Home security tips

HOME SECURITY TIPS

Did you know a single-family home is twice as likely to be burglarized than apartments?

Cash, small electronic equipment, home computers, cameras, jewelry, furs, tools and handguns are the most popular items for a burglar Few people really bother about security until something happens to them or a neighbor. Your lack of home security is the burglar's best friend and your worst enemy. There are many things the average person can do to make their home less of a target.

A burglar needs to get in, commit his crime, and get out fast without being seen or caught. Some basic precautions you can take are listed below which will greatly increase his reasons not to choose your home A burglar will typically attack an empty home, so anything you can do to make the place secure and look like there is someone home will help move him on to another target. When you are away do not change the look of the house. For example do not close up all the drapes and send the dog to someone else's house. Pay a kid to come and walk it and feed it each day you are away.

Put a timer on some of your main room lights and TV so they come on and off at the usual times. Have a neighbor put the trash cans out for you etc. Making the place look lived in will help a lot. Put yourself in the place of the criminal. If you were to break in to your house where would you start? Do the same drill with a friend and see what he comes up with.

Talk to you local police and get their recommendations for making your house safer for you and your family. Here are some other helpful hints that may save you a heartbreaking experience.

Trim back overhanging branches so a burglar can't get access to upper floors. Check to see if there are any other easy ways to get on the roof or in through an upper window i.e. ladders lying around, lattice against the house walls, roof drains etc

Plant thorny shrubs and bushes outside any low windows. Trim any shrubbery that a person could hide in against the house

Do you have skylights can that be removed from the outside or easily broken? If so get them secured.

Inspect your roof area and see if there are any possible entry points where a person could gain entry. Even a loose roof vent could provide access or a child burglar

Do not store you spare keys outside. What you think is a good storage space will be obvious to any experienced housebreaker. Everyone puts their keys under a pot plant or over a ledge. Leave the key with a trusted neighbor or friend so anyone who does legally need to get into your house will know where to get it.

Install exterior lights with motion detectors by all doors. Set these so a person will set them off but not a pet. They can be aimed a little high or the sensitivity can be raised a little

Ensure that your exterior doors are at least 1-3/4 inch thick 9 they probably are already) and made from solid wood or reinforced with metal? Any decent quality exterior door will provide good protection. All exterior doors should have a dead bolt as well as the regular door lock. Make sure this dead bolt is installed with a heavy-duty strike plate and long heavy screws that go well into the door jamb and framing lumber behind it. A weak strike plate and screws will give way to a good kick or heavy shoulder.

Do not have a mail slot that a person can get their hand through and reach the door locks. Also glass panels in a door can defeat the whole plan, as they are easy to break and the locks can then be reached. CAUTION: A double keyed dead bolt, with a key to operate each side is a fire safety hazard and are not recommended in a living space. A pet door is also easy access for a child to get in and unlatch the door for a burglar. Upstairs windows are also easy access for a thief.

Any exterior glass doors need to have a security lock on the inside. These can be clamps that go on the top and bottom rails, a broomstick cut to fit in the lower track or even a dead bolt type system. Also you can add a few screws in the upper track after the door is installed. Do not screw these all the way in, just enough to allow the door to slide easily. This will prevent a burglar from lifting the door out of its frame to gain entry

Pay special attention to the garage. Often a side door to the garage gets overlooked and is not a high quality door like the rest of the house. There should also be a dead bolt from the garage to the house so this can be locked at night. If you do not have an electric garage door opener then make sure you can bolt the garage door from the inside to prevent forced opening. Also lock you car and set the alarm when it is in the garage as added precaution.

Check your windows. Are they easy to open from the outside? Ask a friend to try and break in, as he will see it differently to you. Windows in easily accessible positions should have a secure locking system or bars to prevent access. CAUTION: Any bared window should have a release devise so the window and bars can be easily released for emergency exit. Consult you security specialist for this.

