Follow up to break in last week

C.B. please leave this on the mirador for a bit, or maybe create a crime section for both members and non-members to see.

1. The Fracc. has been informed in writing, and now has a website. Just waiting for confirmation, then it will either go on the website or residents will be personally informed.
2. Security meeting for all residents on February 4th.
3. The option of security cameras is being seriously considered for the entire fracc.
4. Every day I get more P.O'd, so wednesday the alarm company is coming to consult, we're going for a 12,000 volt electric fence, any a.h. tries to get in here they'll never ever need hair gel again.
5. Bag o' bolts, 7"x2.5". Every single door is getting a beef up including both of the interior doors to our bedroom.


Anyone has more suggestions please post.

An old friend locked herself out of her walled house with four strands of
electrified wire on top of wall. Nearby mexican grabbed a leather
coat climbed up the wall laid it over the wires climbed down and opened
the door. I am not saying an electric fence won't help but don't depend
on it as your only theft provention thang. 12,000V doesn't do anything if
you put an insulator over the top like a leather coat. Also lock the inside
of the gates so if they get in you can't get out and take big stuff easily.

Z

If you put in the right equipment you don´t need electric fencing although there is no problem with electric fencing if your security system has certain redundancies. We utilize high walls, concertina wire and a constantly monitored heat/movement detecting alarm system that sounds like the hounds of hell have been cut loose if, after scaling and defeating our rock wall/concertina wire system, you even approach our house.

There are maybe 10 houses on our street and only three are alarmed with constantky monitored systems although some others have formidable high walls and live-in property managers . We may get hit anyway but if one is a burglar, there is too much easy pickings around here so why take unnecesary risks. Hit the easy guys without barred windows and doors, high walls with barbed wire and monitored alarm systems.

THis reminds me of an old joke.

Two guys are hiiking through the north woods when they round a large tree and there is a huge, pissed off grizzly alarmed at their presence and coming after them. One guy drops to his knees and starts putting on his running shoes. The other guy observes this incredulously and shouts, "What is wrong with you; are you nuts, you can´t outrun a grizzly!", to which the other guy responds, "I don´t have to outrun the grizzly, I just have to outrun you."

Well after doing a bit of research, I came across an advertisement for an electric fence company in South Africa, where crime is even worse than here. The statistics are alarming. They recommend 8 to 10 wire fences with an alarm which is activated if there is any breach, a wire is cut, or there is a short. Hopefully the guy who is coming will have hounds from hell alarms, not some easily ignored car alarm deal.

http://gido.co.za/pages/el_stats.htm

Here are a few ugly facts from their site:

The average age of a house robber is between 19 and 26 years.
An average of 30% of all house robbers have either committed murder, or won't hesitate to commit murder.
Eighty percent of residential robberies are committed with the help of information from domestic workers, gardeners and former employees.
The robbers will monitor the home and movements for as long as is needed to formulate a plan of attack - sometimes up to two weeks.
All gangs research and monitor the response times of armed response companies.
Most attacks occur between 19:00 and midnight as people are relaxed, busy cooking or watching TV & security systems and beams are not activated. Robberies continue until 04:00 in the morning.
The biggest deterrent confirmed by robbers themselves, are small dogs that are kept inside the home.
Alarm systems and armed reaction services are not considered a deterrent. Electric fences, closed-circuit TV (CCTV) monitored by guards and certain types of detection beams do, however, deter robbers.

(end excerpt)

We already have the bars, but there were a couple of weak areas, and that's not going to happen again. If they had entered while we were away, I doubt if I'd be this angry, but it was obvious they knew we were here. So, what were their plans? Now that many of these scumbags are carrying guns it's only a matter of time before things turn really ugly, as they already have in a few cases.

The door where they did get in now is securely and invisibly bolted in a few areas, there is NO way they can ever get in that one again.

I'd say our place IS going to be the best defended property in the area, because I don't appreciate losing sleep thinking about this stuff, which has been happening off and on this past week.

I might add that we are almost 100% certain that a former worker, or employee was involved.

Hmmm, really good food for thought here. I just fired a gardener who'd only worked for me less than one month, but was caught cheating on his hours worked, then lying about it when confronted, then, finally, stealing valuables. I withheld 200p from his final pay as he recorded many hours of work when he was not even on my property, as verified by other employers in the neighborhood. He showed up here trying to scare me into paying him that 200p but I refused. I now know he stole at least $200 worth of new goods that he will probably hawk for drug money. He is only about 20 & lives in San Juan Cosalá which has it's share of scummy low-lifes.

