Home security is important — everyone wants to feel safe in their own home. You’ve worked hard all your life in order to be able to buy the items you want, and to lose them all in the blink of an eye to a stranger is nothing less than heartbreaking. The right security system can protect you 24 hours a day, so you always have peace of mind.
What makes a home a target? Many factors go into the choice for burglars. Let’s take a look at a few:
- Location — Burglars need to be able to gain access to your home without anyone seeing them. If you live in a busy, crowded neighborhood, your home is likely safer than homes in a quiet suburb. Even if the houses are close together in your area, if most people are away at work during the day, your home may still be isolated enough to be attractive to a burglar.Living on a dead-end street can be helpful because this will likely deter thieves in vehicles; however, if your street ends in a secluded, wooded area, you may be a target for burglars on foot.
- Familiarity — If your home is burglarized, chances are the culprit is someone local. Burglars don’t hit houses randomly in unfamiliar areas — they wouldn’t know what to look for or the best escape routes. Statistics show burglars prefer homes on their way to or from work or school, since they know these routes best.If your house has ever been burglarized, the chances of it being burglarized again are higher, partly because the thieves are reassured because they have successfully done it once, so they believe they have a good chance of getting away with it again. Some burglars even wait for you to put in an insurance claim and replace your stolen goods with new ones to hit your house a second time.
- No alarm — Alarms and security systems are deterrents for thieves; many admit they check for the presence of alarms or surveillance equipment before deciding whether to break into a home.
Not just any alarm system is enough to scare off thieves, however, so consider taking other measures to help keep their hands off your possessions.
- Get a dog — A barking dog discourages burglars, not only because they fear they may be bitten, but because the noise attracts attention. This method of keeping homes safe has been so popular that some people have used recordings of barking dogs in an effort to gain extra safety without having to assume the responsibility of a pet.
- Trim back landscaping — Keep bushes and vegetation near windows and doors to a minimum so as not to provide cover for a potential burglar.
- Lock doors and windows — Most burglars gain access to homes through these openings, but many break the locks to get in, so vigilance in this area often isn’t enough. Also be sure to keep the garage door closed and locked. Heists have been reported in which thieves back a truck into an unlocked garage, close the door, load it up, open the door and take off.
TYM Smart Homes & Home Theaters is the Utah area’s leading provider of home security and surveillance systems. If you are worried about your home being broken into while you are away at work or on vacation, come talk to the experts at TYM — we can help you decide on a home security system to keep you, your family and your possessions safe.
