In the wake of a few recent local news stories of home burglaries and business break-ins, I felt that it was important to revisit some basic security measures to protect your family and your property. It’s a widely accepted fact within the crime prevention community that among a burglar’s least favorite things are light and the sound of an alarm (a big dog or the sound of a shotgun are at the top of the list as well).Night break-ins consistently occur when a home or building can be breached under the cover of darkness. Because of this fact, one of the best weapons in home security is the outside spotlight. One variations of this deterrent includes a dawn-to-dusk light which includes a built-in light sensor. When there is little or no light, the sensor activates the light and turns it off again at daybreak. The other (and perhaps the most popular) outside light is the motion sensing light. Properly mounted with a clear view of the area you want to illuminate, any movement within that area turns the light on for a set amount of time. With this light, the sensor may be adjusted to be activated only when a large body of movement is detected so that neighborhood animals do not set it off. The light may also be set to stay on from one to several minutes after activated. Both of these light units range in cost from about $25 to $60 dollars. Remember to use high capacity or long-life bulbs and, most importantly, mount them high enough that they are out of reach of the bad guys.
During day time break-ins, bad guys usually knock at the front door. If answered, they ask the resident for directions or some other senseless questions before going on their way. If no one answers, they break in, usually through a window or the glass on or beside the front door. The best deterrent for this is to cut back all vegetation from your doors and windows. Landscape trees and plants may be great aesthetics but they also serve as good cover, obscuring the bad guy’s actions from the street and neighbors.
Another option for security, short of an installed alarm system, is an audible alarm that is activated when a door or window is breached. These systems may be installed without a complete home-monitoring system that, when activated, calls the police. When asked for my opinion regarding an alarm system that doesn’t require a lot of high-tech wiring or a monthly monitoring fee, I always recommend the four legged kind. In my experience as a police officer, I have never investigated a break-in or theft where there was a dog on patrol. Home security systems are great, but the keypad inside your front door can’t bring you your slippers or show you that it’s happy you are home.
If you are thinking about the installation of a home security system, I recommend visiting http://www.securitysystems.net/. There you can learn about the products that are available, pricing and how to find the best security system for you and your family.
As a fifteen-year police veteran and crime prevention practitioner, Daniel has instructed police officers on how to teach crime prevention in their communities. The fundamental ideals of crime prevention are simple: Pay attention to your surroundings, use common sense, listen to your inner voice and trust your instincts. Intuition exists to protect us and help keep us safe.
For questions or comments email Daniel at bcrimefree@aol.com or for past articles and tips visit his blog at bcrimefree.blogspot.com.
