Home Security-Tips to Prevent Home Invasion

In the articles "Home Security-Home Invasion Threat Parts I and I" we discussed what Home Invasion was, some tips to avoid being a victim and what to do if you became a victim. In this article we are going to focus on prevention.

To review, Home Invasion is a term coined by police departments to describe a burglary of a home when the occupants are there. Most burglaries occur when the occupants are not at home because quite frankly the perpetrators don't need the added stress of dealing with people who might be armed and angry. What a mess that would be.

To my humble way of thinking Home Invasion is potentially a much more heinous crime than a burglary because the threat of injury or death to the occupants (you and your family) is definitely a huge risk.

Home Invasion has a much higher prospect of confrontation by its' very nature and is thus potentially far more dangerous. On the other hand since it is basically a burglary with people at home, the principles that apply to burglary prevention would work here as well with a few additions.

Some basic facts: 1. Police authorities estimate that 90 % of all burglaries/home invasions are preventable. 2. In 17% of all crimes domiciles were violated. 3. The average burglar will spend no more than 2 minutes trying to get into a home. 4. A burglary occurs every 15 seconds. So how do we stop this from happening and prevent home invasions? It seems obvious to me that you want to make your home an "uninviting" target by putting out the "UNWELCOME" mat. Advertise to everyone this house is not going to be a pushover. "Mr. Burglar, you are in for a hard time if you pick on us."

---Is you home well lit? Even motion activated spots are great.

---Are there hiding places next to your home? Remove all shrubs and large plants that could provide hiding places next to your home.

---Get out your "UNWELCOME" signs. Start with Neighborhood watch signs. www.usaonwatch.com Then have some signs that announce obstacles "beware of guard dog", "these premises protected by..." etc. And my favorite, an NRA sticker on your window or someplace conspicuous. You get the idea. Advertise that your home is not a good idea for burglary or home invasion.

---Dummy surveillance cameras provide a few minutes of thought for a potential intruder.

---Make sure you have some non lethal self defense weapons such as pepper sprays and stun guns located in a few places around the house. Even some audible alarms will help.

These inexpensive methods of prevention will make your home an uninviting target for a potential burglar/home invader. His job is to break into your home if you are home or not. Advertise to everyone it is not a good idea to even consider your home by putting out the "UNWELCOME" mat.

Chances are very good that you are reading this because in some way crime has touched your life or you want to be proactive and protect yourself, family, home, or business from the ravages of crime. That is the first step.

NOW the next step is for you to take action and purchase a dummy camera or stun guns. Look at our selection of self defense/ home security products at http://www.secure-at.com/dummy-cameras.htm and http://www.aaa-safetyfirst.com/runtstungun.htm both of which provide real "Security Solutions". Check out his new website: http://www.h-o-m-e-s-e-c-u-r-i-t-y.com

Free Home Security Systems - A Historical Perspective

Let me just preface this article by pointing out the fact that Professional Grade Security Equipment is not inexpensive. Never has been, probably never will be.

It can cost a lot of money to properly secure a home or business. It is not at all unusual for homeowners to invest thousands of dollars in their Security Systems. So just how do companies afford to give them away? I can tell you how it happened in my little slice of the world.

Many years ago, some associates and I were on the forefront of a new and emerging business model in the Security Industry. We discovered that there were companies willing to pay really good money for alarm system monitoring contracts.

At that point in time, we were in the business of selling Security Alarm Systems to homeowners and small businesses. We were charging about $ 1,000.00 for equipment and installation for the average sized home.

Without giving away my age, we are speaking in 1990 dollars, so you might need to adjust for inflation to get the real picture. I will say it again, Security Systems are not cheap.

In addition to the cost of the installation, our customers were required to sign a 3-year contract for our alarm monitoring service. At that time, we were offering the monitoring service at $ 19.95 a month.

A now defunct company out of Texas approached us with a proposition. If we sent our monitored accounts to their central station and had our customers sign their 36-month monitoring contract, they were willing to pay us 30 times the monthly fee.

