kind who will take the time to case the house.  so things like big, scary-looking dogs will make the burglar decide to rob another house instead of yours.

the other thing that policemen have said is that alarm system SIGNS are deterrents.  It isn't that the system itself is especially helpful, but if there are signs in front of a house that suggest there's a security system, again, it adds another element of risk.  And sometimes it causes a burglar to move on to a different house.

And the final thing that is helpful is to leave not just a light on but also a tv or radio on when you're not there.  If a burglar goes up to a house and hears the tv or radio from outside, they might think someone is home.

These are all things that can help prevent a burglar from even ATTEMPTING to rob you.  the issue I have with people who suggests guns is that it isn't a deterrent for a robber.  What you really want is to prevent the person from breaking in to begin with.

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