I'm afraid that wouldn't have done much good in his case, Barry. Metro has been so overwhelmed with false alarms that they don't respond anymore unless it's a verified burglary in progress, and these guys worked pretty fast. It's best to contract an alarm company that can dispatch armed guards who can detain the perps until the cops arrive. It's well worth the cost. Forget ADT and the other huge crappy corporations...call Alarmco.

The good news in Jay's area is that from 8/2 through 9/30 (excluding his own), there were only 3 reported burglaries within 1/4 mile of his house. 2 were on Crystal Pool and one was on Beach View. Plenty of stolen motor vehicles though.

Alarms alone are not enough. (I've been installing burg/fire alarms and CCTV for almost 20 years). Archie's suggestion of a dog is good. There are also alarms that emit a loud barking sound instead of a siren.

The key is LAYERS of protection. I have an alarm, a digital surveillance system with ten cameras, two dogs, razor ribbon and other countermeasures I cannot discuss. I also have a sawzall with a nice sharp tree pruning blade just in case some idiot is foolish to intrude my premises (yes, I watched and learned well from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre!) Burglars make for good compost!

A good quality safe isn't a bad idea either. And do not leave your valuables in the master bedroom...it's often the first place burglars will look. Camera Systems are much cheaper than they used to be...and you can even get a system that sends signals over the internet so you can monitor your premises when you are not at home.

If any chipper has specific security-related questions, please feel free to get in touch with me. I'll reply as quickly as I can. This should be a wake up call to everyone...be proactive!

Jay, very sorry for your loss. At least you didn't get hurt, and you still have your chips!

"Let's be careful out there!"

Stay safe all,
Mike