Burglary is a fear for every homeowner. The thought of someone coming into your home without your permission, going through your personal belongings, and treating what you consider sacred without respect will leave a lasting feeling of anxiety and wrath.
Most people never get past the anxiety of having their house burgled, and it doesn’t help that only about 15% of all burglary cases are solved. Thus, the best way to deal with burglary is to avoid it entirely by investing in the best home security systems.
In this article, you’ll find the best way to deal with the problem of burglary and also important tips on how to put up home security systems that work.
What is a home security system?
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A home security system is the combination of the hardware installed and the practices aimed at keeping a house safe. Therefore it means that staying safe with a security system is impossible without a set of carefully thought out practices to ensure efficient use of the security system.
Furthermore, to answer the question ‘what is a home security system’, it is essential to know that a specific home security system is not a panacea for all security problems. The security system you choose must be specific to the security problems you are facing.
And so, as regards burglary, the security measure you put in place must be specific to prevent burglars from getting into your home. These include:
1. Lock your windows and doors at all times
This seems basic, but it is perhaps one of the most important measures you can put in place to ensure burglars don’t have access to your house. 80% of all burglars access homes through unlocked front doors, windows, and garage doors.
Therefore, it is essential to lock these access points to your house at all times, even when you step out briefly, when you’re indoors or when you travel for a vacation. Furthermore, look out for faulty locks and change them immediately.
2. Keep your valuables safe and out of sight
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Burglars will only attack your house if they think you own something of value. As such, most burglars will case your home before attacking. This is so that they can determine if your house is worth breaking into and the last thing you want to do is give them a reason to invade your home.
Therefore it is crucial to keep all valuables such as cash, jewelry, expensive gadgets, and other valuables away from the window, in a safe, out of sight. This will discourage burglars from breaking into your house.
This is also true of your cars. Never leave anything of value in your vehicle. However, if you must leave valuable items in your car, leave them in the trunk or under the seats. This will discourage opportunistic criminals from stealing from your car.
3. Install smart locks on your doors and windows
You can remotely control smart locks through an app on your mobile phone. They are controlled using a code, a voice prompt, or biometric authentication. Additionally, some may come with features that alert the homeowner if the wrong codes are inputted.
An added advantage of smart locks is that they do not require keys. Thus, you don’t have to change your locks when you misplace a key, nor do you have to hide your keys under your doormat where burglars can easily access them.
However, it is vital to frequently change the passcodes on your smart locks. This is important as burglars are innovating new ways to breach the security system in your home. As such, investing in security systems that change passcodes constantly is a plus.
4. Install security cameras
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Most burglars will avoid breaking into a house with a security camera because they risk being caught on tape. Thus, homes with security cameras are less likely to be attacked by burglars.
It is important to research home security installation tips to get an idea of setting up CCTV cameras. This is because security cameras are only effective when correctly set up.
5. Always give your home a lived-in look
Burglars prefer to break into homes when no one is around. Thus, most burglars will investigate your home to know if you are around. They look for clues that show you have been absent for a while.
These include unattended mail in the mailbox, overgrown lawns, shrubs and bushes, lighting patterns, etc. It is essential to have your mails attended to, and your yard adequately tended.
In conclusion
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Burglary is a carefully thought-out crime in most cases: burglars carefully select the houses they break into. They look for places with the most promising reward and the lowest risk.
Therefore, the most critical safety measure in dealing with burglary is to deter burglars from attacking your house; show them that the risk far outweighs the reward.