The proverbial light went off! We were in a highly competitive market in which about a dozen companies struggled for market share. All of our competitors were charging fees that were pretty close to the same, which made it difficult to gain a competitive advantage.

We reasoned that with our new found Texas connection, we could offer our basic Security System Package at $ 299.00 for installation and $ 24.95 a month for monitoring and still earn the same amount of money on each system. Affordable Security!

Suddenly we were 1/3 the price of our competition and of course being young, assertive and totally oblivious to the future, we immediately embarked on an aggressive new marketing strategy. Radio and television ads, mass marketing campaigns, bulk mailers, boiler rooms and door knockers replaced our phone book advertising.

We go from 6 or 7 installations a week to well over 40. The money was great and the closing ratio was phenomenal. Orders were rolling in as quickly as we could set appointments.

Our competitors catch on quickly and get their own Texas connection. They call us out and drop their price to $ 199.00; we fire back and drop ours to $ 99.00. The war is on.

We rent a display booth at the local Parade of Homes. A giant sign coaxes visitors to sign up for a drawing for a ?free home security system?. Hard candy and cold water to close the deal and we received over a thousand entry forms in a little over a week.

Well let me tell you, that was one heck of a drawing. All the winner had to do to claim their prize was commit to a 3-year monitoring agreement at $ 29.95 per month.

Over the next few weeks, we discovered that we could give away a free ?basic? security system to everyone who entered our drawing and still make money.

The rest as they say, Is History.

Roy Stephenson is a Security Consultant with over 21 Years Experience Designing and Installing High End Integrated Security Systems. He is currently the VP of Marketing at http://www.Security-Kits.Com & http://www.EZWatchstore.com.

Guard Dogs And Home Security

These days, home security is simply a must have. Burglaries and crime are always on the rise, which makes it all the more important to protect your home. There are various burglary alarms and home surveillance systems available, designed to help you protect your home. Although they are good in their own rights, nothing compares to an old fashioned guard dog. Guard dogs have been used for generations - to help people protect their homes and their belongings.

For many years, guard dogs have helped to scare off burglars and thieves. Although most have gotten used to dogs now days, nothing fends off a thief more than a vicious dog grabbing his ankle and clamping down. Almost all guard dogs have serious bites and can seriously injure a burglar. Guard dogs are trained to protect one's home - and they will do so no matter what.

When you get a guard dog, you should always make sure that you let him know who is safe to be around your home. You don't want the dog to be vicious towards everyone, as friends and family are certainly allowed to be around your home. Most guard dogs are left outside of the home, with some deciding to keep them indoors. Indoor dogs are great, as they will instantly catch a burglar the second he decides to break into your home.

If you plan to keep your guard dog indoors, you should always have a supply of food and water available, as he will be there when you aren't. You will also need to give him access to an outdoor area as well, so he can use the bathroom. A fenced in yard is an ideal place for a guard dog to go outside, as he can come and go as he pleases. Sometimes, a burglar will try and sneak around the back entrance - which is where giving a guard dog outside access can really come in handy.

Before buying the dog, you should always carefully research the species and where you plan to get your dog from. Police dogs or dogs that have been trained for protection are ideal, as they already know how to defend things. Dobermans and Pit Bulls are great for protection as well, simply because they are well known for being very vicious.

If you carefully research your options and get your guard dog from a reliable source, you shouldn't have much of anything to worry about. You should never get your dog from a lesser known or poor source, as the dog may be poorly trained or not in good health. A guard dog can be a great addition to any home - providing you get a dog in good health and more than capable to fend of burglars.

Pj Germain

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Homeland Security Education and the Corporate World

The post 9/11 world we live in has seen a multitude of changes in regard to the way we perceive homeland security. What was once a buzzword has become a certified institution, and academia has taken notice. The number of accredited colleges and universities offering homeland security degree programs has grown steadily over the last five years.

Homeland security degree programs offer an exceptionally wide platform from which to build a career. From law enforcement and corrections to border security and any of the many government agencies responsible for our nation's safety, the opportunities are almost endless. One area of employment often overlooked by homeland security degree program graduates lies in the complex and oft misunderstood world of corporate security.

