Comment I'm sorry this happened to you (Score 2) 508
A home break in can really shake really your feelings of safety. As surprising as it sounds, the best advice is to not over react. I added metal bars to my doors and windows and cinderblocked up a basement window. This was much to the detriment of the aesthetic value of my house. It sounds likely your doing the right thing by weighing your options.
An informal, non-scientific poll that I also cannot find the reference for said the #1 deterrent for petty thieves was a dog and the #2 deterrent was the idea that the owner had a gun. I agree with all of the above comments that state that you should learn how to shoot and keep your gun safe. The most likely person to be shot with your gun is you or your family, and it's important to mitigate that risk.
Check with your local police and fire in regards to home monitoring. In Philadelphia, the police won't respond to a monitoring service unless the alarm is "validated" by a third party. The big guys here, ADT and comcast both hire private security companies to validate a break in or fire. That means it takes > 25 minutes before the police are even contacted.
Depending on your comfort level you can install either a wired/wireless home voltage system with IP self-monitoring with Android/Iphone/PC connectivity. If the alarm is tripped a loud siren sounds and you immediately get a text, email, call, whatever. Here's the home IP self-monitoring system I use: http://eyez-on.com./ The device costs around 100 dollars, and there are no additional charges. The more sophisticated options can be a little pricey.
You can also set and disarm your alarm and program the alarm from a PC or smartphone, which is super useful. Most of the IP monitoring devices also support outputing a feed to a central monitoring company. Since you own the hardware, the monitoring is around 10 dollars a month instead of 50, and you're not locked into a contract and can easily change providers. Most IP options also integrate reasonably well with your web cams.
DSC, GE, Honeywell, and Elk all make easy DIY kits that include most of what you'll need. Prices range from 80 to > 700 dollars. I'd advise getting a normal wired main panel and then spending the extra 40 bucks for a wireless keypad so you can run as few wires as possible but still have a fairly reliable system. I spent around 350 for the kit and ip monitoring device for a 2300 sqr foot home. I purchased DSC equipment (it's the least expensive and most widely compatible), and used http://homesecuritystore.com/ and http://safemart.com/ both seem like decent vendors in my experience
As far as web cams, I have 2 D-Link DCS-932L cameras. One in a weatherproof box at my front door and one which sees my entire ground floor. I initially had 2 generations of Linksys cams, but their wireless connection was spotty. No issues thus far with the D-Links (3+ months)
If my alarm goes off, myself, my wife, my father, and a trustworthy friend all get monitoring alerts and the webcam feed. Any of us can call the police and report a true alarm based on the live camera feed.
Again, I'm sorry this happened to you. I hope your feeling of safety in your home hasn't been completely shaken. Take any reasonable step to make yourself and your sig other feel safe in your home, but do your best not to over-react.
An informal, non-scientific poll that I also cannot find the reference for said the #1 deterrent for petty thieves was a dog and the #2 deterrent was the idea that the owner had a gun. I agree with all of the above comments that state that you should learn how to shoot and keep your gun safe. The most likely person to be shot with your gun is you or your family, and it's important to mitigate that risk.
Check with your local police and fire in regards to home monitoring. In Philadelphia, the police won't respond to a monitoring service unless the alarm is "validated" by a third party. The big guys here, ADT and comcast both hire private security companies to validate a break in or fire. That means it takes > 25 minutes before the police are even contacted.
Depending on your comfort level you can install either a wired/wireless home voltage system with IP self-monitoring with Android/Iphone/PC connectivity. If the alarm is tripped a loud siren sounds and you immediately get a text, email, call, whatever. Here's the home IP self-monitoring system I use: http://eyez-on.com./ The device costs around 100 dollars, and there are no additional charges. The more sophisticated options can be a little pricey.
You can also set and disarm your alarm and program the alarm from a PC or smartphone, which is super useful. Most of the IP monitoring devices also support outputing a feed to a central monitoring company. Since you own the hardware, the monitoring is around 10 dollars a month instead of 50, and you're not locked into a contract and can easily change providers. Most IP options also integrate reasonably well with your web cams.
DSC, GE, Honeywell, and Elk all make easy DIY kits that include most of what you'll need. Prices range from 80 to > 700 dollars. I'd advise getting a normal wired main panel and then spending the extra 40 bucks for a wireless keypad so you can run as few wires as possible but still have a fairly reliable system. I spent around 350 for the kit and ip monitoring device for a 2300 sqr foot home. I purchased DSC equipment (it's the least expensive and most widely compatible), and used http://homesecuritystore.com/ and http://safemart.com/ both seem like decent vendors in my experience
As far as web cams, I have 2 D-Link DCS-932L cameras. One in a weatherproof box at my front door and one which sees my entire ground floor. I initially had 2 generations of Linksys cams, but their wireless connection was spotty. No issues thus far with the D-Links (3+ months)
If my alarm goes off, myself, my wife, my father, and a trustworthy friend all get monitoring alerts and the webcam feed. Any of us can call the police and report a true alarm based on the live camera feed.
Again, I'm sorry this happened to you. I hope your feeling of safety in your home hasn't been completely shaken. Take any reasonable step to make yourself and your sig other feel safe in your home, but do your best not to over-react.
