Masked men on the property (real situation)

[paramedic70002]

Temporarily at least I'd rig these lights to stay on dusk to dawn

This.

And check them frequently for tampering.

Get your neighbors and the PD together to form a Neighborhood Watch.

Put crunchy gravel under all windows. Go to the local nursery and get some prickly or razor sharp plants to guard the points of entry. Make sure all your windows stay locked and alarmed. You can get cheap window alarms at Dollar Tree. DO random weapon checks of the residents. You cannot over stress the importance of being armed for the time being. With the size team you've seen, you need a HIGH CAPACITY magazine in whatever you're going to use, be it handgun, shotgun or rifle. Be prepared to expend a considerable amount of ammo. Expect to experience multiple breeching attempts that will cut off your escape route.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Yoda]

If you have them driving by at predictable intervals get some binoculars or a camera and record their license plate.

Slow cruising by with multiple passengers sounds like possible gang activity, do you have anyone in the house they could be targeting?

[RKflorida]

You did good. I have to say that this is a heck of a way to live. Getting together with your neighbors was a very good idea. The good guys need to organize themselves against the bad guys.

[tcox4freedom]

Johnsberg- You are correct. I should have notified the police after the first time the white Camry came by casing us out, and especially after the second time. I can't change how I reacted at the time, though. At this point, I just have to stay alert, continue sleeping lightly, and continue ramping up the early warning measures and force multipliers around the property and home.

Jrizzle- You make a good point. I hope that if a situation presents itself, they choose to run.

It's not to late to notify the police about the Camry. It may help them with their investigation of all the crime in the area.

-

[claude clay]

you give a lots of info....east, west and make & model of cars---almost too much...

I'm not calling bs, just saying...

or rather, asking---how much of what you saw was your mind filling in the blanks?
going with seeing a prowler, much from that point may be a combination of real and perceived.

better lighting and a video set up is certainly needed. for your piece of mind and to help if 'they' come back.

and them seeing a secure home will likly go elsewhere. many youth today are more bold than bright
so i would not count on that 100%. stay prepared and good luck.

[xXxplosive]

Guess your family members don't consider this a valid threat...........They Are Wrong.
They'll most likely be back.....stay vigillent.....don't let your guard down.

[barstoolguru]

I would go with m18claymore mines with trip wires and flairs

[scott625]

What about making you motion sensor lights more sensitive as well.

[suntzu]

I have a 5 second delay set so when the PIR turns on the outside light a series of inside lights come on int about 4 second increments. They aren't the bedroom lights cause we would be waking up every time a deer cam by or a bear. The idea is the BG will think someone woke up. If the inside lights came on at the same time as the outside, they might not notice it or assume they were tied to the same sensor.

[cmycek]

I recommend picking up a rescue German Shepherd, lots of people get them and then realize they aren't equipped to own a large dog. (They need daily exercise, ours runs with me and loves to play frisbee). BG's do not like big dogs, and a German Shepherd is one of the best friends you'll ever have. Smart, fun, fearless. Mine chased a sex predator off our property who was approaching my three kids (at 10:30 am) in our yard.

I consider our pooch 1st level security, along with lights and alarms.

[tkruf]

Watch "Home Alone" again. LOL Just kidding, I couldn't help myself.

On the serious side, you did good in the first place putting out the sensors. If you hadn't done so, you wouldn't have been alerted like you were and things could have been totally different. Nothing against 1911's but get something with higher capacity, with this many possible suspects involved. Keep the shotty handy and the AR. I sure hope you're able to convince the rest of the family that the threat is real and you're not just being paranoid. All of the ideas given here are good ideas, the 3M on windows, etc.

Let the PD know about the white Camry. Next time you notice that, call it in. Maybe a unit will be in the area and can intercept them.

Stay alert, stay armed, stay safe.

[Bark'n]

One things for sure... once the first gunshot goes off, the rest of the family will figure out how serious it is then.

[farronwolf]

And Arborigine, I'll see what I can do about installing cameras, though I pray that none of my family, friends or I have to kill someone to defend our lives.

I appreciate all the feedback and insight, everyone. Thanks.

You have gotten some good advice so far. I would have called the police back when the car was driving past every 30 mins or so. The hockey masks would definately have gotten my attention, especially here in Texas. Hoodies are much more common in our neck of the woods.

With the economy continuing to stay in the crapper, I see this type of brazen property crime being more common. If you don't participate in a neighborhood crime watch, now would be a good time to get the neighborhood involved in one, especially the nosie neighbors. This is something they are really helpful with.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but take a look at the one I started about video surveillance. It might be something that you would be interested in. Affordable home video surveillance system.

[1911srule]

Is getting a good dog a possibility? Stay safe brother...

[tashunkwitko]

bravo for staying on point the whole night. You prolly saved the lives of you and your family that night. One cannot be too vigilant now a days. I think fencning a portion of your property and get 3 big dogs to patrol your home is an excellent early warning system. DCCTV cams are a must nowadays, and I highly recommend ADT burglar alarm systems too. You can always activate alarm while you sleep. GL, stay safe.