Using Dummies Dressed as Gang Members to Deter Criminals

Perfect! You're here! Great to see you. Now that you're here, help yourself to a mug of freshly roasted and brewed arabica coffee and a virtual muffin, why don't'cha? Say...do you worry about thieves breaking into your house? Well, here's someone who does but he can't afford a security service so...

Who needs live security guards when a pair of dummies can do the job? A Detroit homeowner from the city’s west side has been putting this theory into practice for the past few weeks, with excellent results.

Detroit’s news channel Local 4 reported the story in detail. While the homeowner preferred to remain anonymous, we do get to hear snippets of his voice during the video coverage. 

“This is my home, my castle,” he says. And he’s converted his castle into a fortress of sorts with a security system, sensor lights, bars on windows, double screen doors and two dogs. The icing on the cake: two security guards stationed at the front door 24/7. If you look closely, you’ll realize they’re just dummies (the kind used for CPR training) dressed as gang members.

The man says he got the idea after several break-ins occurred and he couldn’t afford insurance premiums. His insurance company actually told him that they see risk all around his home – vacant homes and constant crime. So he has been making efforts to minimize that risk. In perfect Home Alone style, he’s doing his best to outsmart burglars.

From a visibility point of view, especially potential thieves driving by, I can see where this would work...for a while anyway. Of course, he'd have to move the dummies around every so often...change their jackets, etc.

Security companies usually put stickers on the windows and doors of clients as a deterrent. Well, why not just do the same.  Go to "images.google.com" and search for "security stickers for windows". You'll find lots of them...like this one.

You can buy label paper at Staples, Office Depot, etc. Print some off and put one in the lower corner of all your windows and at eye level on doors. Make them about double the size of the one shown here. The rationale is that thieves look for easy targets so if there is even a suggestion of a security system in place, chances are they will give your house a miss and move on - and that is all you want.

See ya, eh!

Bob