When Should You Improve Your Personal Home Security

According to the US Department of Justice, household burglaries account for nearly one in five of all property crimes in the US. It’s not smart to expect the police or any other law enforcement agency to put a stop to all crime from occurring. Therefore, it’s up to you to involve yourself in protecting your property and family.

It’s unfortunate but there are a lot of people that choose to ignore their current state of home security and only do something about improving it AFTER they have been burglarized or had a close call. The best time to improve your personal home security is BEFORE you have an incident.

Many of us may think that we live in a nice part of town and that crime is really low and therefore think to ourselves that we don’t have anything to worry about. I’ll use myself as an example.

I live in a nice neighborhood and the town where I live has very little crime but if I were to leave my door unlocked while I went for a short walk and a burglar did decide to pick that moment to come into my house (notice that I didn’t say break-in because the door is unlocked) I wouldn’t have any one to blame but myself. And as for not having anything to worry about, well that goes right out the window doesn’t it. What if I were to come back home while the burglar was still in the house? What could happen then? I don’t even want to go there but that is where we all have to go in order to make sure that we take all of the necessary precautions to protect ourselves and our property.

I find it amazing but a lot of burglaries happen in homes that HAVE burglar alarm systems, camera systems, good door locks, and the whole bit. Do you know why they get broken into? They get broken into because they don’t set their security system, make sure that cameras are in good working order, lock their doors, or use the other home security items in their home. They may start out using their alarm systems and locking their doors but as time goes on and the feeling that nothing is going to happen, because it hasn’t in the past sets in, the less and less vigilant they get about their personal home security. They begin to set the burglar alarm less often or forget to lock their doors while they are at home.

Folks, these are not the kinds of things that you should be doing to improve your home security. I’m not saying that you have to spend a lot of money to get a burglar alarm system or anything like that. In fact, most of the time we already have a good number of personal home security tools available to us. We just have to make sure that we use them on a regular basis and use them correctly.

I think the biggest thing that we all have to do is change our personal home security behavior. Take a look at your situation. Ask yourself:

Do you keep your doors locked even when you are at home? (This includes the door from the garage into the main part of the house.)
Is your door made of solid hardwood or metal and does it have a good quality deadbolt lock?
Did you change out the screws on the strike plate to at least 3” so that they go through the wall stud?
Do you have any windows in or next do an exterior door that can be broken? If you do, then look into putting security film on the glass.
Does your door have a peephole that everyone can use and do you use it?
If you have a sliding glass door, does it have a lock or has it been adjusted so that it cannot be easily defeated with a pry-bar?
Do you keep your windows locked at all times or have you made adjustments so that they can’t be opened more than 6?
Do you keep your overhead garage door down even when you are at home? (The only time it should be up is when you are actually using it.)
Do you have lights and/or other items on timers when you are away from home?
Do you have floodlights that are motion activated in key areas around your home?
Do you make arrangements to have someone pick up your mail/newspapers when you are away or put a hold on those items until you are due to return?
Do you have a neighbor or a second vehicle parked in front of your home/driveway while you are out of town?
Do you have someone come in to take care of the lawn if you are away for an extended period of time?
Do you have ladders or other items that could aid a burglar locked away?
Do you lock the gate to your back yard?
Do you vary your routine? Come and go at different times. Park in different spots or in and out of the garage.
Is your telephone ringer turned down or off when you are away?
Does your answering machine or voice mail service give a vague message to the caller so as not to say that you are out of town or out of the house?
Are the shades or curtains drawn in the rooms that have all of the “good stuff” that a burglar looks for kept closed when you aren’t in the room?
Are the small, easy to carry and high on a thief’s list, (such as jewelry, cameras, laptops, wallets) kept out of sight when they aren’t being used.
If you have a burglar alarm system, do you use it?

As you can see, the majority of the items on this list don’t have anything to do with having a burglar alarm system nor do they cost anything because you already have them at your disposal, you only have to change your behavior and start to implement them into your daily life. Improving your personal home security doesn’t have to cost you anything but you do have to be vigilant in your actions to be sure that you do everything that you can to be safe and secure. The best way to ensure this is to make your home security actions become a habit. Your actions should become as automatic as putting on your seatbelt when you get into your car and the best time to start is NOW before you have an accident.

