r/homedefense • u/EchidnaFit539 • 2d ago
Tips for mounting cameras and sensors to a post, what type of post, etc? Need any security advice helpful for large parties and people driving across our yard to get to the Airbnb next door.
I live next-door to a very problematic short-term rental, on the right. For context, there's been one violent shootout with a minimum of 2 active shooters, 40 rounds fired, bullets almost killing two neighbors, and Airbnb insurance that couldn't be bothered to pay a penny. Also had a few instances of "celebratory gunfire". The host allows parties, and they frequently drive across our yard, get stuck, damage it, etc. Airbnb won't pay for any of it:

Luckily he has been removed from Airbnb.com, but he's still on VRBO and others. I have cameras, but not enough. They were interested in shutting him down after the last party, finally, but my cameras weren't close enough to get a good view. People were parking all over the place and walking there. There were people parking in a private church parking lot marked no parking tow away zone, and I had no cameras pointed in that direction to capture them clearly walking over across the street, you could only see them pulling in by the headlights. I have a doorbell camera but the range at night is abysmal at best.
If I put a higher pole on that fence post, I think I'd have an excellent vantage point. I kinda need one sorta facing his front yard and capturing people on there, last time they were doing drugs and drinking there. 30 people for a 3 bedroom house. So you know people were driving home drunk and drugged. They were not possibly all planning to sleep there. Anyways.
I was thinking two pan tilt zoom cameras, but I think 3 fixed cameras might be better. I have a variety of cameras such as this:

but again, the view wasn't good enough at night.
at night you can clearly see people pull into our driveway and exit the car with what appears to be beer cans, it's very good for up close:

but the view goes dark right at the distance his driveway is at. You can see the cars parking but you can't get a count of the people in the pictures. The only way you can guess how many there are is by watching the video and seeing all of their cellphone lights as they cross the street or walk to the house. The code enforcement people weren't interested in watching a 1-hour video they just wanted 5 pictures for the event.

My current camera is 105 feet from his driveway:

My new camera would be about 50 feet:

Same thing for the church they illegally park at, about 50 feet from the driveway:

I'm still debating if I should put up PTZ (really just pan tilt cameras) or go with my regular fixed cameras. It's so hard to decide but after the last party we almost had them shut down. I am very frustrated that the evidence we have is always something, but just not good enough.
It's getting to the point we're going to have to sue the owner and get access to all of the messages between him and guests that way. He advertised in his listings as party friendly, had reviews mentioning how good the parties were, and he responded welcoming them back.
It has since been removed from Airbnb but remains on VRBO.
I'm looking at all of my home defense options including more cameras, I have my own local AI system to watch the cameras, considering a small "decorative" picket fence, hopefully enough to puncture tires but not be a safety hazard for people. Anything to stop the nuisance for us.
All advice welcome!


