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antdude
Matrix Ant
Premium Member
join:2001-03-25
US

antdude

Premium Member

Fake cameras, signs, noises, lights, etc.?

Do you guys use fake cameras, signs, noises, lights, etc. around your homes? Does it really work to scare off thieves?

Thank you in advance.

Jahntassa
What, I can have feathers
Premium Member
join:2006-04-14
Conway, SC

Jahntassa

Premium Member

I use real cameras, no problem so far!
Moffetts
join:2005-05-09
San Mateo, CA

2 recommendations

Moffetts to antdude

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to antdude
I use a .44 magnum.
PrntRhd
Premium Member
join:2004-11-03
Fairfield, CA

PrntRhd to antdude

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to antdude
I use a dog alarm.
A real pit bull.

jrs8084
Premium Member
join:2002-03-02
Statesville, NC

4 recommendations

jrs8084 to antdude

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to antdude
Click for full size
Brandy
Click for full size
I smell fried Livermush and Dukes!
Click for full size
I want FIOS!
She works for premise and online security.

Don't be caught with a pimento cheese sandwich.
Bob4
Account deleted
join:2012-07-22
New Jersey

1 recommendation

Bob4 to antdude

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to antdude
A car dealer around here had a outdoor camera with a big, blinking red light. It was fake. The camera housing was empty. Don't know if it worked or not.

Fake alarm signs might work.

I don't know what a fake light would be.

mph300
Two Thirds The Way There
join:2000-11-09

mph300 to antdude

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to antdude
Two pit bulls, 25 plus guns and lots of ammo...all 100% real!

Mike

antdude
Matrix Ant
Premium Member
join:2001-03-25
US

antdude to Moffetts

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to Moffetts
said by Moffetts:

I use a .44 magnum.

When you're not at home too? Are they sentry guns with mounted guns? :P
antdude

antdude to mph300

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to mph300
said by mph300:

Two pit bulls, 25 plus guns and lots of ammo...all 100% real!

Mike

Even when your dogs and you are not at home? :P
antdude

antdude to jrs8084

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to jrs8084
said by jrs8084:

She works for premise and online security.

Don't be caught with a pimento cheese sandwich.

Haha nice. What did she do with online security? [grin]

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

1 recommendation

Lurch77 to antdude

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to antdude
The problem with fake stuff, is as soon as word gets around, they are useless. The storage unit we rented had fake cameras to deter thieves and dumping. Once everyone knew about it, break ins and garbage dumping resumed.

antdude
Matrix Ant
Premium Member
join:2001-03-25
US

antdude

Premium Member

said by Lurch77:

The problem with fake stuff, is as soon as word gets around, they are useless. The storage unit we rented had fake cameras to deter thieves and dumping. Once everyone knew about it, break ins and garbage dumping resumed.

Mix the fake and real ones up!

ArgMeMatey
join:2001-08-09
Milwaukee, WI

1 recommendation

ArgMeMatey

Member

said by antdude:

said by Lurch77:

The problem with fake stuff, is as soon as word gets around, they are useless. The storage unit we rented had fake cameras to deter thieves and dumping. Once everyone knew about it, break ins and garbage dumping resumed.

Mix the fake and real ones up!

That's probably the most effective cheap approach.

The transit system here used to do that - I don't know if they still do.

The problem comes in when a place of business declares an area is under video surveillance, for example with a sign, and then it turns out it's not.

Members of the public could argue that they had an expectation that interaction in that area was being monitored. If there were in fact only a dummy camera, the business might incur civil liability in case of a third party's criminal act. I don't know if there's case law supporting that theory, however.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

I don't think they'd get it through the system. You have no expectation of privacy in most places outside your home to begin with.

ArgMeMatey
join:2001-08-09
Milwaukee, WI

ArgMeMatey

Member

said by Lurch77:

You have no expectation of privacy in most places outside your home to begin with.

I was saying the opposite: The merchant tells all customers "Hey, there's a camera watching everybody in my place of business" implying, "Don't try anything illegal because we'll turn over our footage to the cops".

So let's say this is a 24-hour laundromat with no attendant on duty. Now laundromat customer #1 is robbed of $1000 by "customer #2", in full view of the fake camera. When the police request the video they find out the camera is a fake.

Customer #1 is steamed because they had an expectation that the place was safe, an expectation that the merchant expressly encouraged because he told everyone "we have cameras".

Now customer #1 is suing the merchant to recover lost money, attorney, and court fees. Let's say $2000 if they settle and $10,000 if they end up going to trial.

How much did those real cameras cost again?

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

1 recommendation

Lurch77

Premium Member

I guess I can see that happening here in the United States of Lawsuits. But it shouldn't be able too.

nightdesigns
Gone missing, back soon
Premium Member
join:2002-05-31
AZ

1 recommendation

nightdesigns to antdude

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to antdude
2 dogs... they are wimps, but their bark will make you think otherwise. They have been trained to bark at anything at the door.

antdude
Matrix Ant
Premium Member
join:2001-03-25
US

antdude

Premium Member

said by nightdesigns:

2 dogs... they are wimps, but their bark will make you think otherwise. They have been trained to bark at anything at the door.

