Most people make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, smoke less, or stop a bad habit, but a valuable post-holiday exercise is examining the family’s home security to determine whether there might be any weaknesses in the system. Thieves today may use any number of tricks and devices to gain entry into an unsuspecting family’s home. The arrival of the new year is a perfect time to get the family together and look at the home’s safety and security systems.
Burglars Get Creative
Security devices like surveillance cameras and alarms are an important part of comprehensive home defense; however, it’s also essential for homeowners to consider that thieves don’t always approach homes in the dead of night. A recent story reveals that criminals can talk their way into homes with ease when a homeowner isn’t aware of the lengths to which a thief might go to get into a home.
Ensure Smart Security Design
Home security systems may be designed to include any number of modern devices with wireless technology offering today’s homeowners the chance to survey their entire property. Instead of having to thread wires through the entire house, a homeowner can place cameras on walls of the home that may not be easily viewable from the interior of the home.
Devices like motion-sensor lights are another smart decision for home surveillance systems, but it’s important to make sure that lights behave as if they’re being operated by the homeowner and aren’t on an automatic sensor. For example, lights might be designed to come on a few seconds after sensing movement so that the sudden illumination doesn’t seem automated when someone passes the area.
Change the Interior
During the holidays, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to display holiday decorations near the windows, but after the close of the holiday season, it’s a good idea to take a look at the home from the outside to make sure that the family’s valuables aren’t visible to passersby or potential thieves. Hanging curtains on the windows is a simple way to ensure that the family’s nice belongings don’t provide a temptation to people looking for a well-appointed home to burglarize.
Simple Tips to Enhance Safety
In addition to making sure that security is advanced through installation of wireless cameras, glass break sensors, and monitored alarms, there are also some simple guidelines that all families can follow to make 2014 an exceptionally safe year. Discuss the following smart habits with the family:
- Be smart about social media: Don’t announce travel and plans on social media until after the event has passed. There’s no reason to let thieves know that the home will be empty for an extended amount of time.
- Create neighborhood-wide defense: Neighbors who look out for one another and report suspicious activity to the authorities will help reduce crime in a neighborhood.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has counted anywhere from 9 million to almost 10 million property crimes in the United States in each of the past 5 years. By improving home security and taking simple precautions against break-ins and theft, a family will be able to greet 2014 with a safe home that is protected against intrusion and crime.