The worst part is, he knows I am a single woman living alone on the property which is at the end of the road with a vacant lot below and arroyo on one side. I have high spiked walls, but he knows the inside well & there are weak areas. I think that is how he got the stolen goods out- putting them on the bodega roof for later retrieval as the roof is directly adjacent to the top of the back wall.

I have been worried he will come back for revenge, now I am quite certain, if not him, then someone he tips off. There is also a lot of construction going on in the neighborhood & I know they watch my comings & goings as they do that nasty wolf whistle thing that I do not appreciate (I think they would do that to any woman, regardless of age).

I was bouncing around the idea of having electric fencing installed but heard it was far from fool-proof. The one I am considering is 6 strands, 1 metre high above the wall so nearly impossible to cover with a coat or some such, and is 12,000 volts (enough to make the little turds piss themselves and that would get them an extra juicing). My concern is, as with others, that they could cut the wires, or tamper with my electrical to shut it down (someone has recently disconnected wiring outside & shut off my power as it is easily accessible).

So, is there a solution? I am actually considering getting a gun, I know some say it could be used against me, but I will not sleep again wondering if this little p_ick is planning to get me...

A dog or two will do wonders for you and your security.

She has 3 dogs!

Milena wrote:Hmmm, really good food for thought here. I just fired a gardener who'd only worked for me less than one month, but was caught cheating on his hours worked, then lying about it when confronted, then, finally, stealing valuables. I withheld 200p from his final pay as he recorded many hours of work when he was not even on my property, as verified by other employers in the neighborhood. He showed up here trying to scare me into paying him that 200p but I refused. I now know he stole at least $200 worth of new goods that he will probably hawk for drug money. He is only about 20 & lives in San Juan Cosalá which has it's share of scummy low-lifes.

The worst part is, he knows I am a single woman living alone on the property which is at the end of the road with a vacant lot below and arroyo on one side. I have high spiked walls, but he knows the inside well & there are weak areas. I think that is how he got the stolen goods out- putting them on the bodega roof for later retrieval as the roof is directly adjacent to the top of the back wall.

I have been worried he will come back for revenge, now I am quite certain, if not him, then someone he tips off. There is also a lot of construction going on in the neighborhood & I know they watch my comings & goings as they do that nasty wolf whistle thing that I do not appreciate (I think they would do that to any woman, regardless of age).

I was bouncing around the idea of having electric fencing installed but heard it was far from fool-proof. The one I am considering is 6 strands, 1 metre high above the wall so nearly impossible to cover with a coat or some such, and is 12,000 volts (enough to make the little turds piss themselves and that would get them an extra juicing). My concern is, as with others, that they could cut the wires, or tamper with my electrical to shut it down (someone has recently disconnected wiring outside & shut off my power as it is easily accessible).

So, is there a solution? I am actually considering getting a gun, I know some say it could be used against me, but I will not sleep again wondering if this little p_ick is planning to get me...

Get a loud recording of a large dog barking put it on a CDR and play it through your stereo from time to time with the windows open. Women with a big dog scares
away bad folks. I use to make these for women that were voice activated but used up all my parts. Used my Newfoundland as the barking recording. Nobody knows
a newfoundland will hold a flashlight for a burgler but when 140 lb dogs bars people listen. Get creative. Oh yea I assume you have changed all the locks or bolted
things closed so if he duplicated a key... I just change the locks from time to time to be safe on my rentals.

As far as getting a gun. Uh do you know what you are doing?? I know everybody knows to pull the trigger from watching TV but I would suggest you work with someone
for some basic training and understanding of what you are doing if you choose that route.

I know you are scared I would be also and I am a big healthy male but please think this out completely.

Z

CanuckBob wrote:Milena, forget the gun. Hire a security consultant to come by and take a look at potential weak points. There are probably a few low cost solutions for beefing up the security. You can get a low cost alarm system with motion detectors that has a battery back-up in the event of power failure. Some alarm companies will install the equipment for free if you sign up for monthly monitoring. You can even buy and install some fake CCTV cameras........

I have the security system, ADT monitored, I have the fake cameras to put around outside the wall, and I have several motion sensor lights around the house, but, all have their downsides. The thugs know how long it takes for police to respond, if they show up at all, and they are always long gone. They would probably just smile for the cameras, after all, who is going to come after them? As for the lighting, it might just make it easier for them to see what they are breaking into. I was just trying to cover all bases.

I have three dogs, and someone has already tried to poison them recently. I found 9 empty plastic bags in the dog run, none elsewhere on the property, all near the front so were thrown in from the street, one was still caught in the wall spikes 6 ft up. Someone knew where the dogs were so it had to be one of the workers, as I have had many in the past 2 years. I was away when this happened but my house sitter said the dogs had it coming out both ends day and night. Lucky they survived. Actually, the reason for the electric fence is to stop the poisoning attempts. If my property looks like Alcatraz, and the neighbors homes are an easier hit, they will go elsewhere, so have no reason to try to kill my dogs. Sad to have to think like this, but how else to stop them?

