Would self monitoring work?

Just a quickie note about some interesting news today.
 
My wife's friend called her today to tell her about some sad news about here sister.
 
This happened yesterday March 4, 2014.
 
She lives in a nice neighborhood.
 
She was getting ready to go to work.  She ate breakfast and was on her way to take a quick shower and her doorbell rang.
 
She did not answer her doorbell because she was running a bit late and went upstairs to take a shower.
 
When she walked back downstairs to her main floor she found a stranger in her living room.  
 
She did confront him and a fight ensued between the intruder and herself.  (she does keep a registered gun; but it was in her bedroom).
 
She was able to drag him out the yard door screaming the whole time. 
 
He had a "toy" gun and had beaten her head with it causing much injuries. 
 
I am really surprised at the energy that she had doing what she did after being head butted with a toy gun.
 
Neighbors heard her screaming and called the local police department.  They did find him running (well by helicopter) and arrested him.
 
She is still in the hospital recouping from her head injuries.
 
Would a good security system with central station monitoring helped in this situation?
 
Would self monitoring a DIY alarm system helped in this situation?

Very sorry for your wife's friend Pete.
 
This is a tough question as even if monitoring was used, I'm not sure any response would have been there in time.
 
Also, do you think she would have armed the security system in STAY mode after she woke up?
 
I would think the best deterrent (in this case) would be lights and sirens (I like the Piezos as they sound like someone is trying to drive a nail through your head).  Of course, the system has to be armed to work.
 
Again, sorry for what she went through and I wish her a speedy recovery.

Well, you did say she had a gun upstairs - had she had at least some sort of warning about entry into the premises, she could've known to grab it.  That's where I honestly like having door/window chimes on all the time - but don't during the hours kids would be sleeping... and if the system had been armed, the siren could've drawn additional attention even faster.  I don't think the monitoring would've helped much and I bet the human calling the police got a higher priority than an automated burglary dispatch ever would have.
 
She's very lucky that's the worst that happened - I was worried the outcome might have been worse when I started reading...  Hope she recovers well.

A monitored system has at least 3-4 variables, but the largest would be whether or not the system is armed and what extent of protection/detection is installed and how the forced entry happened. A keypad panic or duress sequence would get a straight dispatch by a reputable CS, ECV or "confirmed alarm required" municipality or not. At least the dispatch process would've already started (not discounting the neighbors calling in this case). The largest item is the human factor and if the alarm was armed or not.
 
Self monitoring wouldn't have changed the scenario. Maybe some information via a text/email to a phone, but if she didn't answer the doorbell, why would a notification on a device be any different.

Maybe a local notification via a chime or voice announcement/speakers, but if you're not completely paying attention or in a rush, would you notice them? Would it be chalked up to a system malfunction or investigated?
 
I think the situation could've and most likely would've (based on statistics) ended up poorly in her case if she brought a firearm into the picture.
 
A small fact:
There was a home invasion 2 towns over from me, made national news that you guys may have heard, the Petit case. If not, you can read and view photos of how horrific the case is/was. I worked (at the time) for the company that monitored the security system in that home. I actually serviced their system before and installed systems in the neighborhood immediately after the event. Their alarm was never armed. The company did receive signals from the system when a "missing keypad" signal went through, followed by the fire alarm and trouble (we believe they attempted to disable the system after the alarm started) and the CS was dispatching the FD and authorities before anyone else was on scene or the PD was aware anything was going on...and the neighbors were literally just calling about the smoke after the PD had already been informed and en-route. In this case, it didn't change the outcome, but having the system armed could've very well led to a different timeline of events.

First let me say I'm VERY glad to hear she will be ok - though, sadly, I'm sure the trauma will haunt her for life.
 
Man it's getting crazier and crazier in every neck of the woods - doesn't matter how "nice and quiet" your neighborhood is anymore. Many times these scum bags don't even live near you.
In this case I do believe self-monitoring would have worked because I don't think his primary goal was to harm her - just burglarize. If the alarm went off he probably would have ran off too negating whatever type of monitoring was used.
I'm going to start keeping the alarm armed more often.
 
It's situations like this that has my wife feeling more secure with the security system, cameras, and, yes, guns. She used to feel uneasy about them being in the house, which is perfectly understandable, but she understands the protocols for proper safety. I'm constantly preaching and teaching. Just early yesterday morning I jumped out of bed as the alarm went off. As I was reaching into the safe my wife was yelling out "It was me... I set the alarm off." I hope that day never comes....

I don't really see how this is an issue of self-monitoring vs Central Station monitoring.

It seems to me that two things (alarm-system related) that may have helped or prevented this are:
1. Having the system armed stay so it would have gone off audibly when the intrusion occurred.
2. A panic button (on the keypad or elsewhere) that the homeowner could have used.

