fpan

iTrader: (11)

My father is building a house in the countryside and I would like to get some ideas about security.

The land has a chain-link fence on the perimeter but this can be cut with plier cutters.

Is there a way to trigger an alarm/event when someone tries to cut them?

The house already has an automation system fitted so I am looking at security ideas.

I've read about infra-red beams but he has a dog so how can you prevent the dog from triggering the IR beam?

Is there a way to disable an IR beam when it detects a RFID tag in the viscinity?

The easiest way for someone to get in would be to wait for you/hide and jump in the land while you wait for the gate to open, or follow you and get in undetected behind the car. I am not sure how you can prevent this from happening; apparently this is a common way.

What other methods of security do you guys suggest?

Thanks a lot.

andy97

iTrader: (1)

The benefit of living in the countryside is that there is less crime. Unless he has built his house on the outskirts of a scuffer city/town

john banks

As above, if your neighbours leave their doors unlocked and never have trouble, and you lock yours...

paulr

Where has he built the house......the Gaza Strip?

fpan

iTrader: (11)

The house is in the sticks. The crime rate in Greece has increased since the crisis hit and will keep increasing as the unemployment rate rises (current official figures at 26% - in reality it is probably close to 30-35%).

There is one neighbour/adjacent house (about 100-200m away) that albanians tried to burgle by getting in and beating the husband (neighbours also have a dog).

Thieves/burglars can poison the dog if they want. The dog is not a trained guard dog and is friendly but will bark if she hears something.

There is an albanian shepherd that lives a few hundred meters away that seems to be "watching" and using excuses (one of his sheep escaped into my dad's land "by mistake" before the gate was fitted) to get in the land to observe the landscape (probably to inform his gang friends of ways to get in).

pflowers

I am lucky enough to live in 22 acres of woodland. You can build walls and fences as high as you like and they will still come in, cctv can help but only a little. The only thing that works for us is dogs, a few stocky german shepherds strolling around will deter all but the most determined burglar.

PaulC72

and a 12 bore shotgun.

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

We have the infra beams that you mention on all our gateways and entrances/exits although our beams are duel beam. They fire the 2 beams parallel probably about half a metre apart and to trigger the alarm you have to break both beams. This means that it is very rare to get a false alarm and you would never position it low enough to the ground for an animal/dog to trigger it anyway. The only time we've had a false alarm is when a cat actually climbed onto the device box. We also have CCTV covering the whole farm and a few guns too .

Also to add, the beams are rigged up to an air raid siren so when it does go off, it is EXTREMRLY loud. There's certainly no way anyone would hang around. Investing in good quality motion sensor 500w flood lights that covers your house, buildings, yard etc is also a very good idea because no one likes to be seen.

fpan

iTrader: (11)

Some great ideas LSherratt, thanks.

The beams though shouldn't be mounted on the external perimeter fence otherwise the intruders will damage them, do you have them on separate poles a few meters behind the outer fence?

He's got a gun, the question is whether to make the albanian informant aware of it or only use it when necessary in order to surprise people. I am worried if you make the interested parties aware of the gun they may equip themselves with guns too.

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

For each gateway into the farm, they are mounted on the side of a building behind the gateway and directed across the gateway. Obviously it wouldn't work very well if it was a small gateway out in a field because you would have no where to mount the box, unless you had it on a pole in the ground like you mentioned.

We also have a duel beam mounted on one of our barns which is directed across the middle of our whole yard so that if someone did manage to get through and magically avoided the beam (or found another way in), they would drive/walk across the yard and still trigger a beam. Also if the alarm system is triggered, it'll also ring my mobile phone.

Another thing to consider is to have a very heavy duty lock and chain on each gate to deter anyone from even trying. I swear my farm is the most secure in the UK .

legb4rsk

'Another thing to consider is to have a very heavy duty lock and chain on each gate to deter anyone from even trying. I swear my farm is the most secure in the UK .'


Are you farming some kind of 'specialist' crops that are worth protecting?

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Nope, simply had 2 big Honda quad bikes stolen 3 and 4 years ago and an intruder enter the house through the back doors 2 years ago while my Father was home (checked the CCTV afterwards and saw 3 men running down the track lane so a bit scary when you see it like that), plus was fed up of gypsies/unknown vehicles trying their luck to gain access. No problems since all this security now and I hope in the future there will be no problems either, touch wood.

Spoon

Maybe he's protecting his family, livelihood, farm machinery, farm animals, vehicles, valuables, buildings etc?

Just sayin'.

billythekid

If you need firearms / security training out there I can help. PM me if you want.

Paben

iTrader: (5)

In high risk areas electrified fencing is a good but expensive option, likewise compounded entrances (two sets of gates, gate two only opened when gate one has been secured and the compound has been checked for intruders). There are plenty of other security methods if you are prepared to spend the money.

Firearms are a last ditch reaction to intruders, not valid in the UK but ideal if the country concerned allows their use for defense. Multi-shot 12 bore pump guns are most effective indoors, although the householder has to be trained in their use. Rifles are little use at close range and carry a high ricochet risk, while pistols require considerable skill to use effectively but are good back up weapons if all else fails.

Of course if you live in Surrey you are probably being paranoid!

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Forget a pump shotgun, go for a proper semi-automatic which will save you time as you won't have to use the pumping action .

Pross

iTrader: (3)

Run 240v through the fence, when the telly goes off you got a burglar.

Paben

iTrader: (5)

These are risky for defensive purposes as stoppages are always a possibility, which is why intervention teams don't use them - pump actions rule!

billythekid

He is in Greece, ownership for personal protection is allowed, although he already owns his own firearm so its not such an issue.

Matteeboy

Hmmm - a bit of security advice turns into full on SAS style speak.

I'm glad we live in an area with a VERY low crime rate.

Paben

iTrader: (5)

You're lucky, where I live is like a demilitarised zone - bloody Oxfordshire!

Luan Pra bang

Well trained dogs, are a safe bet, opening my front door uninvited will get 110 kilos of angry rottweilers ripping you to shreds. Great for security, not great for when people come to visit. Very few security systems are fool proof, it's about balancing what you have to steal against how much trouble it will be to steal it. A safe deposit box in a bank and good insurance for valuables is the first step. Add in angry dogs, cctv and alarms and you should be pretty safe.

matt-c

iTrader: (5)

Possibly a silly question, but why build a house somewhere you don't feel safe?

Matteeboy

I think places can suddenly become unsafe. It was a factor in moving to Cornwall from Surrey in the late 80s - suddenly our houses got burgled twice, stuff got nicked from the cars and a girl got murdered less than 300 yards from our house - which was in leafy, semi rural Surrey. A nice, safe place to live suddenly felt pretty bad.

Had similar in Bristol - lived in the "nice" part, never stopped worrying about bikes and cars being stolen or vandalised.

Mog

Got to agree, would be far better to move than spend the money on security.

fpan

iTrader: (11)

As Matteeboy and I, said in a previous post places can become unsafe when a crisis hits.

"The crime rate in Greece has increased since the crisis hit and will keep increasing as the unemployment rate rises (current official figures at 26% - in reality it is probably close to 30-35%)."