Some advantages to living in the higher density areas of the villages. I
have a guy who sells Garbanzo beans and corn to early in the morning
right next to my house. We just don't have these kind of problems with
normal security. About three gringo/a in the neighborhood the rest is
mexican and boy do they keep an eye on the calle (street). I am sorry
you folks are having these problems. We also have roof dogs (well kept)
all around us. Lots of eyes here both people and dogs.

Z

Mine don't bark, they are the quietest in the neighorhood and rarely make a peep, besides, they are kept in every night with me. Barking is not the issue. Someone is planning a heist, no question. I still like the idea of a gun. My dad taught me how to shoot when I was a kid, so I am not worried about having an accident. I know other single gringas who would also love the opportunity to keep a gun for protection under their beds.

Anyone hear about a legal firearms store coming to the area?

Milena wrote:Mine don't bark, they are the quietest in the neighorhood and rarely make a peep, besides, they are kept in every night with me. Barking is not the issue. Someone is planning a heist, no question. I still like the idea of a gun. My dad taught me how to shoot when I was a kid, so I am not worried about having an accident. I know other single gringas who would also love the opportunity to keep a gun for protection under their beds.

Anyone hear about a legal firearms store coming to the area?

Do you still remember how to shoot it or do you need additional training?

Milena, we went for the 6 wire electric fence, and believe me the alarm is enough to wake the dead. It sure doesn't sound good with attempted dog poisoning in the cards. If they try to cut the wires the battery kicks in and the alarm will go off.
Another single woman near you put one in and has never been bothered since.

Good to know, Raqueteer. But, the difference between companies offering these installations can be miles apart, don't we know. I have had a security firm come check out my property & make suggestions, which sound good, but is this the best company to deal with? It is Optimus Seguridad, and I had Horacio Mendoza come from Guadalajara to give the quote. Any thoughts out there? (I bet there are!)

you need better judgement when you hire people. & how did he break in? did you give a key? this is common here, americans set themselves up for this trouble, unfortunately. it seems this person stayed w/you way longer than he should have. i never have a gardener/maid/painter unless i am home. for gardening this is not a steady job. i call when i need them, have one terrific person. if he is busy, i get someone from the staff next door to rake the leaves. they are happy to earn extra $ after hours, much more than they get on their contracted pay. btw, i have fired people who have worked here, no problem. a few years ago i had a 2x a week arrangement, but it was a personality conflict. after 4 xs i let him go. he did a great job on the last day, but i did not like him. i paid & said goodbye. i did not deduct for the past few unfinished jobs, or bags i supplied. i just give people $ & they are out of my life. i never ever have anything in writing. why are these relationships so complicated?

in additional: these "confrontations" are absurd. why would you even bother w/a 20 yr old, just give some cash. the gardener i had for 2 wks, 2days per wk, cheated on the hours as well. he did work fast, but did not bring the bags he promised. his work was either very good or really bad. he was used to the BS, & could not do that w/me. i was uncomfortable w/him, there was much tension (he behaved in a disrespectful manner). he was surprised when i said "no more not necessary". he flew into a rage, saying "you do not want to pay me right"?? i took the $ out of my pocket, paid, & that was that. this was the first & last time i had a steady arrangement. 2 weeks & that was enough. i do admit my grass looked much better, but the personality was obnoxious.

Milena wrote:Good to know, Raqueteer. But, the difference between companies offering these installations can be miles apart, don't we know. I have had a security firm come check out my property & make suggestions, which sound good, but is this the best company to deal with? It is Optimus Seguridad, and I had Horacio Mendoza come from Guadalajara to give the quote. Any thoughts out there? (I bet there are!)

We used Intec from Guadalajara. We're waiting to give a firm recommendation because the alarm went off on its own one night. Turns out they hadn't grounded the system. That has now been fixed at no charge and they are pleasant to deal with. They also did not ask for a deposit, unlike some of the security companies here which then fail to deliver. BTW these systems also need a surge protector.

They were very businesslike and gave a 9 month guarantee on installation, and a 2 year guarantee on the system. So far they have held up to their end of the bargain, and been out twice. The first time it was a fuse, the second time the ground, which is likely what caused the fuse to blow the first time. So I'd say they're worth checking out at least.

Here's the information:
gabriel@intec.com.mx
Cel: 045-331 432 6972.

They do not speak English.