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Keith B wrote:

sjfcontrol wrote:

rthillusa wrote:and signs do not work, even if printed in Spanish and English.

If you're referring to "No Soliciting" signs, they DO work. I understand that a salesman ignoring that sign is trespassing. I've seen them come up to the door, see the sign, and turn around and leave.

BUT, I wouldn't expect the sign to turn away criminals -- Perhaps we need a "No Criminals" sign, too.

I have one but they don't always work. I had a contracted sales person from Verizon show up at the door and BANG on it, not just knock or use the doorbell. I opened the door and said 'Don't you see the sign?' and he says 'Oh, i haven't been to your door yet.' I respond, 'Then who the heck just pounded on my door? I suggest you leave my property'. 'Well, don't you want Fios?' I said, 'Let me see a copy of your permit to solicit from the city.' He says 'I need a permit?' I told him, 'Yes, you have to have a permit, you need to leave and you will be contacted by the police shortly.' He got mouthy and turned to leave and I closed the door and called the non-emergency line of the police. I also was able to follow up with Verizon and spoke with the manager over the contract door-to door sales team. She advised she has already heard about the incident, and that the 'boss' over that company had released the guy as he did have a copy of the permit and got mouthy with the contract company manager when asked why he didn't show it to me.

Bottom line, while it does help, even if the sign is there, they may or may not read it or abide to it. I still get door hangers from lawn companies and other sales groups. I usually call and threaten to sue them if they leave anything else. That gets their attention.

When I lived in the country in upstate New York, I had No Soliciting signs. Peddlers routinely ignored them. I then found a replacement welcome style mat that had an image of a German Shepherd with its jaws open and wording that said: "Go Ahead - Make His Day." I had 2 very large German Shepherds inside to back it up.

I'd watch solicitors look at the No Soliciting sign, smile, and walk past. When they got up on the porch close enough to read the mat, the dogs would let them know they'd been noticed. It was gratifying to watch the color drain from their faces and see them backing off the porch. Only people I wanted to see would actually ring the doorbell.

Signs can work - it's all in how you talk to people. It's the connotations that count - like the difference between posting a sign that says "Burglary Prohibited" and one that says "We Don't Dial 911 - We ARE 911."

03Lightningrocks wrote:

TexasGal wrote:You guys should write for the funny papers

It can be a mistake not to answer a door in some fashion if only to tersely ask who it is through the locked door (while armed of course). My sister in law found that out when she was 8 months pregnant. She did not answer the door when she saw through the peep hole it was two strange men. She thought they had left when she heard them breaking in the back door. They thought no one was home. She was unarmed and hid in the clothes hamper of the master bath with the phone. She frantically called 911. It was a hair raising wait for the police to come while she listened to the burglars ransacking the house room by room. They were actually in the master bedroom when the cops got there and announced themselves. The scum made haste out the back, but they got caught
They told the police they would not have come in if they had known someone was home.
We thought sure that baby would be born with it's hair standing on end

Good Lord!!!! That had to be terrifying for her. Thank goodness she is alright!!!

When I ran a city burglary squad, we saw this phenomenon quite often. Most burglars won't enter a house they know to be occupied, and often take pains to make sure (like ringing the doorbell and asking if you've seen their lost cat). If no one answers, they go to an off view area and break in. This often leads to a face to face encounter with the occupant(s), and to crimes the BG's didn't plan on before but commit when they find a new opportunity. These are not pretty.

I advocate always making it known that someone is home. My personal tactic is to use a wireless intercom with a satellite station above the doorbell and master stations off view from the door inside the house. I do my initial interview from there. If it's someone I want to talk to, I go to the door. If it's an unknown or someone I don't want to meet them face to face (e.g. a magazine salesperson), I advise them I can't help them at this time. This does several things:

1. It lets the visitor know for sure someone's home.
2. It acts as a "word to the wise" that the folks in this home have given some thought to security. BG's will usually recognize that the intercom is likely not the only thing they've thought of.
3. It denies the visitor knowledge of how many people are home, what they look like, or where they are. These are not good things to leave unknown if you're planning to break in.
4. If it turns out to be a home invasion scenario and they kick in the door anyway, it gives me the few seconds I need to prepare a proper welcome party by activating my plan for that situation.

If someone doesn't have an intercom and isn't willing to invest in one, talking through the locked door to unrecognized visitors is a less complete but still viable option as long as one is prepared for the possibility that the visitor may kick in the door.

As for taking precautions and finding that they weren't needed this time, I'd suggest being a good sport about the ribbing, smile knowingly, and keep doing the same thing in the future. The only way to be sure you're prepared for an emergency is to exercise good tactics all the time