When most people think of corporate security, images of IT professionals come to mind. Certainly the problems of the information age have made data security and the safe and secure transmission of information a high priority. Still, corporate security involves much more than just the realm of information technology.

Trade secrets, formulas, employee access, financial information and secured locations are all part of the average large corporations security concerns. Considering that very few large corporations fall into the category of average, the need for qualified security personnel is ever present.

Homeland security degree programs, because of their very nature, are well suited for producing qualified applicants. The training and skills covered in areas such as surveillance, criminal law and security protocols and procedures can readily be applied to the corporate world. In years past, corporations would rarely hire recent graduates to handle their security needs, instead opting to recruit ex-military or retired police force personnel. Unquestionably, there is no substitute for experience in the law enforcement field or the military. Still, the curriculum offered in homeland security degree programs can provide students with the technical knowledge to be successful in the field. Those who have police or military experience in addition to a homeland security degree are especially ideal because of their experience level.

As the corporate world begins to recognize the potential for finding qualified security personnel from the pool of recent college graduates, it's likely that more and more headhunters will be from the private sector in the years to come.

To learn more about online homeland security degrees, visit http://www.degreesinhomelandsecurity.com/ . You can also obtain homeland security degree information at http://homeland-security-degree.blogspot.com/ and more education resources and degree programs at http://www.searchforclasses.com/ .

Homeland Security Creates New Job Openings

The establishment of the Department of Homeland Security has been a great stride toward improving the overall safety and security of the United States. In addition, it has also created several new employment opportunities, especially in areas where national security concerns may have previously been overlooked.

Newly created positions exist within the Department of Homeland Security itself while others have been created from the various agencies which the Department oversees. These government agencies include U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Secret Service. Internal employment opportunities exist within the Department of Homeland Security in the Office of the Secretary, Office of Management, Office of Inspector General and the Office of Border and Transportation Security. These employment opportunities represent our nation's newfound commitment to the protection from harm that is required by all U.S. citizens. They also present an opportunity for qualified personnel to find a position that will afford them the satisfaction of knowing they are contributing to the continued success of our nation's way of life. From positions in information technology and human resources to attorneys and border patrol agents, the number and variety of available employment opportunities is staggering. Homeland security has become an industry unto itself and will likely continue to create new job openings well into the foreseeable future. Colleges and Universities are starting to develop programs that cater to the needs of the homeland security industry. While many have incorporated homeland security curriculum into already established degree programs such as criminal justice, others have developed degree programs that are specific to the field. These degree programs and the positions they are meant to qualify people to obtain are both excellent options for college students to consider. While the tragedy of 9/11 is beyond unfortunate, the resulting circumstances have created new opportunities for those who wish to prevent an event like this from ever happening again.

To learn more about a Homeland security degree visit our site http://www.degreesinhomelandsecurity.com/

To learn about earning a degree online visit http://www.searchforclasses.com

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Increase Your Home Security With Video Surveillance

The modern homeowner has been aided considerably by advancing technology and nowhere is that more evident than in the field of home security. The tools that are now in the hands of the average homeowner were considered practical for only the wealthiest of people and large corporations only just a few years ago.

For instance, consider the subject of video surveillance. In times past the only solution offered was an analog closed circuit television system which was expensive and had serious drawbacks, including the fact that it was not possible to actually monitor events around your home from long distance as they happened. They had to be saved to some type of recording device, most often video tape, and then viewed later at once to provide any useful information.

But with the advent of the computer age, networking, and the internet, great improvements have been made to the advantage of the average homeowner. Chief among these is the rise of digital recording devices instead of analog equipment. By capturing the video in digital format, it could then be broadcast to another distant location and even viewed live as it happens. It also improved the captured images considerably, and made for much better image quality.

Because of the internet, we now have the ability to log onto the web and view video feeds from cameras at our home live as they are recording. By combining this technology with the right software product we can even view more than one camera's output at the same time. So if you have for instance 5 cameras around your home, you can watch them on your monitor screen whenever you wish to keep an eye on what is happening even though you are many miles away.

