Protecting your home from thieves
Burglary is a surprisingly common threat to many Americans.
On average, the FBI has reported that a burglary can take place almost every 15.4 seconds in the U.S.
Victims feel violated and unsafe in their own homes afterward. So what happens if you live out there in the Midwest, specifically in Kansas City, Missouri, where the town is highly populated?
How do you protect your home from such a property crime when you and your family have to be out for work, special occasions, or other important errands?
Certainly, home security is a must and you have to set up a protection system that will give you that much-needed peace of mind. In choosing the best devices to rely on to do the job, there are a number of considerations that you have to keep in mind. Alarms can provide you exactly what you need when they are installed and maintained properly.
Preventing Daytime Thieving Adventures
Most often than not, burglars prefer to do their thing in the daytime when nobody is around, but homeowners often forget this fact. This is very typical during the months of July to August when it’s summer time and most people are enjoying the weather.
In a recent FBI report, it was stated that 65% of the burglary cases happen from 10 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon and the offenders are not even afraid to do it in broad daylight. However, when an effective burglar alarm is in place, whether it’s day or night time, a good number of intrusions can be avoided as the alarms would immediately go off and cause panic or disorientation in would-be thieves.
Offenders tend to follow a selection process for their targets and they choose the easiest ones to trespass in which they can come and go without attracting attention to themselves.
This will allow them to easily escape in no time without neighbors or passers-by seeing them and their loot. Unfortunately for them, an alarm system will not make it that easy
A visible deterrent, such as an alarm or CCTV system will most likely put burglars off.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has recorded 17,158 burglaries in 2013 and if you want to prevent this from happening in your own home, a home alarm system should be installed as soon as possible.
From a Burglar’s Perspective
The best way to deter burglars from committing a property crime is to know exactly what is going on in their minds. At the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, a research study on convicted burglars revealed that 83% of the respondents took into serious consideration the presence of a burglar alarm when they decided on which houses to intrude.
Moreover, a significant 60% would opt to find another target if they find out that the house they are planning on has a burglar alarm system. These data were coming from those types of offenders who deliberately planned an intrusion before proceeding with it.
Burglars do not even have to wait for it to go off to know that an alarm system is in place. One of the reasons why alarms have a high deterrent value is attributed to the provision of an alarm company lawn sign and related window decals that are put in place together with the alarm set up. The visible signs can tell the burglar how ready you are for them that they will tend to think twice before burgling your home. This is especially true when the sign in sight is from a reputable alarm system company.
In the same study, 60% considered surveillance cameras and other similar devices as a deterrent. This really goes to show how alarms and CCTV can act as an effective deterrent to a burglar.
While video surveillance is useful in documenting the incident, they do not have immediate effects like alarms have. This is an interesting finding, showing that the joint effect of a visible alarm, together with post-crime CCTV footage is actually the ultimate protection for your home.
What’s even more significant is that, after knowing that an alarm was in place, 50% of the convicted offenders would never proceed with their evil deeds and 31% would immediately retreat.
Meanwhile, those who do proceed are deterred by other security measures such as timed lights, motion sensors, deadbolts and the like. Among all these, however, a burglar alarm system is the top priority in a powerful home security system.
Police Action
It is no doubt that alarms should be a crucial part of your home security plan because when used to its optimum potential, they can prevent burglaries from taking place.
In a survey of ex-burglars, it was discovered that it only takes two minutes for someone to break in and take valuables from an unprotected home.
The same survey showed that if the burglar saw an alarm system on premise, they would immediately move on to an easier target.
Although alarms systems are by nature a great deterrent, it depends on your location as to what sort of system will work the best in your area.
For example, in a built-up area, a loud alarm box may be all that’s necessary to get your neighbors to rally round and send the intruder packing. However, in more rural locations, it may be necessary to beef up the security of your home, add multiple sensors and even remote monitoring.
It may also be worthwhile including a system that will immediately call the police.
The Case of a Kansas Burglary
The case of Tom Hentzen and his wife is a clear depiction of how a monitored alarm system can save your home from an intrusion.
Tom and his wife were out on a Monday morning for their usual walk when they got a call saying that their home was broken into. The distraught couple tried to get home as soon as they could but got delayed due to a train block.
Fortunately for them, the police were already in their house when they arrived.
The police told them that the door was already open when they got there but nothing got taken.
The officer said that it was likely that the suspect got scared off by the alarm.
The Hentzen’s felt so relieved that they were saved by the bell – the alarm bell which went off when they needed it the most.
Crime Prevention
Many people invest in alarm systems and security after they’ve already been burgled. While it’s true that burglars very often strike twice, so taking a precaution after a break-in is sensible, it’s obviously far more sensible to take security precautions before the event.
A good security system does not have to be expensive.
24-hour monitoring is not only for large organizations or people living in mansions on the outskirts of town. It’s available to everyone.
Call us now on 816-350-0727 and we’ll help you find the best system for your budget.