Home Security Solution – Key Control

Today’s topic goes hand in hand with door security because it has to do with the keys that we use to open our doors with. I know that I have been guilty of this myself in the past but I want you to know that it is NOT okay to give your house key to anyone.

Keep Your Keys Safe

Seriously, it is really bad for your home security to give out your keys to anyone. This may sound overly simple but you would be surprised at the number of people that think it is a good idea to give a spare key to a family member or a friend just in case they get themselves locked out or something like that. I’m not saying that you can’t trust people anymore but it is very important to know who you are giving access to your home to. For example:

I trust my best friend, she is like a sister to me. I know that she wouldn’t do anything to jepordize my home security on purpose but she has a brother with a questionable background and her brother has the ability to gain control of my house keys and either burglarize my home himself or give my keys to someone else to break into my house. Honestly, that is a situation I would much rather avoid if at all possible.

Having good residential home security is a choice. You can choose to keep your home safe and secure or you can choose to do things that put you and your family in jeopardy of being burglarized or having to go through a home invasion.

I’ve seen people that will even give contractors or others who are doing work in their home a key so that they can come and go as needed. You may think that the people you want to give a key to are completely trustworthy but you have no control of where your house keys may end up once it leaves your possession. You may trust the person doing work on your home but can you trust their helpers? Think about it, it’s your choice, is it a good home security practice to give your keys to anyone?

Another thing you want to consider about your keys…

Think Before You Hide a Key

Before you decide to hide a key under a rock or a planter, think about how many people already do just that. Now think about how many burglars know that people hide a key somewhere near their front door.

If you really have to hide a key, then at least make sure that you don’t put it anywhere near your door. Really folks, I’m not kidding, burglars may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but they aren’t stupid either. A good burglar is always going to look for the easiest way into your house and if you put a key under your door mat or a planter or anywhere else that makes it easily accessible, they are going to look for it.

Okay, that’s enough for today at least when it comes to key control. Remember that good home security practices are a choice that you have to make and follow every day.

Until next time, Stay Safe and Secure

Home Security Company Review – The Big Guys

Today I wanted to talk about burglar alarm companies and give you the good and the bad of using a larger burglar alarm company. First off I want to say that I will NOT be naming names. I will only be giving you a general overview of what I see in the home security industry. Frankly, my pockets aren’t deep enough to handle a possible lawsuit if I were to name names. So, the following are just MY thoughts about using larger burglar alarm company. Do with the information what you will. Also this is just a general review of home security companies. It is not set in stone. Not every company is the same but I have noticed that in the case of burglar alarms, size CAN matter, it just depends where your priorities are.

Large Home Security Company Defined

Alarm companies come in all shapes and sizes from the one man/woman working out of their vehicle (sometimes referred to as “trunk slammers” all the way to the massive company with thousands of employees and multiple central monitoring locations. For today’s article, I only want to focus on the big guys. In this case I am going to say that a larger burglar alarm company is going to have more than four offices/locations and more than one central monitoring station. Okay, let’s get on with the…

…The Good and the Bad of Using a Large Home Security Company.

There are going to be pros and cons to any burglar alarm company that you use but the following list contains what I see as the “norm” when using a large home security company. First let’s go over the good or the pros of using a large security alarm company:

Cost – large burglar alarm companies have lots of buying power and therefore can keep your costs lower. The big guys that install thousands of systems can get the alarm system equipment at a much lower price than an alarm company that only installs a few hundred systems every year. So if you are looking for a good buy, then go with the big guy. The good news about cost is because there are more than one of these big companies out there, they will compete for your business.

Central Station Reliability – because the big guys usually have more than one central station, your alarm system is sure to be monitored 24/7. They have multiple back-ups in place. The smaller alarm companies usually only have one central station with one form of back-up. If you are concerned with making sure that your security system is monitored everyday no matter what, then you may want to use the larger home security company. That being said the little guys do a nice job of making sure that you are monitored without any interruptions as well as the big alarm companies.

Service Technicians – because the larger home security companies can offer their employees benefits, they get the cream of the crop. In addition to getting the better alarm technicians, they also can make sure that the techs get the most up to date training. The smaller companies don’t always get the better alarm installers because they usually can’t offer any benefits and when it comes to training, the small companies try to stay up to speed but if an installer isn’t on a job, they don’t make money and more often than not the small alarm company will opt for getting the job done now as apposed to getting training on new equipment. So, if having the latest and greatest in home security equipment is what you are looking for, then you may want to go with the larger burglar alarm company.

