A home security system can help you prevent burglars from breaking into your home, but it’s not the only step towards prevention. Your high quality possessions and latest electronics are great to have, but they may also be making you a target for crime. Here are a few ways, in addition to purchasing a home security system, you can reduce the likelihood that you will be a victim of burglary.
Means, motive and opportunity are the three elements needed for someone to commit a crime. A criminal may have the means to carry out action, but anyone can personally decrease the motive and opportunity for crime. By storing away your valuables and securing your home, you can keep your house protected from property crime. According to the FBI, there were over 9 million cases of property crime in 2010, including burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.
The Department of Justice recently released statistics that showed violent crime had increased 17 percent and property crime 11 percent in 2011. With crime on the rise, it is more important than ever to secure your home.
First, removing the motive means removing all temptation of thieves to come to your home. Leaving stray items around the yard indicates carelessness and loose possession, which can lure burglars in. Name brand and designer items are a clear target for criminals to come looking for more valuables. Keep these stored away from sight around windows and doors. Because these possessions are worth more, it is especially important to keep them secured.
When a burglar enters a home, he or she already has a good idea of where to look for valuables. Some of first places an intruder checks are in the freezer, in the bedroom closets and drawers, and under the bed. Always put away all items of importance to increase the time intruders have to look. A burglar will want to spend as little time as possible in an unfamiliar home. In fact, the average amount of time spend inside the house is eight to 12 minutes.
Another factor that can be addressed is opportunity. Taking simple home security measures can greatly lower your risk of experiencing a robbery.
Using a home security system makes your home three times less likely to be broken into. According to an info graphic from DeadlineNews.com, a monitored home security system, window sensors and video cameras are the top three things that will deter burglars from targeting your home.
With a monitored home security system, burglars no longer have the opportunity to break into an unoccupied house. Even with a security system, a safe can provide extra protection for your important belongings. These preventative measures will decrease the ease of robbing your home and keep your expensive and priceless possessions safe.