I'm glad your friend is ok - that's a scary situation that I hope we're never in.

It was the screaming in the back yard that prompted the neighbors to call the police. 
 
That said they were there in minutes.
 
I'm guessing a panic button push of a central station monitoring set up would have also called the police over.
 
Enabling an alarm too (armed stay) would have been a good thing to do.
 
Self monitoring maybe would have triggered a siren; but I doubt that folks would have called the police based on a siren going off.
 
I am just sounding out this scenario; thinking out loud here.
 
From the sounds of it; this situation/issue has never occurred in said neighborhood.

I think the biggest advantage would be that assuming the alarm was armed, it would have alerted her to the intruder downstairs. Doorbell rings followed by the alarm being tripped? yes, it's get your gun time. Even if she didn't want to get the gun, she could have hunkered down upstairs and dialed 911. A determined intruder may be hard to stop, but a casual crook may have fled on his own if the alarm was tripped.

A barking dog may also have been helpful in this situation.

One other little trick to consider is to have some kind of announcement when the doorbell goes off.  I have such with a speaker in the garage whose door is next to the doorbell button (way house is laid out) that you can hear from outside.
 
People will ring the doorbell to see if anyone is at home, then break in.  If an announcement is made of some type, it may give them second thought (they were not expecting that) and they will move to the next house.
 
Of course, if they simply ring the doorbell a second time you would get the 'Ferris Bueller's teacher going to his house to check on him' scenario.
 
Certainly, this is not a bulletproof method.

Sorry to hear about that.  Glad they are ok. 
 
You didn't mention how the intruder gained access which would be important info on how best to prevent it or alert you to the fact that it happened.  I had a break in many years ago that I am fairly sure were just some neighborhood high school punks where they just kicked in the door.  Surprising how weak some doors and frames are.  They make a metal wrap for the lock area that prevents the lock from just tearing out...
 
Sounds like this started with a typical tactic.  Ring the doorbell.  If someone answers they can say they are looking for some other address or name and say sorry and go on their way.  If no answer, then probably no one home and break in. 
 
If she hadn't been rushed for time would she have opened the door to a stranger?  Hard to say what would have happened then but definately something to think about.

My first post on the forum. I have been lurking and reading, but I thought I would chime in here.
 
Very sorry to hear about your friends sister, I hope she recovers physically and emotionally from this.
 
You mentioned she is a legal gun owner, and had one in the home.
 
I have a CCW permit myself, and I carry when even I can, and 100% of the time in my house. A gun isn't a save-all, and I will concede that it can make a situation worse, and having one exposes you to extra risks.
 
That being said a gun in the bedroom does nothing to protect you in a home invasion if the door gets kicked in while you are in the living room, or on the toilet! I keep my carry weapon in a holster on my person when I am in the house or around the yard. Either a pocket holster or something else. At least I will never find myself separated from it if I really needed it.

You didn't mention how the intruder gained access which would be important info on how best to prevent it or alert you to the fact that it happened.

Click to expand...

 
Not sure; but it sounds like the intruder broke the lock.  The front door was locked.
 
She is physically fit and did not see him holding a "toy" gun; such that she tackled him; then got hit with his toy gun.
 

If she hadn't been rushed for time would she have opened the door to a stranger?

Click to expand...

 
I am thinking yes...maybe because it is a nice neighborhood?

pete_c said:

Not sure; but it sounds like the intruder broke the lock.  The front door was locked.
 
She is physically fit and did not see him holding a "toy" gun; such that she tackled him; then got hit with his toy gun.
 
 
I am thinking yes...maybe because it is a nice neighborhood?

Click to expand...

 
Not surprising about the door getting kicked in. Most doors, even the ones with fancy deadbolts, are only as strong as the strike. Criminals can easily kick in a door without a reinforced strike that screws into the wall with longer reinforced screws.
 
The reinforced door strikes can be found on the internet for pretty cheap.

BraveSirRobbin said:

One other little trick to consider is to have some kind of announcement when the doorbell goes off.  I have such with a speaker in the garage whose door is next to the doorbell button (way house is laid out) that you can hear from outside.
 
People will ring the doorbell to see if anyone is at home, then break in.  If an announcement is made of some type, it may give them second thought (they were not expecting that) and they will move to the next house.
 
Of course, if they simply ring the doorbell a second time you would get the 'Ferris Bueller's teacher going to his house to check on him' scenario.
 
Certainly, this is not a bulletproof method.

Click to expand...

 
You could make the announcemement a barking dog if it sounds realistic enough... 

Dogs never stop a burglar or are a deterrent. I've seen those sorts of beliefs after the fact.