Home Security Habits You Should Establish

In this day and age, you can never be too vigilant when it comes to keeping your home and family safe and secure. In the past, you might have been able to get away with leaving your doors unlocked and your windows open, but it just isn't that way anymore. Installing a home security system is one of the best ways to protect your home and family, but there are even more steps you can take to ensure that you have done all you can to keep your property and family members as secure as possible. Here are some home security habits you should establish to increase the security level in your house.

1. Always check to make sure your doors and windows are locked before you leave and before you go to bed. It's even a good idea for you keep them locked when you are home as well, even if you aren't in bed. This way you are less vulnerable to home invasions.

2. If you do leave the windows open while you sleep, as this is popular in warm climates, especially if you don't have air conditioning, be sure they are unable to be opened wide enough for someone to get inside. There should be a bar in the tracks of the windows that allow them to open just an inch or two.

3. Valuables should always be kept out of sight from windows. You do not want to provide would-be burglars a chance to window shop at your house. Not only can they see what is worth stealing but they can formulate a plan that will allow them to break in and get what they want as quickly as possible.

4. Do not hang your keys near the door. This gives people the opportunity to smash a window and grab your keys and then they can get in without leaving any other trace. Leaving your keys in plain sight of the door is simply inviting people to come in without having to work for it.

5. Be vigilant about people following you or watching your movements. If you see someone over and over again as you come home or when you come out to get the mail, it is possible that person is monitoring your comings and goings for a specific reason. At this point, it would be advisable to report your findings to the authorities and vary your routine somewhat. If would-be criminals don't know when you're going to be home and when you're not, they are less likely to take the chance on breaking into your house.

Getting a home security system installed in your house is the best single piece of advice you can follow for home security; however, creating new habits that promote home security can help you make your house even safer.



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Lighting And Home Security - Enemy Of Burglars

Light is the enemy of burglars. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is that darkness gives them cover and time to do their illegal activities. They know that they cannot break into a house if they are in sight of other people who might be around to see them. They have to either find a different way into the house that is not as visible or move on to a house that is not as secure. For this reason, it is essential that you include adequate lighting around your home's exterior as a part of an overall home security system.

To make the most out of your exterior security lighting, you should install a light fixture above each entrance, above the garage door and on both sides of the house. These are minimum recommendations, as there are many other places where lighting can be beneficial, including under the eaves and at the end of your driveway.

The kind of lighting you should have is that which is activated by motion. There is certainly no need to have your exterior lights on at all times of the day and night. It is far better to have your lights automatically turn on when a sensor detects movement. This will allow you to save both energy and money as you won't be paying for them when they aren't on. In addition, burglars can be lured in by the apparent darkness of your property but then scared away when the lights come on. Light is a powerful deterrent and is the first layer of your comprehensive home security system. If the burglar decides to take a chance and break in even when your property is bathed in light, that's when your alarm system will kick in as your second layer of security.

Of all the security upgrades you can make to your house besides the installation of a monitored alarm system, exterior security lighting is the most effective. Not only does it deter unwanted visitors, but it allows you to see your property when you come home after dark. This is another security feature that is on a more personal level. If you see something that is amiss, you can choose to stay in your car and call the police, or drive to a safe place. Without security lighting, you could be setting yourself up to be a victim. Exterior security lighting is an investment you can't afford not to make.



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Mistakes Homeowners Make That Make Their Home a Target for Burglars

There are mistakes that homeowners make that puts their home in jeopardy of being broken into, but correcting these mistakes can take the house off of the target list. Home security begins with decreasing the temptation for being robbed and every day homeowners miss these simple steps that takes them off of the target list.

What Makes a House Look Tempting?

• To a burglar a house that looks tempting has no home security system sign in the yard, has no decals on the windows, the curtains are closed, there is no light or noise. There is no car in the driveway and the daily newspaper has not been picked up, even though it is beginning to get dark outside. This to the robber would be a sure sign that the house is unprotected by an alarm system and that no one is home or coming home.

• High bushes or overgrown bushes near the home is an attractive feature for the burglar, this will allow them to be hidden while breaking into the residence without neighbors or passing cars noticing.

• A dark yard is another of the robber's favorite types of houses; this allows them to break in the residence in the dark without being seen.

