Crime is increasing every year and is on the rise in almost every community. Crime against property occurs approximately 20 times a minute. Even if you have outstanding public safety agencies, being pro-active in securing your home begins with you.
Common Sense Approaches To Securing Your Home
What is most common is often times the best way to protect your family and possessions from uninvited intruders.
An Effective Burglar Deterrent: One of the best home alarm systems on the market today is a dog. It doesn’t need to be vicious or even seen; however, what it does need to be is heard. A barking dog will scare away many would be burglars not because the burglar is afraid of being bitten, but because a noisy dog will draw attention to something that is amiss.
Doors: Since we enter our home through doors, it is reasonable that an intruder would too, so making sure your doors are burglar-proof is essential in protecting your home. The best home security systems begin with sturdy doors, frames, and locks. Deadbolts, chain locks, and security doors are excellent security additions; however, make sure that keys to these safety measures are accessible to all household members in case of a fire or other emergency.
Landscaping: While gates and fences can limit property access and define boundaries, other landscaping can pose a security risk if it is not properly maintained. Trees and shrubs can provide cover for potential intruders while also decreasing visibility to and from a street. Make sure to keep your walls clear of greenery and any other items that can obstruct you or your neighbor’s vision of your home.
Home Security Systems
Having sturdy locks and doors is a great initial step when planning your home security; however, these measures alone won’t protect your family from a determined burglar. However, adding home alarm systems will augment your common sense measures and give you a peace of mind.
Indoor: The majority of indoor home alarm systems are installed where an intruder is most likely to find entry: at windows and doors. Home alarm systems monitor for movement inside the house, with motion detectors; and when a window or a door is opened, with attached sensors. The system will alert the homeowner or a professional monitoring service when a breech occurs.
Outdoor: The function of outdoor home security systems is to monitor movement outside of the home. When the system senses motion, it can turn on flood lights to illuminate the exterior of the home. Or, more advanced systems can identify the size and weight of the object and automatically alert the homeowner or monitoring company if it is an unwelcome intruder. This feature eliminates the system from accidentally being set off by an animal.
Other Options: Another addition to home security systems is a closed circuit television system. The system uses cameras to patrol both inside and outside areas of a structure. They are ideal for monitoring uninhabited areas or areas that are heavily shadowed. An added bonus of this system is that video footage can help identify individuals involved in illicit actions.