All your irreplaceable items should be stored in a fireproof safe or a bank safe deposit box. Computer backups should also be kept in another location. Make a video of your house contents and store this off site also. This is a great reminder tool should something go missing or to help the insurance company in the event of a disaster. Keep a record of all serial numbers, make and model numbers and file these. Mark all TV's and important items with a readily identifiable mark that can be seen easily by police or anyone who may be thinking of buying stolen items. There are many products on the market for this. You can also store all this data online at http://www.osldb.com/ Contact them for data on this program

Also take still photographs of your possessions so you have the record in case of emergencies.

Are you going away on vacation? Here are some things that can help protect you home and valuables

Arm the security system if you have one when you leave the house. In a dangerous area an internal security system just covering certain rooms that would catch an intruder at night may help you sleep better. Make sure a pet will not set these off. There is also an automatic dialer that can be added to security system that will automatically call the police and 1-2 other numbers if the alarm goes off.

Have neighbors on both sides watch your house for you. Leave them an emergency number where you can be reached. You can also leave a key with them if you know them well enough.

Get your lights and TV, radio etc on a timer so they come on and off at normal times.

Do not cancel the gardeners. DO cancel the mail and newspaper delivery or have a trusted friend or neighbor collect the mail daily. The post office will do this for you and you can go and collect you mail when you return. Lastly, call your local police and inform them you will be away for an extended time and ask if they can keep a watch on the house. Make sure they know who has keys and how to get hold of you.

If all the above fails go to http://www.osldb.com where you can list your stolen or lost property. This is a new web site where you can enlist the help of others to find your valuables. Better still use the advice above and don't get burgled.

CTW Inc is the owner of http://www.officialstolenlost.com web site. The company founders have done red carpet security for celebrity events, movie premiers, large concerts, general event security & personal celebrity security. We have extensive experience with private investigations with the legal profession. Personal and home security have become our specialty. Free articles at http://www.osldb.com

Home Security System Reviews

Home is the place where everyone wants his ultimate comfort and security- that is why there is a common proverb 'Home sweet home'. But unfortunately our home is not completely safe from intruders. We just have to adopt different systems to protect our homes from intruders such as thieves, burglars, etc. There are different home safening systems by which we can make our home completely secure from unwanted outsiders. These different electronic gadgets are: 1) Home Alarms, 2) Burglar Alarm, 3) Close circuit television camera, 4) Motion Sensors, etc. Today with the help of new technologies we can easily purchase and install a home-security system with minimal expense. That is why nowadays most of the houses are adopting these peace of mind systems as they are very reliable and helpful in protecting our homes from intruders. The "home security systems" are as easy to use as a telephone. The systems consists of a:

1) Control Unit, 2) Battery Backup or Power Supply, and 3) Transformer.

The control unit has keypad features with lighted number keys and audible signals which can alert us in emergency conditions. Beside this there are different home safety products, they are:

1) Smoke Alarms, 2) Fire Alarms, 3) Gas Detectors, 4) Flood Sensors, etc.

Intruders like burglars always try to find the weaknesses in home security systems so as to break into the house. They often use back doors with worn or old locks or they often open basement windows that can be easily kicked in. Not only robbery but also different kind of crimes are committed such as assault, rape, kidnapping etc completely due to the lack of security in our homes. There are also various electronic gadgets which work on wireless technology such as motion sensors, remote controlled security cameras and many more. This new technology, which is a combination of computer microprocessors is making smart sensors, which are capable of distinguishing between a pet animal and an intruder.

In this way the home protection systems are ready to function in all circumstances. The close circuit television cameras are used as security cameras. One can continuously keep an eye on these cameras output with a help of video monitor and thus the entry of the intruders can be prevented.

The Burglar Alarms are always ready to protect our residential houses and shopping stores from terrible robbery. These alarms are simply programmed to alert us about any kind of robbery and helps us in preventing burglary.

The home potection systems protects us from various dangerous situations like threatening our family's lives and also our own life. There are different Home Safening Stores that provide excellent security systems for our homes by which we can sleep in our homes with complete peace in mind. These stores have professional experts who used to deal with home security.

Finally it can be said that a happy family deserves a sweet and safe home and by using the home security systems in no time at all we can get the ideal home with a newfound peace of mind.