Area Coverage – I’m not really sure this one is good or bad but I think it warrants at least mentioning. Because of the size of the larger companies, they can cover a much larger area than the smaller alarm companies can. A small companies with only a few installers isn’t going to be able to travel as far as a larger companies with multiple offices. This really only matters if you have more than one house in more than one state. So, if you have more than one location to protect with a burglar alarm system and you want one company and one bill, then you may want to go with a larger security company.

Stability – a large burglar alarm company that has many different locations and is known nationally, is likely to be around forever or at least a very long time. They have a history and a future in the alarm industry. The companies with only one employee that does everything may not be around when you need them. Although, in my experience the one person companies have a tendency to sell your monitoring contract to one of the big companies anyway.

Warranty Plans – from my experience the larger companies have the option of getting a warranty plan. These plans are put into place so that the alarm company receives a small monthly fee in exchange for free service calls. Some of the larger burglar alarm companies have more than one warranty plan to choose from. You can pick the one that works best for you or none at all. The smaller companies will almost warranty their installation for the first year then you pay for any service calls and parts that may been needed to keep your alarm system in working order. I haven’t seen too many of the small companies offer any sort of a warranty plan but I could be wrong on this.

That’s it for the pros or the good of using a large burglar alarm company and it’s a pretty good sized list too. However, with every silver lining there is a cloud. Now let’s look into the cons or the bad of using a large alarm company.

Contract Length – for EVERY home security company on the planet, it’s all about receiving the monthly monitoring revenue. If you go with a large alarm company and you enjoy their lower installation fee, you will have to sign a monitoring agreement. That’s how they make their money. Most monitoring contracts will be for somewhere between 3 and 5 years. However, these contracts automatically renew and some of them will renew for another 3 years unless you give them written notice to cancel the alarm monitoring contract 30 days in advance. For most people, remembering to cancel a contract that you signed 3 years ago is a little difficult to do. There are some companies that will let you out after you have completed the initial term if you have a good enough reason (like moved out of their coverage area) but there are some companies that will go after you for the remainder of the contract no matter what. As long as you are aware of what you are signing, then go for it.

Your Just a Number - because the large burglar alarm companies have so many customers, it’s difficult to get any kind of personal service. If you are lucky, you will get involved with a sales person that is directly employed with the alarm company and they will make sure that you get good service but for the most part, you are just another monitored account. Someone who signed a contract and must honor that contract. I’ve worked with smaller alarm companies and in most cases they know who you are when you call and, therefore, give you personal service.

Long Waits for Service – this is one of the drawbacks of covering such a large area. The larger the area that an alarm company covers, the more likely the alarm technicians will be spread thin. If you happen to live in one of the areas that is farther from the base office and/or has fewer customers, the longer you can wait to have your security system serviced when it is having a problem. I’ve heard of customers having to wait a week or more to get there alarm system serviced because they happen to be the only service call in that particular area. And the alarm system won’t be functioning or doing anyone any good until it gets fixed. If you don’t mind being without your home security system or waiting for service, then going with a larger company may be for you.

Unprotected Openings – since it’s all about the recurring monthly alarm monitoring revenue, large alarm companies come up with these “affordable” packages that usually include something like: a keypad, 3-doors and 1-motion detector. If you live in an apartment, then this package may cover all of your perimeter openings but if you live in a house, you may be leaving some openings unprotected. The sales representative will tell you that the 90% of all break-ins occur through a door and not a window so you technically don’t need to protect your windows. Even though they are correct, statistically speaking, I personally wouldn’t want to take that chance. Of course, they would love for you to buy more protection but not at the expense of the sale. If you are okay with the protection that you get by going with an “affordable” package, then a larger company may be the way to go.

Well, that is my large burglar alarm company review. I think that I have given you a pretty good idea of what to expect when using a large alarm company. As you can see the good parts are pretty good but you have to weight the good with the bad. If you can live with the bad, then going for one of those alarm packages that you see advertised on TV may be the perfect home security solution. Once again, I would like to say that not all large companies may be as I have described (I haven’t worked for them all, nor do I want to) but in general these are the things that I have heard from others that have worked for or used their services. I just want you to be informed so that you can make the right choice for your home security needs.