AGWG Civic Association

Residential Security

Montgomery County Police Community Relations Officer Bruce Beardsly urges residents to report any unlawful incident to their non-emergency number (301/279-8000), no matter how small, in order to justify additional police patrols in the community. So that AGWG may continue to alert the community to incidents as they occur, also notify Admin@agwgcivicassociation.org or any board member.

Late Night Car Burglaries Continue

The AGWG urges all residents to lock your vehicles, keep your garage doors closed and turn on a light as a deterrent. See Crime Watch for details on the latest incidents.

Neighborhood Watch Program Now Forming

Over a dozen members expressed interest in particpating in Neighborhood Watch in the 2008 Survey, and recruitment activities are now underway. The first AGWG Neighborhood Watch meeting, led by Montgomery County Police Department Crime Prevention Specialist David Baker, was held on February 26, 2008. Officer Baker will provide new Neighborhood Watch signs for the neighborhood, as well as provide guidance for the organizer and block captains, to be named at a future date. Contact Wendy Enloe for more information.

Running Late?

Speed cameras have been installed on Bel Pre Road between Layhill and Connecticut Ave near the intersection of Homecrest and Bel Pre Road.

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Crime Watch

• On the night of November 4th, in the area of Merrrifields and Merrifields Court, an unlocked SUV  was entered. The  intruders were surprised by the owner and fled.  Two of the possible three can be described as white, in their early twenties and wearing hooded sweatshirts.  Shortly afterwards, three bicycles were found in the vicinity, one near the incident and two further west on Merrifields toward Tierra.  The bikes may have been used by the intruders and were taken by police, who believe them to be stolen. A second incident was also reported last night involving two vehicles at a residence on Baughman in which property was stolen out the vehicles.  These incidents are similar to what happened in late September and may be related.  If this is the work of the same individuals, their knowledge of the community and its physical surrounding have to this point prevented their apprehension.
• On September 3-4, 2008, three vehicles were broken into on Flint Hill and Marymont Roads.
• On August 31st, a pickup truck was stolen from a home in the vicinity of Tierra and Gayfields. The truck was later abandoned on Drury, but the thieves hijacked another truck from a Campfire Court resident, which was a found few days later heavily damaged and missing all the contents. I have also received an unconfirmed report that a car in the neighborhood had its back window broken, but the alarm scared the thieves away.
• In July, another round of mailbox vandalism occurred.
• On early Sunday morning, May 27th, two residents spotted a suspicious person standing between two homes on Tierra near the intersection of Baughman. This unidentified person left the area shortly afterwards. I urge residents to contact the police to report any suspicious activity. This would justify our requests for increased police patrols. As one police officer remarked in responding to the attempted auto theft incident, he/she was not aware that our community existed.
• In early May a resident observed two males and a female attempt to steal two cars parked at Drury and Campfire Court. Fortunately, nothing was taken, but the suspects fled before the police arrived. An alert resident provided their license number to police and the association has contacted the police to check on the case's status. automobile. The suspects were observed by a neighbor who called the police. While the police were responding, the suspects attempted to break into other cars nearby. There were three suspects, two males and one female.The female was driving their car.
• In April thieves broke the window and stole a briefcase from a car parked in the driveway of a home on Merrifields near Morningmist. An unlocked vehicle across the street was also ransacked, although nothing valuable was take. Make sure to remove any items that look valuable from vehicles in order to deter car burglaries.
• A Marymont resident reported that the windshields of family vehicles were broken out in February.

Burglary Prevention Tips

Here are some suggestions to improve your security while at home:

¥ Panic Button on a home alarm system: in case of break in, an alarm sounds and the police are called.

¥ Panic button on your car key remote, kept by your bed at night. If you hear someone breaking in, you can press the panic button- it might just scare someone off. Something more confrontational is yelling "I have a shotgun and I'm not afraid to use it." Even the sound of a (unloaded) shotgun charging is enough to scare some would-be burglars away. Using handguns to protect your home can have unforseen consequences.

And while you're away:

¥ Motion detector alarms inside the house in case of break in. (Or wire every single point of entry in your house - doors, windows, doggy doors, garage, etc. which is much more expensive). If you don't have a motion detector they can find a way in and not trip an alarm.

¥ Other ideas to prevent theft of valuables:

• Don't keep things in obvious places. If the outdoor alarm is loud enough (and make sure it is) they won't stay long, but if they are already in, they might take a quick look around, knowing it's going to take the police department at least 5-10 minutes, if not longer.
• Don't put your valuable jewelry in a jewelry box (but keep one out in a visible location, containing items you wouldn't be devastated if they took).
• Lock up firearms/other valuables in a safe that is attached to the house. Don't keep financial info or checkbooks in obvious places like desks or drawers. Common sense.

