I'm sort of bowled over by the number of such incidents you've experienced. Is this a very high-crime area? Is home burglary super common in Canada? I only know a very few people who have been burgled, and none twice. Wow. Sorry to hear about it.

Seriously, you need not only a motion sensor light in the backyard but a serious security system in your house.

What amro said, plus a dog.

Seconding amro and jamaro. Burglars tend to come back over and over again to the same place. (They're people, and people get into ruts quickly.) Best to teach them what a bad idea that is. Also, I'd give your local police a ring, just to let them know what you found. They like catching burglars and it helps to have a good idea where they might be.

I really don't feel I can get a dog. I would have liked one, but it just won't work with my plans for single parenthood. So I got Trilby instead.

I should probably look into the security system. It's an additional cost though - something like forty dollars a month forever, which really sucks even though I'd probably get a discount on my home insurance, which would help offset the cost. Still, though, it's probably going to cost about $500 a year.

I did email one of the cops who investigated my January 2010 burglary with a description of my non-burglary, so thanks for the suggestion, bearwife.

I keep thinking about my Aunt Reta and her burglary. In 1974 Reta's husband died very suddenly of a heart attack. Reta, who was then about 40, was left a widow with two children aged 10 and 8. Then about three weeks later her house was burgled. Her jewelry and I think possibly the silverware was taken... and probably most of her jewelry would have been gifts from her husband. And of course she was in no condition to deal with it. She was terribly distressed and no longer felt safe in her own home, which was out in the country. And there were her kids to think about.

The cops were very sympathetic and told her they'd keep an eye on her place for her. From then on when driving by the place they'd pull in to her driveway. She'd hear the cruiser on the gravel driveway, look out the window and wave at them. They'd wave back and then proceed on their way.

She was never robbed again, at least. Though about nine years later, in 1983, she died herself, of cancer. She'd never been all that strong physically and had had too much grief in her life. She'd lost two children to a genetic blood disorder (her two surviving children were adopted) and her husband was a concentration camp survivor who had what, from what I've heard, sounds like quite the case of PTSD.

Anyway, that was quite a lot worse than my burglaries. And I've probably bummed you all out now.

Um. Er, here's a picture of Trilby!

Clearly the answer is to arm Trilby. He already looks badass, now he just needs a weapon.

Maybe he needs some martial arts training. He can already make ninja leaps of up to five feet, so that's a start.

I think Trilby with a bandolier would scare off any burglar . . . or dog. (He's handsome, of course, in a tough guy way.)

So sorry about your Aunt Reta. But glad the officers kept an eye on her and her home.

it just won't work with my plans for single parenthood.

Have you mentioned that before? I didn't know. Good for you! My first IUI is in about two weeks.

White cats don't usually do anything for me, but Trilby is exceptional.

Re: security system. I had one installed in my old townhouse a few years back. Then I never got around to activating it. Meaning, I could arm it, and if the door was opened or a window broken into, a loud alarm would go off. It wasn't connected to the phone line. But who would know that? I had all the warning stickers, and the sign in front, and if you looked through the window you'd see the panel with the little red light on, so as far as any burglar was concerned, this place was armed!

I heart Trilby.

I've seen those fake cameras advertised. They look just like surveillance cameras, but non-functioning. Perhaps that with a motion light would help deter any nosy burglars.

Trilby is a gorgeous cat, and I like the name. And not for nothing, many dogs are just fine with kids.

I used to know someone that worked for a security company and many of the houses I've lived in have had the security stickers all over the windows, but no alarm. It might not be the best solution, but I figured it would deter casual criminals. Anyone who is serious, a basic alarm system isn't going to stop them.

You could consider setting up a Web cam - there are some (all?) that can be set into motion-sensing mode and will record whenever there is movement. Pretty cheap, if nothing else.

If you wanted to make the doorway to the alley more secure while still allowing it to be used as an emergency exit, you could install a latch that can only be reached from the inside, allowing access from that side but not from the street side. That won't work with a wrought-iron gate, of course, only with a solid door.

I really don't feel I can get a dog. I would have liked one, but it just won't work with my plans for single parenthood.

I don't see what the issue is; I think a dog could be quite an asset in such a situation.

There's no way I can put an inside-only lock on the alley door. The tenant can only enter or exit the basement apartment at the back of the house, and the only way to get to the back of the house is via the alleyway. So the tenant must be able to open and close that alley door easily.

I'll have to look into some of these security options. I really don't have some huge budget, and I especially want to avoid taking on additional monthly expenses.

Oh, and my concern over getting a dog and a kid is the extra work and expense and the logisitics of twice daily dog walks when I have a small child who can't be left alone. I know you can get dogs that are great with kids and that's not a factor — I just don't want to load myself down with too much work and responsibility. And I don't want two pets.

if you are likely to have problems with locks freezing, I have no idea how to help - the usual problem around here is rust due to the salt air. Not sure that it would make much difference re freezing, but there are lots of reasonably priced biometric locks available these days, which avoids the problem of tenants losing keys, making copies for friends etc. My (very vague) understanding of the issues with freezing is that it's related to the keyhole more than the internals? I have no idea what I'm talking about, so I'll stop here.

the extra work and expense and the logisitics - Good thinking. Kids are a major time and energy sink.

A motion activated light might not help. Can your back yard be seen from the street when illuminated? If not, then you may just be providing a helpful light that will allow burglars to see better when breaking in.

There's also not much evidence that surveillance cameras do much to deter crime. For example, my local police recently arrested someone who committed an armed robbery directly in front of a police camera.

I'd look pretty seriously at a lock for the door. You can't be the only person who needs to lock an outside door--there must be some solution. Could you build a small awning on each side of the door to keep the rain off? As far as the tenant goes, what about a deadbolt with a thumb latch on the inside? You'd need a key to get in, but not to get out.