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‘Home Security’

Home security systems used to be largely reserved for the well-to-do and this made sense when the systems were very expensive and they were installed to protect even more expensive possessions. Read more… »

In order to avoid being a data point in the FBI’s burglary statistics, there are things you can do to secure your home if you’ll try to think as the professional burglar does. Read more… »

On average, according to the FBI, a burglary is committed somewhere. There are a wide range of steps a homeowner can take to avoid being the victim of a home burglary. Read more… »

Installing a home security system may involve not only buying equipment but also contracting with a monitoring company who will respond quickly when an alarm is triggered. Your equipment is only as good as the company monitoring it.  Read more… »

The PC and Internet revolution has had a major impact on home automation security systems. A combination of software and hardware can provide video surveillance cameras with intelligent tracking. Read more… »

Probably the most controversial aspect of home security is the debate as to whether or not homeowners should carry or have a gun at home. There are valid points on either side of the debate and the best answer may take some time to be determined.  Read more… »

The two most common entry points for burglars are windows and doors and fortifying them can start with near-zero cost, then grow from there as your needs and budget allows. Read more… »

Burglars want to avoid detection not only as they’re committing their crime but also by not leaving any visible traces of themselves afterward. A video surveillance system can help thwart both their goals. Read more… »

Many valuable items kept in your home are small enough to conveniently place in a safe, and, while it’s less common to store documents there, now that computers have taken over the job, you may have a hand-signed will or old family photos you want to protect. Read more… »

Dogs have been used to provide security for thousands of years. Chinese palaces were protected by dogs and Greek myths have Cerebus guarding the gates of Hades. Read more… »

We’ve all seen films where someone drives up to a huge, gated estate and presses the intercom button to be allowed in. Elaborate estates are expected to have driveway alarm system but much more modest homes may have long driveways, or ones out of sight from the house. Read more… »

A panic room, or safe room as professionals call them,  is very much what the name suggests. The concept is simple: build or select a room within the home that is impervious to intruders that will provide safety for you and your family. Read more… »

On average, according to FBI statistics, there’s a violent crime every 18 seconds, a violent assault every 29 seconds, a forcible rape every five minutes and a murder every 24 minutes. Who wouldn’t be paranoid about security with numbers like those? Read more… »

Finally technology has caught up to home security lighting needs. In the past, a simple, low-cost timer might have been used to turn indoor lights on and off at selected times. Outdoor lights might be on a similar mechanism, but set at different times. Floodlights were common. But state-of-the-art home security lighting is much more sophisticated today. Read more… »

Older burglar alarms were fairly elementary: a door or window was opened at the wrong time and an alarm went off, either in the house or at a remote location or both. Installing these systems required adding wiring and attached devices which an expensive propostion. Read more… »

Apartment or condominium living has its benefits as well as disadvantages when it comes to security. In a complex of any size, management often takes on the responsibility of providing security, at least in general. Read more… »

There are legal issues to be considered when trying to design and set in place a home security plan and it’s smart to learn about laws concerning privacy, gun ownership, security company responses and other issues if certain points are not considered up front. Read more… »

One of the most effective means of protecting your home is to join, or if necessary create, a neighborhood watch program because no one can be home 24 x 7 x 365. Read more… »

Many burglaries occur while the homeowners and family are away from the house since it’s often extremely easy for a thief to spot a house that has been unoccupied for a day or more and that likely to be so longer. Read more… »