• Leaving the garage door open for the robber to see valuables like pricey lawn mowers, which can lead them to believe that inside the home is even more valuables that they can just carry off with no problem.

• Placing the family surname on the mailbox is another bad idea, while people believe it helps the mail person, what it actually does is tell the burglar who you are, they already have your address and that means looking your phone number up in the telephone book. Then they can monitor when there are family members home and when the house is empty and waiting for them.

• Leaving the drapes open when no one is at home is another bad idea, this means the burglar can pose as a delivery person or anyone else to get a close up view in the windows to see what awaits them.

These are some of the reasons that some residences are targets to be broken into, while other houses the robber will just pass by. Just a few changes can take your house off of the hit list, like trimming any high or overgrown bushes, this takes away hiding places when they are near the house. Keeping the garage door closed, bicycles put away, so the passing burglar does not believe that inside might have some real prizes for them. Putting up outdoor lighting will keep the smart burglar away when it is dark, because it is too easy for them to be seen. Going away on vacation change the usual habits, leave the drapes open just a few inches and add timers that will turn lights on and off, along with a television or radio. This gives the appearance that someone is at home if the robber is checking out the house and also have the newspaper and mail stopped or have someone pick it up.

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How to Understand Why Burglars Choose the House They Break Into

How to understand why burglars choose the house they break into, because this can help to avoid having the house broken into. Burglars choose houses they know they can get into easily, that have no protection, or that have a home alarm they know does not have the ability to contact anyone. They also look for unlit houses, with bushes close to the doors and windows, since this will make it easy to break-in without anyone noticing.

The burglar knows their home security systems and there are few that they are afraid of, because many are just an alarm that goes off inside of the home. Today neighbors do not even pay attention to this noise other than to get irritated, since car and home alarms go off without reason. Alarms going off are commonplace and a smart burglar might even spend some time prior to breaking into a house setting off car alarms, so the neighbors begin ignoring the noise. Then the house is fair game, unless it is a home security system that is able to monitor for break-ins and then call the monitoring center where the police will be alerted. That means that the burglar risks getting caught with this type of home alarm system. They pass this house up when there are decals displayed in the windows and a sign in the yard, since they know it is not just an alarm that will go off inside of the house.

It might make sense to homeowners to purchase one of these home alarms that just make noise, they are easy to install and can be found at a reasonable cost locally. The problem is the burglar is educated in alarm systems and will not be daunted by one that does not contact trained operators that send the police. This homeowner still is at risk to have their house broken into. Burglars are smarter than most people give them credit for and believe just an alarm going off will scare them off, which is not true, they will work around that. What the burglar cannot work around is the home security system that is linked to a monitoring center.

Technology has made this feature even better, since some burglars believe they can cut the phone lines to the house and stop the call. Today there are home security systems that are able to use a cell phone to make the call to the monitoring center, which means cutting phone lines does nothing. in order to protect the house and family the home alarm needs to be one that its technology stays a step ahead of the person that would like to break into the house and steal the families possessions and feelings of security. This type of system sends an alarm throughout the home when it is triggered, but at the same time it calls the monitoring center, where they will alert the police much faster than a neighbor ever could.


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Keep Your Home Safe During Spring Vacations

Keep your home save during Spring vacations, everyone waits for spring and to get away, whether it is for a long Easter weekend with the extended family or to go someplace warm while the children have their spring break from school. There are some steps to take before going on vacation that can help keep the house safe while you are gone.

The first thing is taking a look around the house at each door and window, since things can change during cold weather. Do they all close and lock properly? If not then they need to be repaired so that they close smoothly, latch properly and lock. Assuming there is a home security system, and if there is not then one should be installed, it should be tested and the battery backup checked. This will ensure that the system is functioning properly. Are the bushes trimmed so they do not create hiding places near the house, if not trim them, usually in most climates they are still trimmed from the fall with little or no growth.

One of the important things to do for home security when planning a Spring vacation is to have the mail held and newspaper stopped. Having them pile up will alert any criminal passing by the residence that no one is at home and they have all the time they need to break-in. The only thing that will be a deterrent is the home security system. If it is a long weekend that the family is going to be away, a neighbor, friend or extended family member can pick up the mail and newspapers.