Tyson J Stevenson creates useful articles & reviews on a wide variety of everyday subjects. Expect to see his name often. View further samples of his work at HubbuH or at {http://www.security-system-info.info}Security_Sysyem_info

Home Security How to Spot Suspicious Activity

In part nine of this series on home security, I am going to giver you a list of things to watch out for to help in spotting possibly suspicious people, its surprising how regularly we miss rather obvious signs that should put us on our guard. 1. Somebody going from house to house, this is particularly suspicious if, once a few homes have been visited, one or more of the people go into a back or side yard. It is even more suspicious if another remains in the front when this occurs. It may be that they are looking for a house to burglarize, or there could be a burglary in progress.

2. If somebody is waiting around in front of a home this becomes very suspicious if you know the homeowners are away. The individual you can see may be a lookout for a burglary that is in progress inside.

3. Everyone seen forcing an entry into a home. This is clearly suspicious at anytime and in any circumstances immediately dial 911 or 999 if in the U.K. 4. If you see anybody who does not live in the home, going into the yard, it is possible that a burglary is being committed.

5. Someone running away particularly if something valuable is being carried, they may be leaving the scene of a crime.

6. If you see somebody showing strange mental or physical symptoms, they may be injured or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 7. Anybody moving property may be considered suspicious in some circumstances. Perhaps if it is late at night or if the item is not wrapped, it is possible that the article has been stolen. 8. A large number of comings and goings from a particular house, this may not be suspicious, unless it occurs on a daily or very regular basis, especially during late or unusual hours when it could signify vice or drug related activities. With all of the above situations you must use your common sense, in the majority of situations there is a perfectly innocent explanation for what you see but if you are not certain dial 911 or 999 in the U.K. and let the police investigate.

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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/

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Home Security Systems Provide a Safe Environment for Family Members

There were 4 million household burglaries in the United States, nearly 500,000 resulted in bodily injury, and 20,000 resulted in homicides, frightening statistics. Additional statistics reveal that a home without a security system is three times as likely to be burglarized as compared to one which is equipped with a security system. These facts make it obvious that a home security system will reduce your chances of intrusion, and can protect your life and property. It is therefore necessary to conduct an extensive home security review, to determine the appropriate systems necessary to secure the safety of yourself, and home.

Several points should be kept in mind while conducting a home security review. Security needs should be a first consideration. While it may be obvious that you should be the best judge of security requirements, a security expert has the experience to evaluate your home for vulnerabilities that are not obvious to a layperson. After a full examination of your home, a security specialist will be able to make note of all soft spots, and suggest the kind of equipment necessary to strengthen these soft spots.

The next consideration is security monitoring. Security monitoring can be a sophisticated central monitoring service, or a simple home security system, cost and needs are the determining factors. The central monitoring services are ideal because they ensure that appropriate measures are taken whenever an intrusion is detected. A monitoring team that works from a central station verifies every suspicious activity the moment it receives an alert. While an ideal deterrent, this type of monitoring is relatively expensive, and subject to the experience and professionalism of the company. You must find out if the central monitoring station is certified by Underwriters Laboratory; that it has a power back up system that can run for 10 to 15 hours; that it is run by trained staff; that it alerts local authorities within seconds of receiving a security alert.

Less costly is a simple home security system consisting of a control panel, a couple of magnetic switches, a motion sensor or two, and an alarm device. This can be hard wired or wireless. The more advanced systems feature a video camera that can be monitored by family members. The biggest advantage of this system is that it scares away potential intruders. This may happen when an intruder sees a yard sign, a decal sign or any of the installed sensors or video cameras. There is a one-time installation charge, with no recurring expenses.

While there are no guarantees, any home security system could scare away potential intruders. Any type of prevention will go along way to reduce the likelihood of a break in, or home assault by a stranger. Remember, the main objective of any home security system is to provide a safe environment for family members, and to limit the loss of property.
Jay B Stockman is a contributing editor for Best Home Security Companies. Visit http://home-security-usa.com/ for more information.