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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To get a security camera outside our house or am I being paranoid?

10 replies

AjasLipstick · 21/03/2018 12:44

To sketch you a little picture, we live in a sleepy little town in a very safe part of Australia.

Semi rural but gentrified....so there's a lot of nice little coffee shops and galleries etc on the high street.

We live on the high street but at the far end of it...no shops here. They're all further up.

Anyway....a few times our dog has kicked off at night with this very agressive barking. I usually put it down to possums.

but one night, DH was working all night which he doesn't usually do...the dog was going mad at around midnight so I popped on my head torch and went out to the back yard.

There's a big gate and when you open it you are on our drive...walk up that and the path and high street are there. Trees and bushes are either side of the entrance to the drive.

There was nothing I could see so I calmed the dog and flicked off my torch and moved to the left, towards the house and out of sight of anyone who might be on the street.

The dog immediately kicked off again.

So I darted back in sight of the road and saw a slim male figure move quickly out of sight and behind the bushes on the left. The impression I got was that it was a young male...that was based on the height and slimness and the way it moved.

I was too spooked to investigate and thought I was being paranoid as he could have been just walking past.

I can't see the rest of the street so couldn't check if he was walking up the high street or lurking.

But it would seem that he hid when I came with my torchlight wouldn't it? Then when he thought I'd gone, he took his chance to come out of hiding (at the front of my house in the trees!) and make off down the street.

Would you get a camera? Or am I being paranoid?

OP posts:
PandaPolarBear · 21/03/2018 12:48

I would probably get something, that would freak me out a bit too.

Motion activated lights would be my first choice, but if you get a lot of wildlife wandering past setting them off that might just make you more nervous!

AjasLipstick · 21/03/2018 12:49

One reason it freaks me out a lot is that like most Aussie houses, this is single storey so my DDs bedrooms are on the ground floor feet from where this person was standing. I don't like that thought at all!

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HollyBayTree · 21/03/2018 12:52

Can't you just let the hound outside to deal with what/whoever is causing a kerfuffle? Have there been a spate of burglaries locally?

What is your legilation in Australia regarding CCTV? It's illegal in the UK to film public areas, you can only film your own land (so the PC told me when next door was going garrity about youths in the local park).

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 21/03/2018 12:54

I'm just waiting for my new CCTV camera to arrive! I've had people messing with my car (stole a windscreen wiper and damaged one of the door handles - on separate occasions). I live on my own, in a really quite rural area and it's made me a bit paranoid too.

Get one just for peace of mind. They're not expensive (mine was about £25 on Amazon) and motion sensor so it's not running all the time. Also recommended by the police.

PETRONELLAS · 21/03/2018 12:55

Cameras won’t do any harm. Blink do good ones that are motion sensitive and you can watch from your phone. Trust your instincts.
I once went to Williamstown nr Adelaide. Your description reminds me of it...

AjasLipstick · 21/03/2018 12:56

holly no...he's a huge boy and would probably do real damage/kill someone. I wouldn;t feel comfortable doing that...if someone tried to come in though....well that's different.

Not sure on legislation on CCTV but are you sure it;s illegal to film in public areas in the UK? That's not something I've heard of.

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AjasLipstick · 21/03/2018 12:57

Petronella Not Williamstown. Grin

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GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 21/03/2018 12:59

I will check legislation now (am in the UK!) but surely police wouldn't have told me to get one if it's illegal?

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 21/03/2018 13:03

No, it's fine. Just recommendations on privacy (e.g. informing neighbours if it encroaches on their property and obv not using it to spy on neighbours etc).

www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-cctv-using-cctv-systems-on-your-property/domestic-cctv-using-cctv-systems-on-your-property

AjasLipstick · 21/03/2018 13:15

Holly I've just checked UK legislation and it's only illegal to film the public if they're in a place where they expect privacy such as a toilet or changing room.

The Paparazzi pretty much film people all the time and the amount of security cameras on any high street would be a pretty good indicator too!

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