Having such a digital home security camera system is not all that expensive either, and with the rising number of people becoming familiar with setting up their own wireless computer systems, it is also becoming a home security measure that many can install themselves.

So if you have the need to keep up with what is happening at home when you are away for any reason, why not consider getting a digital camera system for your own peace of mind?

Find out more about a home security camera system and home security surveillance by visiting our Home Security website.

Common Home Security Mistakes That You Can Avoid

Spending time in advance to think about ways to keep your home more secure is a wise investment in time and energy, as what could be more important than the physical safety of you and your family, and the protection of your home? Unfortunately, many often do not give much thought to home security measures and that just simply makes them and their home an appealing target for intruders. Here are some things that you can do to help safe up your home and avoid a home invasion in advance.

One of the most vulnerable times for burglarization is when you leave home for an extended period. It could be for a vacation or business or other matters, but if you will be away for a few days, make sure that your home does not appear to be unoccupied during that time. Neighbors, friends and relatives can be a big help by stopping by and checking on the home for you, picking up your mail and newspapers so they aren't left unattended and pile up outside. When burglars go through a neighborhood to select a home in advance, they are specifically looking for telltale signs of a home that is unoccupied. It means that their chances of breaking in and not being caught are much better. So do all that you can to give the appearance that you are still around even when you are away.

Another bad practice that many have is leaving notes on the front door while they are away, or putting out a blanket email to all of their contacts that says that they will be out of town during a certain period of time, or maybe even leaving a recorded message to that effect on the home answering machine. You should never announce your extended absense to anyone that you don't know very well as this can be a huge home security risk.

It's even a good idea to keep your daily schedule as varied as possible and somewhat of a secret even if you aren't away. Burglars look for clues that will tell them when you usually are not around, and that will be the time they select to break in. If you seem to come and go at random, unpredictable times though, that presents a much higher risk that they can be caught while the burglary is in progress.

Another home security risk presents itself evn when you are home. It has to do with who you allow inside your home. It is important to be careful not to allow entry inside the home to someone that you have not requested in advance. Oftentimes smart burglars can make it seem that they have been sent by the electric company or some other utility to take care of a problem in your home. Once inside they may distract you and steal something valuable, or just look the place over carefully in order to be abale to stage a successful burglary later on. So be sure to know the credentials of every person who enters your home and do not allow entry to anyone who can't prove that they have a good reason for being there.

These simple and efffective daily security precautions can be very effective in preventing burglary in advance.

Find out more about home security alarm systems and wireless home security by visiting our Home Security Review website.

Is Your Home Security System Protecting You

Home Security Systems

Monitoring your home security system has never been easier but there are several things you need to consider before committing yourself to a long term monitoring agreement with any alarm company.

Alarm companies don't make the majority of their profit from selling security systems; it comes from accumulating a large base of alarm-monitoring contracts. If fact, these monitoring contracts are so profitable that they are frequently bought and sold like mortgage notes.

Tip #1 Ask if they are an authorized alarm dealer or represent a marketing company. Marketing companies have learned to flood a market with fantastic offers on security systems with the sole purpose of selling the contracts at a profit. They often use any sub-contractor available, which can lead to poor customer service once the marketing company leaves town.

Once you find a reputable alarm company, ask them to come out to your home and give you a quote. You'll find that most will quote you a basic security system at a reasonable price. These basic security systems generally include a control panel, keypad, motion detector, a couple of door contacts, inside siren, a yard sign and warning decals.

Tip #2 Make sure the equipment can be monitored by any alarm company, not by just the one selling it to you. If they use proprietary security equipment, you could be left in a bind should you become dissatisfied with their service for any reason. Ademco, DSC, & Caddx are well known manufacturers and can be monitored by any one.

Some companies offer a low installation charge of $99.00 or will give you a "FREE" security system. Many do so if you put a security sign in your yard for advertising purposes and commit to a long-term alarm-monitoring contract.

Since the installation charge doesn't cover the true cost of the equipment and labor, you are charged a substantial monthly fee to recoup their investment. These "deals" or equipment leases aren't necessarily bad but make it hard to evaluate the true cost to you over time.
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