This is what I sent her this morning.
Here is a brief list of recommendations from the camera forum (and myself) on what they would recommend for your situation. This is for both general security and short/long term camera system solutions.
1. Contact the police and get a Protection Order on record. From one of the forum guys who had a similar issue with a crazy stalker:
"Protection order. Yes, it is initially a piece of paper. But understand, it's a tool. Once posted, a protection order gives more power to you and the police to do something. As in...2 years in jail, fines, etc. Without a protection order, the police can legally do NOTHING at all to someone walking down a PUBLIC sidewalk or PUBLIC road other than "talk" to the person for which the person can just turn his/her back without any legal requirement to answer any questions and walk away. A protection order is just a piece of paper and will not stop a bullet or knife, nor was it meant to. Still have to be on your tiptoes about physical confrontations."
2. Make sure your kids know who is, and is not, supposed to be coming to the house. If they see someone who is not supposed to be there they need to let you know.
3. Talk to your neighbors and make sure they know the situation even if just the basics.
4. Lock your garage entry door when you leave the house and at night.
5. Keep the garage door closed during the day, at least until you have additional cameras and a PO.
6. Remove the red rope from your garage door openers.
7.
IF you need to park outside overnight, remove your garage door remote from your car.
8. Install, at a minimum, longer screws into your front/garage entry door hinges and strike plates. Door Armor is not necessary, but not a bad idea if you wanted to go that route as well.
9. Install a charlie bar for your sliding door.
10. Replace all coach light bulbs with 100w 5000K LEDs and leave the front and back porch lights on overnight. You want as much light around your house at night as possible. These are the bulbs I use:
Short term camera solution:
Given you know what he looks like (and could likely recognize him), you just need to be able to prove he has come by the house. It has been recommended to install 3 Ring cameras around the house. 1 Floodlight cam at the back, 1 Spotlight cam on the right side, and 1 Spotlight or Floodlight cam on the front over the driveway. Currently the driveway will need to be a Spotlight, but if your dad is able to get power over the driveway you could install a Floodlight version there. "
The other nice thing about the Ring floodlight and spotlight is she could keep them there and disconnect from Ring later if she chooses and then let them simply be spot and floodlights. That way it isn't a total wasted investment."
Check out my list on Amazon
(((Images from above)))
Long term camera solution:
If you wanted to move to a proper system later on, after this initial stuff with him shakes out, this is what would be recommended to cover the basics. Obviously you can always add more as you see fit and/or want to increase the security potential of the system (additional angles, cameras inside the house, more coverage over the driveway, etc). The cameras in the Amazon list are some of the top consumer cameras you can go with right now. They are good in low light and perform very well when set up correctly. I have looked at my system as an investment (and a hobby) but you ultimately get what you pay for (and you are wanting to pay for usable footage/captures).
This list has most of the items needed, but there are other, miscellaneous things that would be required for install as well. I would consider it with the $160 versions, but there may be a location where the $180 would be better. The IR illuminators, adapters, and splitters would only be needed in the event there was not enough IR light available from the cameras to give a usable night image.
These locations assume cable is able to be ran and there are no major issues. Not pictured below is the one that would be on the back of the garage.
(((Images from above)))