Or motion sensors with random bark recordings. Hmm!

ITICharlie1
Ass Mode
Premium Member
join:2003-01-22
Saint Louis, MO

ITICharlie1

Premium Member

I've known a few people that go out and "borrow" Brinks and other's yard signs and put them in there yards. I also know people that have made fake yard signs. My brother worked in a sign shop and this was done a lot.
jsbaker
join:2002-07-13
Houston, TX

jsbaker to antdude

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I use real cameras and an alarm system with a GSM radio along with two motion detecting flood lights. I decided the day someone knocked on my door wanting to know how long I had my brinks sytem (which they saw window stickers for) for that it was time to put something in place since the brinks system that came with the house did not work. The fact that I live on one of the main streets in our neighborhod and it is constanly patroled by our contracted constables probably helps some too.

The ubiquiti cameras cost about $120 each and are not noticeable unless you are looking for them. I have them record to a PC based DVR using the free version of an enterprise camera management software I also use at work.

antdude
Matrix Ant
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join:2001-03-25
US

antdude to ITICharlie1

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to ITICharlie1
said by ITICharlie1:

I've known a few people that go out and "borrow" Brinks and other's yard signs and put them in there yards. I also know people that have made fake yard signs. My brother worked in a sign shop and this was done a lot.

But did they work for them? :P
Mango
Use DMZ and you get a kick in the dick.
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
www.toao.net

1 edit

Mango to antdude

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to antdude
For a while we had some guy vandalizing the front door of our office. I put up a real camera and never had another problem. Cost just over $100; totally worth it.

After reading Red Green's post, now I know why I can never keep my alarm company's sign in my yard. Every time they would give me a new one, it would go missing a few days later. I eventually gave up.

On another note, dogs are even more effective than I imagined, at deterring criminals. I remember a story 10 or so years ago where the police actually caught a burglar while he was still at the scene. The burglar had a list of addresses on him. After contacting the people who lived at those addresses, the police discovered every single one had a dog. No idea how he got the list, but knocking on doors and making up an excuse if someone answered would be pretty easy.

mph300
Two Thirds The Way There
join:2000-11-09

1 recommendation

mph300 to antdude

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to antdude
said by antdude:

said by mph300:

Two pit bulls, 25 plus guns and lots of ammo...all 100% real!

Mike

Even when your dogs and you are not at home? :P

antdude See Profile, you are welcome to come take your chances...

antdude
Matrix Ant
Premium Member
join:2001-03-25
US

antdude

Premium Member

said by mph300:

said by antdude:

said by mph300:

Two pit bulls, 25 plus guns and lots of ammo...all 100% real!

Mike

Even when your dogs and you are not at home? :P

antdude See Profile, you are welcome to come take your chances...

Sure, give us your address. :P

hortnut
Huh?
join:2005-09-25
PDX Metro

hortnut to antdude

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Click for full size
Although we were in a very low crime area, there was a rash of break ins one Spring in our neighborhood.

We were skipped and I credit it to a 16 pound Cairn Terrier that was left in the house and garage during the day. Their temperament is described as: Active, Intelligent, Fearless, Hardy, Assertive. Her bark, its tone and persistence would make one think that she was something not to be messed with.

One neighbor had a Rottweiler that was subdued by a steak thrown over the fence.

As to Crime Prevention, it also helped that we all knew each other in the neighborhood and kept in touch.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK to antdude

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to antdude
I have real alarms, real audio actuators, real security and motion lights.

Fake Cameras and signs as deterrents.

TheTechGuru
join:2004-03-25
TEXAS

TheTechGuru to antdude

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to antdude
I use real cameras that upload to off site servers and can be viewed remotely.

I still can't find ADT stickers at a reasonable price, if I weren't renting I would just order the full package from ADT (but pre-wire myself).
raythompsontn
join:2001-01-11
Oliver Springs, TN

raythompsontn to ArgMeMatey

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to ArgMeMatey
said by ArgMeMatey:

Now laundromat customer #1 is robbed of $1000 by "customer #2", in full view of the fake camera.

No one using a laundromat will have $1000 on them. The police would investigate that as a scam.

Draiman
Let me see those devil horns in the sky
join:2012-06-01
Kill Devil Hills, NC

1 recommendation

Draiman to antdude

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The problem with dogs is people don't train them to attack people. Sure they'll bark and growl if a stranger shows up but that's normally the extent of it. A few pieces of apple with peanut butter is all you need to gain friendship. The plus side is people who don't know much about dogs will stay away. Anyone who knows anything about dogs will find a way around them just like they would a fake security system. Just like locks and deadbolts they only keep the honest man honest. A real system with alarm and camera is the only thing that will work.
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