If you start spending a ton of money on securing tools, it defeats any point. Spend 10k to protect 5k worth of tools?
Video and such, sure, you have the theft on video, will that get them back? probably not.
Not showing of your tools, or making them well know is the best security aspect, secure them to stop casual theft (folks see it sitting there, or unlocked door).
Document tools, have them on your homeowners.
If someone wants your stuff, they will take your stuff.
unless they try to steal from me... ain’t happening. The issue isn’t tools getting stolen, in the past, the houses getting vandalized. Same level of protection, trying to hold onto your assets. (I fixed the problem and sold the houses.) It boils down to what extent do you want to protect your stuff? In the small towns neighbors and neighborhood watch groups can be effective. The police were excellent in the town to the point I could call them up daily and they would cruise by and check on the place(s). In the middle of the night there’s less to do. This went on for 3 years straight. I had many discussions with the police about suspicious criminal activity. I would wake up throughout the night and patrol the neighborhood looking for miscreants and then call the police dispatch with a description of the individual and vehicle. it’s very effective.
1. Small jealous dog inside the house! outside the house too. Chihuahua, mini poodle 🐩, schnauzer, JRT. They bark at everything.
2. angry Pitbull , mastiff, dobbie, GSD, Belgian Melanois, any mid dog-shelter size mutt.
3. Good neighbors that carry guns. I asked the one neighbor if he sees anything suspicious to call the cops. He said he doesn’t call the cops... then he lifted up his shirt. Ha. Watchful neighbors on good terms, are good home security.
4. Lights on at night... the more it looks like daylight. They won’t stick around.
5. Cover any job boxes with a sheet to keep the tool box from out of sight. Such as opening and closing the garage door. If you do woodworking in your garage thieves will see what you have, it’s a given. I’m moving my woodshop inside my house.
5. Security cameras. I currently have 8 cameras four inside and four facing outside through the windows.
6. Use a secured, monitored self-storage unit to house your tools and supplies
7. No trespassing signs. If they are on your property they can be arrested if their is signage. inside your house they can get held at gunpoint and potentially shot or bitten. The no trespassing sign puts the thief on notice.
8. Security doors on all doors front rear and side. Run 2x4 on the side garage entrance door to lag screw into studs.
9. Keep lights on Inside house and get a programmable bulb that turns on through an app.
10. Never leave your house! Or pay someone trustworthy to stay in your house while your away.
11. Look for people apparently parked by your location seemingly doing nothing, texting or talking on the phone. For hours on end. Sometimes they walk the neighborhoods to try to learn the habits of your coming and goings?
12 thieves want to be in and out... they don’t want to get caught. Make your house a non-target, so they move onto another house. a single women asked me once what she could do for home security. I told her to go to the thrift store and buy a pair of men’s work boots in a size 12 or larger and stick them by the back porch door. Anyone trying to break in would realize there is a large man that lives there?
13. Signs showing that the property is being recorded. You can purchase fake security cameras to stick outside. That is a good deterrent, better than nothing.
14. Move, sell the house or move the shop? Renters in some neighborhoods are the source of the problem? They need money for drugs so petty theft, retail theft and home burglaries is their side hustle.
The more deterrents and roadblocks you put up the more difficult it becomes for them to steal. I routinely walk/drive around looking for suspicious vehicles and take photos of licenses.
