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There were 4 million household burglaries in the United States,
nearly 500,000 resulted in bodily injury, and 20,000 resulted in
homicides, frightening statistics. Additional statistics reveal
that a home without a security system is three times as likely
to be burglarized as compared to one which is equipped with a
security system. These facts make it obvious that a home
security system will reduce your chances of intrusion, and can
protect your life and property. It is therefore necessary to
conduct an extensive home security review, to determine the
appropriate systems necessary to secure the safety of yourself,
and home.
Several points should be kept in mind while conducting a home
security review. Security needs should be a first consideration.
While it may be obvious that you should be the best judge of
security requirements, a security expert has the experience to
evaluate your home for vulnerabilities that are not obvious to a
layperson. After a full examination of your home, a security
specialist will be able to make note of all soft spots, and
suggest the kind of equipment necessary to strengthen these soft
spots.
The next consideration is security monitoring. Security
monitoring can be a sophisticated central monitoring service, or
a simple home security system, cost and needs are the
determining factors. The central monitoring services are ideal
because they ensure that appropriate measures are taken whenever
an intrusion is detected. A monitoring team that works from a
central station verifies every suspicious activity the moment it
receives an alert. While an ideal deterrent, this type of
monitoring is relatively expensive, and subject to the
experience and professionalism of the company. You must find out
if the central monitoring station is certified by Underwriters
Laboratory; that it has a power back up system that can run for
10 to 15 hours; that it is run by trained staff; that it alerts
local authorities within seconds of receiving a security alert.
Less costly is a simple home security system consisting of a
control panel, a couple of magnetic switches, a motion sensor or
two, and an alarm device. This can be hard wired or wireless.
The more advanced systems feature a video camera that can be
monitored by family members. The biggest advantage of this
system is that it scares away potential intruders. This may
happen when an intruder sees a yard sign, a decal sign or any of
the installed sensors or video cameras. There is a one-time
installation charge, with no recurring expenses.
While there are no guarantees, any home security system could
scare away potential intruders. Any type of prevention will go
along way to reduce the likelihood of a break in, or home
assault by a stranger. Remember, the main objective of any home
security system is to provide a safe environment for family
members, and to limit the loss of property.
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