¥ Another tip: Walk around your house like you are a burglar and pretend you have 5 minutes to grab everything valuable you see (that you can carry in a large bag). You'll realize 5 minutes is a long time to open drawers, cabinets, etc. Make sure you make it a waste of time for the burglar or lead him to things that aren't as valuable (e.g., the jewelry box scenario).

¥ Also-remember on holiday weekends or other times where you might go away for more than a few days to let your neighbors know which cars (or if any cars) are supposed to be at your house, try to leave a car parked outside, and ask someone to pick up your mail/newspapers, deliveries, etc. I know most of us are aware of these precautions, but sometimes having a security system gives people a false sense of security, and they let down their guard by failing to do things that they normally would think of.

Home Security Systems Initiative

Joan Donoghue, Membership Committee, Project Leader

Representatives of the five Maryland-based home security firms ranked highest in the most recent Consumer Checkbook came to my home in June to provide installation estimates. The background information and observations that follow were offered during assessments of my home and in response to the questions that appear in the evaluation grid at the end of the article.

• None of these local firms offers low-cost, one-size-fits-all base packages, unlike many large national companies. Pricing is based on the individual customer’s security needs and the labor costs associated with the house’s layout and selected devices.
• All firms suggested hybrid” system, with some hardwired components and some wireless components, a necessity for homes with few unfinished areas.
• Hardwired systems are suggested for customers who want a system that will continue functioning for a decade or more. Wireless components are more prone to failure, and rapidly evolving technology means that comparable replacement units may not be available over long periods of time. Total cost for hardwired systems is typically not much more than hybrid systems, because the lower cost of hardwired components offsets labor costs of running (and hiding) wires. Another advantage of a hardwired system is that you can mix and match components from various manufacturers.
• No firm recommended tying carbon monoxide monitoring into an alarm system, although most will install if requested. These sensors must be replaced every 5 years at a maximum, and it’s far more cost effective to buy devices from the local hardware store.
• Customers who primarily want to protect the house from entry when they are not at home can get a system for less than $1500, to include keypads, door sensors, and motion detectors. Price escalates rapidly if the customer wants “perimeter protection” to prevent entry when they are home, due to the cost of contact sensors on every ground floor window or glass breakage listening devices covering likely entry points.
• Most firms cautioned strongly against the use of key fobs. If a criminal gets your key fob in addition to your vehicle (or the contents of your glove box), they’ll know the location of your house from the registration and can disable the alarm system. Key fobs are also extremely easy to activate accidentally.
• Monitoring services call the homeowner when a device is tripped and ask for a password. If no answer or the wrong password is given, emergency agencies are contacted. The monitoring service’s response can be customized.
• The firms that employ out-of-town monitoring services claim that there is no advantage in local service, since they guarantee a one-minute response time; a more important criterion is whether a service is large enough to be fully staffed on holidays. One firm claimed local service is preferable because they are familiar with local codes and laws.
• Monitoring service requires hardwired installation of the control panel, which is located in an inconspicuous location, usually in the basement; remote sensors can be wireless in a hybrid system.
• All firms said they could customize existing systems and take over monitoring if they’re not locked out by proprietary programming, as is occasionally done by major national companies.

Maximum Security and Potomac Security Systems appeared to be the most cost effective (perhaps due to lower overhead associated with smaller operations). Their principals were extremely knowledgeable in the home security field, with backgrounds as an electrician and electrical engineer, respectively. The homeowner was unable to rank one above the other, although it should be noted that Potomac offers a free remote keypad in the most convenient location to enter/exit the house if the required hardwired keypad can’t be installed in a convenient location. Both offered a discount in the event of multiple AGWG installations.

Interamerican could be the best choice for homeowners with higher security requirements, those fearful of being attacked in their home because of their profession or remote location of their home, or those needing to protect firearms from theft. Interamerican claims they can design systems that will give verbal alerts or notify authorities before intruders reach the house, and have a long list of references from judges, the state attorney general, churches, Montgomery County Public Schools, retail establishments, and telecommunications companies. Their representative described the measures taken (and extra days to install) to ensure that their systems are failsafe for years, to include using bolts instead of nails, copper melding, and heat sink soldering. No discount based on multiple AGWG installations is available.

Although each of the five firms interviewed had excellent ratings in all of Checkbook’s major categories, the grid contains responses from the three companies whose proposals most closely matched the homeowner's individual security needs.

Car Alarms Prevent Auto Theft and Personal Injury

Joe Giacalone, AGWG Membership Chair

A female police officer passed this on, and I felt that it might be of some benefit to others.  Sounds like an idea that might have some merit! Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone is trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a Neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes  off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar or rapist won't stick around...after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that.

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. These tips should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it  could possibly save a life.

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