Make it appear that someone is at home, use timers on the lights, television or radio, because sound and light makes it appear that the family is at home and that is not attractive to the person that wants to steal possessions from the residence. They like to break-in when no one is at home, so they have complete run of the house without anyone seeing what they look like.

Once these things are in place it is possible for the family to go away on vacation without any worry of a break-in. Plus, the home security system will continue to monitor for smoke and fire, so the house is completely safe and so are the family's possessions. These are steps that should be taken any season that the family plans a trip, whether it is a long weekend or a week long vacation. When the home security system includes cameras, which are outdoor or indoor it is possible to use a laptop, cell phone or PDA to see what the cameras have to show and this can be comforting, making it possible to have a worry free vacation. Safety for the family is important, when they are home and when they are away, because either time if someone has been in the house to steal, it takes away the family's sense of security. Once that is gone the family members might never feel safe in the house again, knowing a stranger has been there.


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NetAXS-123 Web-Based Access Control from Honeywell Security

NetAXS-123 is an easy to use system that is ideal for installations starting at one, two or three doors. In this overview, a Honeywell expert walks you through some of its unique features

Professional Burglar's Guide To Home Security

A home burglary occurs every 15 seconds in the United States. One out of six homes gets burglarized every year. And even though some categories of crime are down, home burglaries are up. Many people feel it is because of the economy while some feel that is on the rise just because it so darn easy to do. And even if a burglar does get caught, which seems unlikely, the penalties are close to laughable. That's just the way our system is set up.

So burglars see this as a high reward, low risk enterprise. Some police agencies are getting a little frustrated so they are resorting to unusual tactics to help stem the increase in home burglaries. The unusual tactics include talking to burglars and picking their brains to pass the information on to the public.

In Denmark, for example, a region that has seen over a 50% increase in break-ins is passing out questionnaires to the robbers that they catch asking about targets, motives and how they get rid of the stolen goods. Police are hoping that the answers will provide some insights that will prove useful to homeowners in the hopes of lowering the crime rate.

In Alabama recently a local television station, in conjunction with the Sheriff's department, put together a special report on an insider's guide to home burglary. The Sheriff's department provided a convicted burglar to the television station for an interview on techniques used to get into a house, what they're looking for and how they get rid of what they take.

The burglar said he would have two friends with him. One would stay with the car with two going into the house. They would knock on the front door of the house to see if anybody answers. Since they only do their work when they suspect nobody's home if there's no answer-it's party time.

If they hear a barking dog they leave. If they see security cameras they leave. They only do their business between eight and three because the kids are at school and mom and dad are at work.

They spend no more than five to ten minutes in a house. He told the reporter that he needs a flat head screwdriver and a crowbar and he can get into any house. The sliding glass door in the back is the easiest entry point. A Door Brace is the best way to protect a sliding glass door from being breached.

Once inside the house, the first up is the living room. That's where the electronics will be. Next up is the master bedroom for jewelry, cash, and even a safe. If he sees handguns or rifles he takes them.

At that point the driver pulls into the garage. They load the stolen goods into the car and off they go to a pawn shop where it takes 30 minutes to sell everything.

He said on a good day he can rob five or six homes in an hour and can make $15,000-$20,000.

Twice during the interview he pointed out that the best thing homeowners can do is to belong to a "Neighborhood Watch" and have people watch out for each other.

Now you know why burglary is on the rise. Security cameras, a barking dog and "Neighborhood Watch" are the best deterrents to home burglary.


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Victor FD Deploys NetAXS-123

When this all volunteer fire department was looking for cutting-edge access control, Honeywell's NetAXS-123 was the managed access solution that answered the call. 

NetAXS-123 from Honeywell Security

Honeywell's NetAXS-123 lets you manage a single door or more than 100 using just one system. Find out why it's exactly what access control should be.

Home Alone - Keeping Your Latch-Key Kids Safe

The seventies and eighties saw an increase in the phenomenon of latch-key kids. In families where both parents work, kids often have to stay alone at home for a few hours every day. This can be scary for a parent to consider. Parents know the dangers in a home and in the environment, and they prefer to keep their kids safe and secure. There are steps that a parent can take, though, to ensure their kids are safe and secure even when no parent is home to supervise.

