Home Security Systems— Common Sense part I
If you are looking to move into a new apartment or home, then it is important to start thinking about security of your new place before you actually move. You may have already considered installing a home alarm system, but a home security system should not be the only thing relied upon for your home’s security.
You might want to survey the neighborhood you are considering moving to, to assure yourself that it is a relatively safe area to live in. One way you can do this is to check with the local police for the neighborhood you are considering moving to. Nowadays it can be as simple as looking up the local police’s website for information about crime levels in a given area.
When looking at a prospective place to live, check the surrounding property for proper lighting and visibility from the street. Ensure that the quality of the doors and windows are in good condition and show no signs of disrepair. Take a look at the door frames and the door lock mechanisms, if they are sturdy and in good condition then you might only need to slightly improve the door security with auxiliary locks.
You might want to look around for signs of forced entry, such as a newly installed pane of glass amongst older panes of glass installed in the window frames. Look for chipped wood or plaster around window latches, door knobs and hinges. These could all be indicaters of forced entry at one time or another.
One of the best defences against crime is when neighbors work together as a community dedicated to protecting their property. These can take form as neighborhood watch programs or block watch programs. Contact your local minicipality for more information about participating. Most programs will also provide signs that can be posted in windows announcing to would be intrudors that there is a neighborhood vigilance program in place.
If there are no programs in place, then you can always start one. Your local police department will provide information on training and how to organise your own program.
Some of the great benefits of these watch programs is that it can improve neighbor relations,improved police relations, greater community spirit,and most importantly can result in a reduced level of crime for a given area.
Property identification programs.
These are programs created to help identify stolen property if a theft occurs. Properly marked valuables make it much harder for thieves to sell their ‘goods’ and makes it easier for police to track and find.
The local police department can supply with engraving equipment, such as an electric engraving pen, in which you can use to put permanent marks on your valuables. Your home insurance agent may also be able to provide an engraving pen. This can also help reduce your insurance
premiums. Note that a quality professionally installed home alarm system will also help reduce your home insurance premiums.
Here are a few ideas for recording your valuables.
1. Always register your serial numbers online with any new purchases, such as camera, video , computer, audio equipment etc.
2. Engraving your license number on all portable valuables that can easily be sold such electronic equipment is a great deterent for having your property sold on the black market.
3. Most local property identification programs will provide stickers that can placed in your home near valuables warning burglars that the property is identified and labeled. These make it much less attractive to theives to steal, because it makes it harder for them to sell.
Do not keep a large amount of expensive valuables in your home, such as coin collections, jewellery or any large amounts of cash. You can always use a safety deposit box for such items. If you must keep valuable in your home, then you would be best advised to make a list on a
sheet of paper of descriptions and details of all property. If possible, photograph or videotape all items and place all valaubles in a quality home safe.
One last piece of advise is to create a decoy, by placing cheap expensive looking items, such as jewellery in an obvious place, such as in bedroom vestibule drawers for example. This may prevent crooks from trashing your entire place by fooling them that they have already found
valuable items and leave the rest of the place alone.
This is the end of Home Security Systems— Common Sense part I, hopefully I have provided a few tips and ideas to help you secure your home, valuables and personaly saftey of you and your family.
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