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With all the emphasis in recent years on national security, many people have overlooked the importance of home security. While it may not be the first news story, when your home is burglarized, protecting your home soon becomes the most important topic in your world.
The facts
There is no reason to wait until it happens to you. According to the US Bureau of Judicial Statistics, approximately 75% of all crimes in the United States are property crimes. In 2003, there were 14 million property thefts. In 83% of these crimes, thieves entered the home or some other building to steal property.
According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, residential burglaries in 2003 averaged $ 1,600 in property or cash loss per incident. This does not include the repair of locks, doors, windows and other destruction. Are you willing to give $ 1600 (not to mention the safety of your home and the safety of your family) to a thief?
It can happen to anyone. Whether you live in an urban, suburban, or rural area, you are the target of thieves. What are you gonna do about it?
The options
Never underestimate the ingenuity of an intruder. It is not enough to lock the doors and windows. If you can think of a way to get into your home, surely someone who turns your life into a crime will be able to do it too.
Nor should you overestimate the ingenuity of the neighbors. Neighborhood watch is fine, but how many of your neighbors spend every hour that you are not at home watching over your home? How would you distinguish between a furniture delivery and a robbery? Can you tell just by looking if someone is simply walking for exercise or covering houses for potential burglary attempts? Even houses within a mile of police stations are easily broken into.
There are more effective options that will prevent theft and make your home safe.
Home alarms
A simple loud noise will not deter a criminal. Your neighbors will likely turn on their televisions to drown out the sound. Criminals can easily thwart battery-operated and even electrically operated audible alarms.
If you are going to use a home alarm, you must use a monitored system. When deciding between monitored home alarm systems, you generally have three options: a DIY system, a national monitoring system, and a local system from your home security company.
DIY installation systems are by far the cheapest. You need a little technical knowledge and you need to know how an intruder gets in. When you buy your own equipment, you can choose from companies to monitor your system. Some systems allow you to program additional numbers to be called when the alarm is triggered, which is not as useful as you might think. By the time you or a neighbor can react and call the police, your thief is usually gone. Better to stick with the professionals.
National alarm system monitoring services (such as ADT or Brinks) are the most popular. Common customer complaints include being taken advantage of during installation. National companies contract the installation with independent distributors. Many ADT and Brinks customers have reported outrageous quotes, had to negotiate with the installer, and announced that special offers are worthless. Other problems include monitoring errors and slow reaction time. When an alarm is triggered, the company calls you to determine if the alarm was triggered by accident (the vast majority of alarm triggers in the home are homeowner accidents). If they cannot reach you by phone, they will call the proper authorities. Dissatisfied customers have reported that they have not received any calls or have received calls that are very delayed. These companies also
ask you to contract with them for a specific period of time, usually 2-3 years, even if you are not satisfied with their service.
Local alarm monitoring systems tend to be less expensive with higher levels of customer satisfaction. A local business will have fewer customers, so you are more important to them. You will get a less expensive but completely effective installation from a real company representative. Because these companies rarely require long-term contracts, you have more freedom to change supervisory companies. Knowing this, they will generally charge less per month and will try harder to maintain their business.
Any home alarm system comes with a helpful sign on the lawn that indicates that your home is protected by an alarm system. This alone is a form of prevention, as a burglar is more likely to hit a home without an alarm system. Alarm systems are also ideal for fires and other emergencies. Usually, as an added feature, you can connect smoke detectors to your monitoring system. If a smoke alarm goes off, the fire department is notified. This is especially beneficial at night or if you leave pets at home during the day. Panic buttons are good if you are at home during a robbery or if you have a medical emergency. You should also get a break in your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance when you have a system installed. Monitored home alarm systems are definitely worth investing in, but you shouldn’t stop there.
House babysitters
Even if you have an alarm system, the house keepers are invaluable. If you are leaving your home for a vacation, your best defense is to have real people in your home. Most robberies in the United States occur during the day while people are at work. Criminals will take the easy way out. If people are in their target home, they will move into a house that appears empty. The problem with traditional housekeeping services is that they simply make one or two trips to your home a day to collect mail, open curtains, water plants, and get rid of criminals. That still leaves around 23 hours in the day when your home is vulnerable to break-ins or fire.
The best home care option is to have people living in your home. If you have a friend or family member who is staying home full time for the duration of your vacation, you will worry less about burglaries, fires, and other problems, such as returning to a flooded home due to a broken water heater.
Having a babysitter also cuts down on prep time and expenses before your vacation. You won’t have to stop your mail (all a criminal has to do is watch your mailman skip your house to assume you’re on vacation), shop for and set light timers, or even tackle the dog.
Don’t have a friend or family member who can stay at home? There are services available that match individuals and caregivers living at home. It’s like someone is renting your home while on vacation, only they usually don’t pay you rent. They will pay for your utilities, mow your lawn, take care of your mail, your pets, and your home while you are away. They will notify you of any problems. The services help you select candidates and find the perfect person, partner or family who is willing to take care of your home.
The solution
The best prevention you can implement is a combination of 24-hour home alarm monitoring and a house keeper if you are going to be away for an extended period of time. Don’t become a statistic. Start protecting your home today!
Copyright © 2005, Ian White