The first step to ensure your home alone kids are safe and happy is to practice with them their ritual for coming home. Establish a routine for their safety and your peace of mind. If they are walking home from school or the school bus, be available to practice this route with them a few times. Know where there are dogs to avoid and which intersections have more people or cars to be aware of. Walking with your kids can help you to determine if your children are likely to talk to strangers or if they will make a bee-line for the door. Take time to point out dangers they should be aware of at home.

At home, kids should have their own key and not rely on a hide-a-key. While many hide-a-key locations are getting more sophisticated, kids can still be careless and leave a rock or special hiding place exposed to people passing by. Teach your kids to have their key prepared and ready for a quick entry into the home.

Kids at home alone benefit from alarms. Teach your child the necessary code to enter your house, and then teach them to reset the alarm. An alarm at home can provide help if anyone tries to get in, but also adds protection against fires. Let your child practice on the alarm in advance by helping you to secure the house and set the alarm at night. If this becomes a special job for your child, they will quickly master the task and be more likely to do it successfully when you are not home.

Have a call list prepared for your child when they get in the house. Teach your child to call you every evening when they get into the house so you know they are safe. This also sets parameters for your child so they know they must get home quickly because you are expecting them to call. The list should also include emergency numbers for multiple situations. They should know the number for fire emergencies as well as for the ambulance. They should have contact information for neighbors or adults in the area they can call if they have questions or need help.

Discuss with your kids parameters for leaving the house, cooking, and what activities they can do while you are gone. Kids can stay home safely and you can have peace of mind with a little practice and some good established routines.

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Dan Starks - Home Burglary

Personal Safety Expert Dan Starks tells us valuable information on how to protect our homes from burglary and lessen our chances from break-ins.

Keeping Your Home Safe With Alarm Systems

The home should be kept safe with alarm systems that can warn of uninvited intruders entering the house premises. Many types of alarms have been invented to keep any possible entry into the home. Burglary has been one of the main reasons why most homeowners are not able to sleep soundly at night or hesitant to go on vacation. And to lessen these feelings of unsecured quarters, companies have been put up to install alarms all over the residences.

People have increased their level of confidence in trusting the alarms in their house. The peace of mind and assured feeling of being kept secured by a reliable network of safety alarms can truly be relaxing.

Alarm systems are actually a connected network of detecting devices that are placed in different locations of the house. The homeowner usually has a control panel where the master control settings are being placed and set. Once the alarm system has been turned on, and if someone tries to intrude, the alarm goes off and would only stop when the proper code is pushed in the usual button panel in the control panel. Many homes are equipped with the most sophisticated security and alarm systems that can even come with CCTV surveillance and direct alarm to their local police stations.

With the nanotechnology improving, most of these alarm systems can be concealed and are compact. The system installation is almost invisible to the non-observant eyes. The alarms are usually planned by security personnel who can place the right alarms in the right places of the home so no intruder can ever go in without the occupants being warned.

Alarms like these are usually electronic and act more like sensors that detect temperature, motion, sound, voice, code and or any other triggering factors to make them go off. The most common alarms are windows and doors alarm that gives out a loud sound every time someone tries to open or break in. Any motion - up down or left and right - can be picked up the motion sensor that can trigger the start of the alarm.

Temperature alarms are usually installed in the kitchen for fire and safety purposes since most of the cooking happens in the place. Some temperature sensors or thermostats are placed in heating and cooling devices in the house to keep normal room temperature or alarms when a certain level of temperature is being reached.

Sound or voice alarms are sensors recognize levels of decibels or sound to validate a trigger to set them off. A slight bang or breaking of glass can alarm the whole house and make it faster for the house dwellers to escape or catch the culprit.

Many types of alarm systems can be suited for you house. You can call and consult service providers who can supply, install and maintain the alarm system. Check and do a comparison shopping for the different service providers and make sure they are certified and recognized by their industry. Installing home alarm systems might be expensive but it can be the life saver and protector that can make you go to sleep easily every night.


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Top 10 tips to keep your home safe

Protect your home in 90 seconds - quick fire top ten tips to keep your house secure and to deter potential burglars.