Chapter One
What Can Home Security Do For You?
Deter And Minimize!
Make no mistake. An entry system will NOT work miracles. It won’t keep someone out of your house if he wants in.
A security system is designed to deter a would-be intruder and, if that doesn’t work, to minimize his stay. This is certainly worth repeating. Deter and minimize!
Let’s look at that first part. Deter.
It’s estimated that the fact that you have an entry system deters about 85% of would-be intruders if they see signage indicating you have a system, or maybe they have heard your sirens sound at one time or another. It’s just too easy to find a target that has no alarm. Why go to the trouble to break in a house that will, more than likely, make all that noise? When you purchase a quality security system the first thing you get is signage – usually a yard sign and some stickers. Use them!
Now let’s look at the second part. Minimize.
If you can minimize an intruder’s stay in your home, you can minimize your loss from theft, damage, vandalism, and even bodily harm. Don’t give an intruder the luxury of time. Time to go through every drawer, pick through jewelry you have amassed over the years, time to look for a cash stash, electronics, collectibles, guns, etc. There aren’t many burglars out there that will hang around too long with the sirens sounding off.
Make sure your valuables are in a relatively safe place, a place that can’t be accessed easily and immediately by a stranger. A safe is your best bet but is fairly expensive. An old metal gym locker works well with a padlock. Even a wooden cabinet is good, as long as it’s locked. Just a good hiding place will work. It doesn’t matter as long as it makes it time consuming to find because, with the alarm sounding, time is not on an intruder’s side.
Also, you need to look at the personal safety aspect. Burglaries don’t usually occur when you’re at home but, if it does happen, the consequences can be much more severe than a simple loss of property. At least, with a siren and properly designed system, you have a chance to run an intruder off before he does you any harm.
Staying on the personal safety issue, a system smoke detector not only alerts you of a possible fire, it also notifies your fire department (if monitored). This could be a life saver if you have already been overcome by smoke.
Panic buttons on the keypad, mounted, or handheld also give you more control over your safety. You’ll know when you need to
use them.
The chapters that follow will educate you on the equipment that can make all this happen.
Remember. DETER and MINIMIZE.
